May 24, 2000

Workers revved up about night shift

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Vampire shift, graveyard hours: night shift workers are a fact of life in our modern world.
      Hospitals, stores, factories, police stations and gas stations - someone's got to be there to take care of business while the rest of the world is dreaming. Working all night does not intimidate experienced third shifters, however, who know the ins and outs of sleeping while the sun shines, juggling family commitments around pillow time and eating dinner in the dead of the night.
Steps to enjoy a good night (or day's) sleep
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       The key to successful shift work, sleep experts say, is a regular sleep schedule and minimal use of stimulants such as caffeine or chocolate. Dr. David Walker, medical director of the Munson Sleep Disorders Program, has studied sleep problems for nearly two decades and knows that shift workers face a greater challenge getting enough quality sleep that daytime workers do.
      "Shift work is a problem we have had since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb," said Walker, whose program will be expanding from five beds to eight this year. "Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, if we don't get it we are sleep deprived."
      While issues of sleep deprivation can affect anyone with a sleep disorder, regardless of their job hours, he noted that third shift workers typically get five hours of sleep, not the required seven or eight. This chronic sleep deprivation, mainly due to the demands of their schedule, can take a toll in areas of productivity, safety, depression, anxiety, forgetfulness and lack of judgment or concentration.
      Dr. Walker and the Munson Sleep Disorders Program do have a list of suggestions to help shift workers cope with their nighttime waking and working hours. These suggestions can easily apply to anyone in search of a better night (or day's) sleep.
      - Wake up at the same time every day.
      - Go to bed only when sleepy.
      - Take an hour before going to bed to relax and establish a pre-sleep ritual, such as reading or a bath.
      - Exercise regularly and try do it more than six hours before bedtime.
      - Keep to a regular schedule of meals and activities and follow this schedule even on days off.
      - Minimize caffeine use to no more than two cups a day and drink none within 4 to 6 hours of bedtime.
      - Reach for high-energy snacks, such as raisins, instead of chocolate or junk food.
      - Do not smoke within four hours of bedtime, or give up smoking altogether.
      - Avoid alcohol before bed because after it metabolizes out of the system in 2 to 4 hours the brain is more active.
      - If naps help, take them at the same time every day. Keep naps short; power naps of 15 to 20 minutes are best.
      - Wear sunglasses home from work, especially during the summer with its early sunrises where the light can stimulate the body to stay awake.
      - Work in a brightly lit work area to keep alert.
      The sleeping environment is also important, especially for nighttime workers who sleep when most others are awake. Turning off the phone ringer, darkening the bedroom, keeping the temperature cool and having a comfortable bed and pillow are some suggestions Dr. Walker gives for shift workers.
      "Shift workers need to mimic the nighttime environment as long as they can," Walker said. "Sleep is the body's reset button. We sleep a third of our lives away and it is part of our physiology and our psychological make up."
      For some, the benefits of working all night easily outweigh the lure of more traditional working hours.
      "I like the night shift," said Rich Domey, an employee of the United States Post Office Mail Processing Facility on Garfield in Traverse City, who started working the night shift in 1971 while in the service.
      "I choose the night shift over days. It's also better than the afternoon shift, which cuts your days right in the middle. You get home and everybody is asleep and you get up and they are all at work or school."
      Loren Fox of Traverse City is another night shift veteran who would not trade his nocturnal hours for a day time shift. An employee of Sara Lee Bakery for seven years, Fox works from 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, with frequent Saturdays and occasional Sundays thrown in.
      His backwards day works for him and his family, though, allowing him the time and flexibility to home school his son with his former wife, Laura. Together, they keep their son, Titus, 10, on track with his schoolwork; Fox handles the bulk of the day-to-day teaching and Laura grades homework, sets goals and manages their curriculum.
      "I would say I'll be doing the third shift indefinitely," said Fox. "It does work better. At first it was difficult physically but now it works."
      A main challenge of the night shift is deciding when to sleep. Getting home from work in the early morning poses a dilemma for many night shift workers: sleep right away or stay up and sleep during the afternoon and evening. Others successfully split their hours of sleep into two chunks, but that may not work for everybody. The most important thing is to create a regular schedule that works, veterans said.
      "If you can get on a schedule, regardless of if it is split, it is real helpful," said Dayla Crosby, a night shift worker at the Mail Processing Facility for one year. "I didn't think I'd ever get used to it but you do."
      Fox agreed that a schedule is crucial and he has his down to a science after all these years. He sleeps three hours after he gets home, then gets up and schools his son from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with regular recess and meal breaks. At 4 p.m., when Laura takes over, he sleeps another three hours until 7 p.m., has a meal (sometimes breakfast cereal and sometimes dinner food) and heads to work at 8:30 p.m.
      Regular meals and regular exercise are key to making it all work, he noted. He relies on vitality, not coffee, to keep him going (though he does drink coffee, but not before bed.)
      "There have been times when I've gone without exercise and I needed more sleep," Fox said. "All that goes away as soon as I start exercising."
      Daytime flexibility and more time with family keeps many night shift workers on their schedule. By working all night, they have time for PTA meetings, doctor's appointments, school plays and more time with their family in general.
      "The big motivator for me was being home a lot more with my child," said Konnie Novak, a registered respiratory therapist with the Munson Sleep Disorders Program. "It's just a couple of nights a week that I am gone and then I can be home a lot more."
      Flexible playtime is another consideration. Night shift workers may be working while everyone else is sleeping, but they can also play when everyone else is working.
      "I did this shift before and I would go out at 7 a.m. after work and get in my kayak to paddle," said Ootah Busk, a temporary night shift supervisor at the Mail Processing Facility. "Night shift is a fun shift, there's a lot going on and a lot of good people here."