It's long been recognized, of course, that night shifts and particularly rotating shifts like I work constitute a major risk factor for all kinds of health problems. Even if the cancer thing is a new one.
As far as the sleep deprivation contribution goes, though, I think I ought to get hazard pay for day shifts, because I'm a night person trying to stay awake during the morning. Those leave me in much worse shape than night shifts. Fortunately, I've had a really good track record lately of being able to trade them away to day people. :)
The reason we do the rotating shifts, I believe, it's because it's considered unfair to stick one person on nights permanently. (Or on evenings, because it ruins your social life. Or on weekends, because it ruins your weekends.)
To be honest, even I don't want to be on nights permanently. I've done it for as long as six weeks at a stretch, but even I like to see the sun sometimes. Actually, though, physiologically I could do it just fine if it weren't for the fact that you can't just get onto night shifts and stay there if you have to live in a world full of day people. Imagine if the only times you could make dentist appointments, go to the bank, get your hair cut, etc. were between 11 PM and 7 AM, and if everyone thought it was perfectly acceptable to ring your doorbell at 3 AM.
By the way, my boss also read the cancer article. She mentioned it to me this morning. :)
And you want a new, expensive piece of technology for yourself?
ReplyDeleteYes. Oldness of technology, however expensive, is part of my problem. :)
ReplyDeletedo you get hazard pay?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/11/29/night.shift.cancer.ap/index.html
No. Maybe I should take it up with my boss. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's long been recognized, of course, that night shifts and particularly rotating shifts like I work constitute a major risk factor for all kinds of health problems. Even if the cancer thing is a new one.
As far as the sleep deprivation contribution goes, though, I think I ought to get hazard pay for day shifts, because I'm a night person trying to stay awake during the morning. Those leave me in much worse shape than night shifts. Fortunately, I've had a really good track record lately of being able to trade them away to day people. :)
Why don't they just leave you on night shift?
ReplyDeleteThe reason we do the rotating shifts, I believe, it's because it's considered unfair to stick one person on nights permanently. (Or on evenings, because it ruins your social life. Or on weekends, because it ruins your weekends.)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, even I don't want to be on nights permanently. I've done it for as long as six weeks at a stretch, but even I like to see the sun sometimes. Actually, though, physiologically I could do it just fine if it weren't for the fact that you can't just get onto night shifts and stay there if you have to live in a world full of day people. Imagine if the only times you could make dentist appointments, go to the bank, get your hair cut, etc. were between 11 PM and 7 AM, and if everyone thought it was perfectly acceptable to ring your doorbell at 3 AM.
By the way, my boss also read the cancer article. She mentioned it to me this morning. :)