Tired? There’s a very good chance you are.

By Lisa Ramirez

If you work night, rotating, or extended shifts — common for those in the construction and related trades and industries — your body’s natural sleep and wake rhythms and work schedule aren’t aligned. That means you likely aren’t getting enough sleep, and the quality of the sleep you are getting isn’t as restful as it should be.

It also puts you at a higher risk for injury. A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation’s and the Department of Labor found that sleep-deprived people are 70 percent more likely to be involved in a workplace accident than their well-rested counterparts. That’s because inadequate sleep leads to impaired reaction time, lapses of attention, errors of omission and a compromised ability to problem solve.

Decreased alertness from worker fatigue has additionally been linked to increased illness and injury costs, time off due to related illness, and high workers’ compensation costs. In fact, accident and injury rates are 18 percent greater during evening shifts and 30 percent greater during night shifts when compared to day shifts. Research also indicates that working

12 hours per day is associated with a 37 percent increased risk of injury.

All together, a lack of sleep costs $136.4 billion in fatigue-related, health-related lost productive work time.

Operating a motor vehicle or equipment is especially risky. “Drowsy driving” is the cause of hundreds of thousands of car wrecks each year, resulting in an estimated 6,400 fatalities. Meanwhile, National Sleep Foundation data shows that six in 10 Americans admit they have driven when they were so tired that they had trouble keeping their eyes open.

Ideally, we would all get rest our body needs, but for many of us the solution isn’t quite that simple. But there are ways to improve the quality of the sleep you do get.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:

Keep your bedroom dark. Turn down the lights, and, if you have to sleep when the sun is up, install light blocking curtains. A dark room tells your body that it’s time to sleep. Wear sunglasses after work. If your work day ends in the bright morning or afternoon light, put on sunglasses before you walk outside. Sunlight suppresses melatonin production, so too much exposure at the end of your workday can make it more difficult to sleep when you get home

Use a sound machine. Sound machines help reduce external noises and help create a sleep-friendly environment. This can be particularly helpful if other members of your household or neighbors are up when you need to sleep.

Set a meal scheduled. People who eat meals at the same time every day had better sleep health than those with inconsistent meal schedules.

Skip the caffeine. Leading up to your scheduled bedtime, only consume caffeine if you need it to help you drive safely. Too much caffeine stimulates your brain and body and will interfere with meaningful rest. Caffeine isn’t just in coffee — it’s in chocolate, tea, even ice cream — so check the ingredients.

Seek light exposure when you wake up. While dim, dark environments help you sleep, bright, natural light tells your body to wake up. If you’re waking in the dark to go to work, invest lamps and lighting that simulates daylight.

Maintain a sleep schedule, even on your days off.

There’s a very good chance you are.

While you may not be able to control your work schedule, you can learn to identify the signs that it’s time to pull over to a safe spot for a nap, drink a caffeinated beverage, or switch drivers:

• Yawning often

• Difficulty keeping eyes open or rubbing your eyes

• Trouble remembering the last few miles you’ve driven

• Missing an exit or not following a street sign or traffic signal

• Drifting into another lane or onto the shoulder

• Hitting a rumble strip