What People Get Wrong About Shift Work and Health
Shift Work and Health: what people commonly get wrong, set against what published UK guidance says.
It disrupts the circadian system in ways no amount of discipline changes, and long-term shift work carries measurable metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
Key takeaways
- Associated with: raised cardiovascular and metabolic risk over the long term
- Useful pre-shift nap: 20-30 minutes
- Most useful single change: Wear dark glasses travelling home after a night shift.
- Commonest mistake: Driving while fighting to stay awake.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What the guidance actually says
Here is what guidance actually publishes. The rest of the page is measured against it.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Associated with | raised cardiovascular and metabolic risk over the long term |
| Useful pre-shift nap | 20-30 minutes |
| Anchor sleep | around 4 hours at a fixed clock time |
| Highest-risk moment | the drive home after a night shift |
| Employer duty | assess and manage shift work risks |
Where people go wrong
What people tend to think, set against what is actually published.
- Driving while fighting to stay awake
- Energy drinks across consecutive nights
- Caffeine in the last few hours of a shift
What to do instead
- Wear dark glasses travelling home after a night shift
- Make the bedroom genuinely dark and protect your sleep window
- Nap before driving home if you feel sleepy
- Keep regular meal timing where you can
The part that is genuinely uncertain
Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current UK guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.
Where to go next
- The First Steps With Shift Work and Health
- Shift Work and Health: The Questions People Actually Ask
- Shift Work and Health — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Sitting at Work
- Workplace First Aid: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
See a GP for persistent sleepiness despite adequate opportunity to sleep, or if you fall asleep involuntarily. In the UK you must inform the DVLA of any condition causing excessive daytime sleepiness. Report safety-critical sleepiness to your employer; do not drive when sleepy.
Where this comes from
- Health and Safety Executive — managing shift work
- The Sleep Charity — shift work
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
