Impact of Night and Rotating Shift Work on Women’s Health and Hormones
Have you ever worked night shifts? Have you noticed that during that time your health took a hit? Night shifts can be detrimental to human health and have many long-lasting effects. Women, in particular, are more affected by night shift work. In this article, you’ll learn how night and rotating shifts affect women’s health and what you can do to lower your risks.
Anyone who has ever worked a job where they had to do night or rotating shifts knows how difficult it can be to adjust to this type of schedule. Not only is working at night or switching between night and day shifts difficult to get used to, but it’s also hard on your health. From sleep disturbances to fertility issues—night shifts come at a high price. However, according to research, night shifts affect women even more than men and might cause health and reproductive issues.
Women and night shift work
Many jobs require 24/7 operations and human presence at all times. While more men than women work night shifts, the number of female professionals in jobs where night or rotating shifts are required is increasing.
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Some of the most common night shift jobs where women tend to work are in hospitals and social care centers, police, manufacturing and production, hospitality, and many other fields. If you’re a woman working night shifts, you should weigh the benefits and drawbacks of such employment. Most night workers tend to receive better salaries compared to their day-shift colleagues. With a rotating shift schedule, you might also get more consecutive days off than just typical weekends. However, it’s important to pay attention to your health and well-being while working at night.
Why do night or rotating shifts harm health?
The main reason why night and rotating shifts are bad for human health is that they disrupt our natural circadian rhythm. Because of this, many other physical and mental health issues can occur.
Disrupted natural circadian rhythm
Humans are daytime creatures and are wired to follow a natural circadian rhythm, which follows the sun. That’s why, at the break of dawn, your adrenal glands release cortisol. This stress hormone signals the body to wake up, and it also triggers a chain reaction where your pineal gland starts producing melatonin, which peaks at nighttime and makes you feel sleepy.
However, when you work night shifts, your body’s natural circadian rhythm is ignored, which can cause trouble falling asleep during the day and feeling sluggish during your night shifts.
Besides the effects on your circadian rhythm and sleep hormones, your body often doesn’t get enough time to adjust to a changing schedule when you work rotating shifts. So, if one week you work day shifts and the following week you switch back to night shifts, it causes an imbalance in your wake-sleep cycles, which is much worse than just working at night.
Promotes unhealthy eating habits
Cortisol and melatonin not only influence your sleep but also your metabolism. When we don’t get enough sleep, the body tends to produce more ghrelin, a hunger hormone. This might lead you to choose foods high in calories and sugar instead of healthier options.
Leaves you out of many social events
When it comes to human health, we tend to focus most on diet, exercise, and sleep, but social interactions and general life satisfaction are just as important for our overall well-being. If you work at night, you’re more likely to sleep during the day. If you have kids, they wake up in the morning when you go to sleep, and they go to sleep when you have to wake up for work. The same goes for social gatherings with friends which tend to happen on weekends or when you need to be asleep or at work.
Working night shifts makes it harder to maintain close relationships with your friends and spend quality family time. In fact, our relationships influence our mental health, physical health, health habits, and mortality risk.
Why are night and rotating shifts bad for health?
Generally, both men and women experience health consequences from night shifts. Working at night has been classified as a carcinogen and is linked to an 11% reduction in life expectancy.
Not only does working at night cause many health issues, but it also affects mental health. That’s why night shift workers tend to have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Here’s how night shifts affect health:
Sleep disruption
Many people who work at night experience poor sleep quality and reduced total sleep time. Adults typically need at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep, and studies show that consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and many other health issues. Sleep disruptions can also lead to sleep disorders like insomnia, restless legs syndrome, or sleep behaviors like sleepwalking.
Declining cardiovascular health
Night shift workers might have a higher risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. This can lead to a stroke, irregular heart rhythms, and a heart attack due to stress on the cardiovascular system.
Negative metabolic effects
Studies show that working at night can lead to obesity and higher rates of type 2 diabetes. This happens mainly due to disrupted appetite and digestion patterns. The body also struggles more to digest food at night, when digestion normally slows down. This can affect how the body processes nutrients.
Mental health
Higher rates of depression and anxiety, stress, mood disturbances, and irritability are just a few of the mental health problems that many night shift workers experience. Studies show that night shift workers have a higher incidence of suicide. It’s linked to the fact that getting less than 6 hours of sleep each night significantly increases the risks of mental and mood disorders. On top of that, people who work night shifts don’t get enough sunlight and vitamin D, which are associated with cognitive and mental well-being.
Increased cancer risk
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen. Research shows a higher risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Night work is also correlated with colon and lung cancer because night workers tend to have unhealthy eating habits and smoke more often.
Does night shift work affect women more?
While night work isn’t healthy for anyone, women might draw the shorter straw.
Here’s how:
Increased breast cancer risks
As mentioned before, working at night is classified as a carcinogen. Women who work night shifts are 2.34 times more likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who don’t. Experts link this increased risk to disrupted circadian rhythms and melatonin production because the hormone has anti-cancer properties. Also, a few studies on nurses showed that women who work night shifts for 20-30 years have a 30-50% higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Menstrual cycle imbalances
Night shift work can disrupt the normal hormonal cycles that regulate menstruation. The body's circadian rhythm helps control the release of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. When this rhythm is disturbed, it can cause irregular periods, changes in menstrual flow, and more painful period cramps. Research shows that women working rotating or night shifts are more likely to experience menstrual irregularities compared to day workers.
Pregnancy complications
Studies found that night shift employees who work at least 2 nights per week have a 32% higher risk of miscarriage the following week. On top of that, night work increases the likelihood of preterm births and lower birth weight babies. Experts link this to hormonal disruptions and increased stress levels.
Safety concerns
Work-related violence against women is still common in many workplaces. However, many night shift workers experience sexual harassment, rape, and sexual assault more often than day workers. Studies on nurses found that female nurses who worked evening, night, or rotating shifts had a higher risk of experiencing assault at work. In addition, working at night increases the risk of harassment or assault when traveling to and from work. These safety concerns can lead to chronic stress and anxiety, which in turn can impact physical health.
How to stay healthier while working night shifts?
While these findings might seem grim, there are ways to care for your health while working rotating shifts or at night.
First and foremost, try to improve your sleep quality and duration. You can create a completely dark sleeping environment using blackout curtains. Also, wear earplugs and eye masks to block light and noise, and avoid blue light exposure before sleep by using blue light filters on devices. Even if you can only sleep during the day, try to go to bed at the same time every day.
Eating healthily can also help limit some of the negative health effects of night shifts. Try to eat your main meals before your night shift to maintain energy. Choose nutrient-dense foods and avoid heavy, fatty meals during the shift. Stay hydrated, but reduce fluid intake near sleep time. Don’t drink caffeine 4-6 hours before sleep. You might also want to talk to your doctor about supplementing with vitamin D if you don’t get enough sunlight.
Taking care of your hormonal health is also important. Try to expose yourself to sunlight regularly during waking hours. If you can’t, consider using a light therapy lamp to help regulate your circadian rhythm.
Finally, taking safety measures can help you feel more secure and reduce stress. If possible, arrange safe transportation to and from work, park in well-lit areas, or consider carpooling with colleagues.
Improving your health while working at night
Night shift work is essential for our society. We should all be grateful for the people who work at night and provide society with their indispensable services. But as a night shift worker, you might be worried about your health. It’s your right to prioritize your health and well-being. Following these tips or limiting the time you spend working night shifts over your career can help you live a healthier and happier life.
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