ON THE JOB9 to 5--AM
The catnapping, bleary-eyed night shift worker may soon be rendered obsolete.
His replacement? A working more who wants to spend quality time with her kids and save money on child care to boot, says Jane Barton, a research scientist at England's Sheffield University. She surveyed 587 nurses and midwives, 247 of whom were permanent night shift workers.
Those who actually chose to work the night shift were less likely to suffer the consequences of disturbed circadian rhythms or sleep cycles--chronic irritability, anxiety, and gastric problems from eating the wrong foods at the wrong time. The key element here is choice.
"Those who chose the night shift are usually women who need to look after children during the day because their partners are working," adds Barton.
Her study challenges long-held assumptions that the best night shift worker is the flexible sleeper, who can lapse into slumber at any time of day. "If you are committed tO working at night, you are more likely to adapt your lifestyle to take that into account," she says.
