Shift work and circadian rhythms

The first 200 words of this essay...

Shift work and circadian rhythms

Recent technological advances have meant that it is now possible for people to be 'active' for 24 hours. According to Coren (1996) we now sleep approximately one and a half hours less than we used to 90 years ago, and we are permanently in a mild state of sleep deprivation.

Shift work

There are many institutions such as hospitals, factories and airports that are open 24 hours a day, and many supermarkets are following this trend. The majority of these institutions work 8 or 12-hour shift cycles, which involve their employees going against their biological clocks (shift workers are those which work outside of the 'normal' day).

Shift workers often have digestive problems and insomnia. They become tired, irritable, and can suffer from depression. It is not just lack of sleep that causes these problems, but a general disruption in their circadian rhythms (e.g. body temperature).

Research has found that body temperature is slow to change, and seems to adjust after three weeks. Heart rate and blood pressure change more quickly. The internal disagreement between circadian rhythms can cause physiological problems.

In addition to this, it is