Living With the Night Shift and an Increased Risk of Diabetes
From childhood we are conditioned to sleep throughout the night and work throughout the day, programming a natural rhythm in the body. According to research from the Harvard/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, working hours that contradict this rhythm increase the risk of Diabetes and obesity. More than eight and a half million Americans work a night shift, including hospital workers; fire fighters; pilots; policemen and factory workers.
Circadian rhythm (the body’s biological clock) is influenced by working a night shift, resulting in a tendency for blood sugar spikes similar to that of Diabetes; and an increase in insulin levels without a reduction in blood sugar levels; low Leptin levels (the hormone that produces a satisfied appetite); poor sleeping habits and high blood pressure.
Frank Scheer, an instructor of medicine in the department of sleep medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston says: “In the long run, the physiological impact of shift work on several markers involved in the regulation of body weight – leptin; insulin; cortisol – seems to contribute to the increased risk for the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.”
Even more worrying, studies of animals have shown that a long term exposure to such sleeping habits can cause a premature death and the risk seems to be connected with the level of schedule alteration. Therefore, it may be concluded that people who work more night shifts might be more vulnerable to health disorders and diseases than those who work fewer night shifts. Those with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea (or OSD – Obstructive Sleep Disorder) who are already at a greater risk of Diabetes than those who are free of sleep apnea, will be even more susceptible.
This research bears out that it is imperative to be assessed for sleep disorder, especially if you work a night shift or work in an environment that demands sleep interruption. There is a marked connection between an increase in the levels of insulin and lack of sleep. The relationship between Diabetes and sleep patterns have been established and it is therefore advisable to be tested for sleep disorder if you are one of the eight and a half million Americans that work a night duty. Sleep apnea is suffered by around eighteen million Americans but diagnosed in only ten per cent of that group. It is time to be tested!
The Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute in California is recognised as a leader in family medicine in Los Angeles. Patients are provided with a personalized, medically supervised plan for living a healthy lifestyle and improving their overall health. The Institute provides comprehensive medical screening and diagnosis and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea as well as the most advanced and personal treatment for medical weight loss in Los Angeles.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/living-with-the-night-shift-and-an-increased-risk-of-diabetes-1422351.html
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