Do you know that you have an internal body clock and anything that affects it may have an impact on what is happening in your body and thus, your health, also?
“Circadian Rhythms, the Chinese Clock and How To Live in Sync” (1) is an interesting and informative web site that discusses an Eastern, Chinese medicine approach to understanding the impact of night shift work on your health.
Do you work night shift some or all of the time? If so, then this concerns you.
Many people, forced to work night shift, do so because such is the nature of their jobs. Others choose to work night shift and may do so, for the better part of their working lives.
This includes health care professionals and non-professionals, police officers, firemen, air controllers, security guards and many others, whose services are required during the night for different reasons, in every country of the world. Many of these employees are partly or fully aware that working night shift can affect their health adversely, as well as the health status of other family members. Husbands and wives may try to maintain the same hours of sleep that their spouses have. When their sleep patterns are not normal, children’s health may be adversely affected. Other people may work two or three different shifts, alternating from one shift to another and work night shift only part of the time.
Continually changing shifts can be disruptive to one’s life and family life. This causes health problems, as well.
What kinds of health concerns arise when people work night shift?
“Issues such as alcohol abuse, poor sleep, insomnia, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar disorder have ties to disruptions in the circadian rhythms.” (2)
This is only the tip of the iceberg with regard to what may happen when people work night shift.
What are circadian rhythms?
While most westerners comprehend the Eastern, philosophical concepts of yin and yang, they may not be familiar with the circadian rhythms of the body or body clock, which is a biological clock.
Why are circadian rhythms important?
Ongoing research suggests there is increasing evidence to suggest disrupting one’s body clock and circadian rhythms can have a potential adverse effect on the human body, thus, a negative impact on a person’s health, as well.
Chad Dupuis, (3) the founder of the Yin Yang House, suggests,
“Our bodies have a number of processes that happen at regular intervals, throughout the day. We respond to light and dark, hot and cold, and other natural polarities - in effect yin and yang. (4)
The diagram on his website reveals what some of the body processes are, as well as when these processes take place over a twenty-four hour period. A disruption of the processes can lead to dysfunction of the body systems involved. Remember what affects one part of the body will ultimately affect other parts of the human body.
“Western medicine uses the term "circadian rhythms" to describe these processes and the changes that happen internally in response to our environment.” (5)
The expression circadian rhythm is a western term.
“While researchers do not yet understand all of the rhythms and their effects, we are beginning to explore the relationship between disruptions in these rhythms and the development of illness. More obvious issues that arise such as jet lag are well known, but psychological issues, digestive problems, insomnia and fatigue among others may be related as well.” (6)
Most people have experienced jet lag at one time, or another. You know how exhausted a person can feel after taking a long trip on an airplane. At times, it takes several days for that kind of exhaustion to disappear.
“The circadian rhythms are controlled by our body's master clock or what is known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).” (7)
We don’t usually think about our bodies as being controlled by a master clock.
“With regards to the circadian rhythms the master clock (or SCN from above) is controlled by the hypothalamus.” (8)
The Tam Healing System, (9) used by Chad Dupuis, with respect to treatment and regulation of body clocks and circadian rhythm disorders may prove beneficial, but he also acknowledges the reality that further research into these kinds of illnesses is still needed.
If you are a person who is working night shift and you are suffering poor health, it is advisable to contact your family doctor. Perhaps the medical problem can be resolved by working different shifts, like days and evenings, working three shifts instead of only night shift or working only day shift.
We are unique individuals who function exactly as we are supposed to function and learning more about our own biological clocks, in conjunction with our circadian rhythms, is one more way to resolve health-related issues and concerns.
1. http://www.yinyanghouse.com/practitioner_members/general-lifestyle/circadian-rhythms-chinese-clock-and-how-live-sync
2. Ibid.
3. http://www.yinyanghouse.com/user/2
4. Op. Cit.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
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