The most serious and persistent problem that shift workers face is the never ending assault on one's own circadian rhythms. The World Health Organization recognized night shift work as a potential carcinogen in 2007 due to this disruption. The processes of the mind and body follow natural rhythms that many people don't realize exist. The various rhythms and states of your body follow a cycle relative to certain times. These states include wakefulness, body temperature, and hormone levels and they are all tied together. The part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nuclei is what controls these functions. What appears to be the most important factor in this regulation is light and more specifically natural sunlight. This lack of synchronicity with the natural environment is ultimately what leads to the demise of shift workers.
The increased levels of light reduces serotonin as well as the primary production of serotonin occurring at approximately 10 pm for the average person. This reduction in serotonin is directly related to an increased occurrence of cancer. This reduction of serotonin also reduces endogenous sex hormone production and concentrations.
Circadian disruptions are also directly linked to problems with blood pressure and increase in blood lipids. The result of this is an increased chance for cardiovascular disease.
The evidence shows that shift workers are also more likely to be overweight, have higher stress levels, and smoke.
But wait, there's more. Shift workers also experience a decrease in glucagon and an increase in insulin thus an increase in IGF-1 which is linked to an increase in cancer as well. The decrease in glucagon and increase in insulin increase the chance of type-II diabetes. As a matter of fact, shift workers are 42% more likely to be type-II diabetic.
You have to understand that all of these factors are compounding. Shift work kills you... slowly. An increase chance of cancer (reported often as twice as high), increase chance of obesity, increase chance of type-II diabetes, chronic depression and various other psychological problems, chronic fatigue, and marked decrease in mental capacity show why, if you love yourself, you should do everything you can to get out of shift work. It is killing you.
Take care of yourself and I hope you enjoyed this.
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