Night Shift Health and Compensation

Sleep is an important component of maintaining the bodies necessary processes. A list of just a few broad benefits of obtaining adequate, regular sleep are better physical, mental, and emotional health. Not receiving adequate, regular sleep also has risk such as fatigue, clouded thinking and judgement, and falling asleep during activities that could lead to self-harm or the harm of another.

We live in a society that “doesn’t sleep” in that while part of society is asleep after 10:00pm, a large amount of individuals have just begun their day of work. Often capitalism requires production to continue 24-hours a day, seven days a week and unfortunately, sickness and injury don’t halt after what would be considered “normal sleeping hours” begin. Various security companies require 24-hour surveillance for the things that bump in the night and I am sure there are many other professions that practice the same concept that I have not mentioned.

Night-shift workers often go against nature in their sleep patterns. They are active when the sun is going down and climb in to bed as the sun is rising. Often times, they have trouble sleeping due to the normal buzz of daily activities and due to resistance from their bodies that know this schedule does not meet the bodies intended use. Night-shift workers may only sleep for a couple hours at a time and also trade-off sleep in order to spend time with their loved ones and children who carry a normal schedule.

Many new studies are being done to determine what effects working nights has on the human body. Some studies found poorer health outcomes and shorter lifespans. Also, those working nights report feeling more tired throughout the week and having trouble going back and forth between the night-shift work schedule and the day schedule, when they are off of from work. Some companies offer shift-differentials to encourage individuals to feel night-shift positions, but is it worth the health and social tradeoffs? 

DQ:

1. If society requires that someone be up in the middle of the night in order to continue their production, care for the sick or protect their prized goods, what should be the reward for their abnormal schedules, potentially negative health outcomes and time spent away from their families? 

2. Is offering a higher pay enough? 

3. Is requiring that companies cut off production hours a solution? 

4. What about all of the jobs that would be lost? 

5. What about hospitals? 

6. What can be done to help night-shift employees remain physically and emotionally healthy to provide the best health outcomes for the patients they care for?

Benefits of Regular Sleep
Role of Sleep

Shift Work Syndrome