12 Tips for Night Shift Workers to Stay Healthy and Fit
07-10-2017 | Posted By: Chhavi | 5656 View(s)
Do you stay up late because you have a night shift job? If you do, then you must take extra care of your health. That’s because working the night shift for a long period of time can cause harm to your body by upsetting your body’s “internal clock.” When you work night shifts, you may find it difficult to know when and what to eat. This may eventually lead to many health problems. Hence, today we are going to share some effective tips for night shift workers that can help them stay healthy and fit.
Do not take your health casually when you work a night shift. It is because working night shifts can even lead to a disorder called Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD). Some of the major symptoms of this disorder include
• Irritation
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Hair fall
• Headache
• Poor concentration
• Dull skin
Some of the other common problems that night shift workers deal with are weight loss, constipation, gas, heartburn, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, weight gain and diarrhoea.
So, you must take care of your health if you are a night shift worker. These tips will help you stay fit and healthy while you enjoy your job.
Tips for Night Shift Workers to Live a Hale and Hearty Life
1. Rest for at least one hour after work, whether it is day or nighttime. Do not go to sleep immediately after reaching home. You can draw a lukewarm bath or listen to music to calm your mind and body. But, give your body one hour of rest after work and then go to sleep.
2. Stick to your diet routine. You must eat meals at the same time every day because doing this will help in maintaining your body’s clock.
3. Since you do not get enough sleep during the weekdays, try to make the best use of the holidays and weekends and sleep as much as you can.
4. Go for a body massage or steam therapy at least once a week to relieve body pain and promote blood circulation.
5. Eat foods rich in protein, such as almonds, eggs, broccoli, oats, vegetables, etc. That’s because these foods keep you alert.
6. Avoid oily foods as much as possible during the nighttime as these foods lead to stomach bloating and may also cause stomach problems.
7. If your night shift starts at 7 pm or later than that, then you must not think that you will have dinner at night. It is good to have your dinner first and then go to work. It will keep you energised and help you stay alert.
And if your shift starts around 4 pm and ends by 1 am, then you should take your dinner by 7:30-8 pm. But in no circumstance should you skip your dinner because it is highly essential for your health.
8.For dinner, you should eat foods which are light and does not cause heaviness or bloating. You can have brown rice, veggies, upma or idli for dinner.
9. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages when you work a night shift because it can lead to stomach problems. Generally what night shift workers do is that they drink a countless number of cups of coffee or tea to stay awake, which is not good for their health.
It is important to stay hydrated in order to remain active, but that hydration should not be provided to the body with coffee and tea. Instead, you should drink water or juice every half an hour to stay alert and active and keep your body hydrated. This is one of the easiest tips for night shift workers.
10. It is very common to feel hungry at night; but whenever the hunger pangs get you, do not rush to the office canteen and start eating Pizza or Burgers. Instead, pack your own healthy snacks like almonds, peanuts, poha, upma, vegetables with cottage cheese and flaxseeds. Eat a healthy snack whenever you feel hungry instead of eating burgers and pizzas. This will prevent you from overeating and also maintain your weight.
11. Do not forget to exercise every day. You can go for a walk daily for at least 30 minutes every day to get relief from muscle tension, body ache and keep other health problems at bay.
12. Never go to sleep hungry as it may disturb your sleep and make you restless.
These are some of the simple tips for night shift workers that can help them stay healthy and fit. Follow these tips religiously to keep health problems at bay. If you know any other tip for night shift workers, do share with us in the comment section below.
