COPING WITH SHIFTWORK March 2001 London, England Facilitated By: Richard Komarniski

CAUSES OF FATIGUE  Extreme Temperatures  Noise  Duty Time  Medication  Alcohol  Stress -financial -health problems

CAUSES OF FATIGUE  Lack of Sleep  Smoking – cuts down on O 2  Disorganization  Ruts – no challenge  Overweight / Diet / Exercise

SIGNS OF FATIGUE  Reduced Reaction Time  Impaired Short Term Memory  Decreased Vigilance  Reduced Motivation  Increased Irritability  More Errors Made  Increased Injuries  Poor Digestion  Negative Mood

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AFFECTED BY: Heart Rate Blood Pressure Body Temperature ALERTALERT DROWSYDROWSY

ADJUST  Sleep Patterns  Diet  Exercise  Schedule  Walk  Breathing  Lifestyle - other jobs - home life

SLEEP Rapid Eye Movement (R.E.M.) Sleep: Shallow Memory Consolidating Dream Mode Deprivation affects Memory Body Paralysis Delta Sleep: Replenishes Energy Deprivation affects Energy

Histogram of Normal Sleep WakeREM Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage Time

IMPROVING DELTA SLEEP  Active physical day  Warm shower  Comfortable bed clothes  Low light  Room temperature no more than 18ºC

IMPROVING SLEEP  Mentally active day  Read before sleep  Watch T.V. before sleep  Listen to relaxing music before sleep  Write thoughts in a diary

SLEEP  Avoid excitement or problems  Avoid coffee and alcohol  Drink milk or herbal teas  Turn off the day  Relaxation techniques

DIET Caffeine and high carbohydrates release sugar into the blood, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Body reacts to this change by releasing enzymes to balance the rush. Leads to a loss of energy.

FOOD  The brain is sensitive to shortages of blood caused by overeating. This shortage causes fatigue.  Carbohydrates rich in sugar and starch take about 2 hours to digest.  Foods high in fat and protein take 4 hours to digest.

CARBS FAST Carrots Puff Rice White Bread Potatoes Donuts SLOW Spaghetti Oranges Orange Juice Beans Milk MODERATE Raisins Chocolate Grapes Oatmeal Rye Bread

ENERGY BOOSTERS Peppermint Tea Ginseng Water Vitamin C: Oranges, Broccoli, Strawberries

EXERCISE Aerobically fit individuals require less sleep than unfit individuals. Regular aerobic exercise stabilizes circadian patterns and burns off excess energy.

CONSCIOUS PLAN  Physical activity schedule  Work with a buddy  Monitor eating patterns  Support for lifestyle  Be aware if chemicals in foods and beverages and how they affect you

DAYSHIFT Provide resources for other shifts - work packages - tools - parts

WOULD YOU BET A MILLION DOLLARS ON A RACE HORSE? Who: - was deprived of necessary rest - drank bad water - ate hay with no nutrition - didn’t have a good daily exercise program

GOOD HEALTH  Health  - mental  - physical  Sleep  Exercise  Diet  Vitamins  Avoid problems and chemicals

SIGN ON THE COMPANY BULLETIN BOARD: “This firm requires no physical-fitness program. Everyone gets enough exercise jumping to conclusions, running down the boss, flying off the handle, flogging dead horses, knifing friends in the back, dodging responsibility and pushing their luck.”

“Every error I made in my life, I made when I was tired.” Bill Clinton News and World Report April 1993