Night shifts can lead to diabetes

As more & more places stay open 24/7, night work is an economic fact of life for many people. But the body doesn’t like having its sleep/wake clock ignored. Women have more trouble with this than men. It’s well known that steady night workers are more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes & obesity, but new research indicates that both also are true for women who work even a few rotating night shifts. Probably the most important goal is to get 7-8 hours of sleep, no matter what & to exercise everyday, even if you’re beat. Both are critical for health & both help to keep your energy up & weight down. Yet the hardest part can be falling asleep at dawn.

 Some tips-

Avoid caffeine in the 2^nd half of your shift.

If it’s bright outside when you head home, wear dark sunglasses door to door so sunlight can’t activate your internal “wake-up” clock.

When you get home, have at most a light snack, so digestion won’t keep you awake, relax a bit, then go to bed & get a good day’s sleep.