Shift work and sleep deprivation

Regular sleep is as important to the human body as food and water as it controls our circadian rhythm, which is the inbuilt 24hour biological clock in our brain that helps us stay awake and alert as well as help us wind down and fall asleep.

Importance of regular sleep

Regular sleep patterns help regulate the circadian rhythm and when a sleep schedule is switched too frequently, the body often fails to adapt to the changed pattern and long-term deviation from this natural cycle can very easily lead to different types of sleep disorders.

Health professionals recommend that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep per day to ensure they maintain a healthy lifestyle, but Australians don’t seem to be reaching this goal. A recent report released by the Sleep Health Foundation, has estimated that around 1 in 10 Australians have a sleep disorder. The study investigated the contributing factors behind these concerning statistics and found that shift workers are at a much higher risk of experiencing sleep deprivation and related consequences. The foundation found that on average, shift workers sleep one hour a day less than those who do not perform shift work.

Those who work within the Melbourne market in Epping are all too familiar with shift work, as their sleep routines are structured around the early morning trade that begins as early as 1 am and ends around 7 am. Due to these hours of trade many market users sleep through the day, which comes with its own challenges, with outside noises and other hindrances making it difficult to get the recommended 7-8 hours of unbroken sleep.

Sufficient research shows that shift work and irregular or long working hours can adversely affect the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers. In 2007 a report commissioned by the World Health Organization deemed shift work a carcinogen due to its repeated interruption of the body's circadian rhythm.

Impacts

The physical impacts of sleep loss and sleep disorders include cognitive impairment, memory loss, poor immune system function, increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and weight gain. A sleepy fatigued person is more prone to accidents is judgement impaired and more likely to make mistakes, and therefore more susceptible to work injuries.

These are the tangible effects of lack of sleep, but there are also intangible effects that are just as detrimental to an individual’s health. These include the impacts on wellbeing, mood, and quality of life.

Looking to the future

Working through the night has been the way of life for thousands of workers in the fresh produce industry for many years, and it continues to be. The industry has been built on the expectation that produce will arrive at its destination as fresh as possible, and this standard should be maintained.

However, it may be time to look at other industry trends and experiences and assess the technological solutions available that may provide other options surrounding trading hours.

The benefits of a full night’s sleep for not only our health but lifestyle and personal relationships are evident. Change may be necessary to attract the next generation to the market to sustain such an important facility within the food industry.

Fresh State Tip:

If you find napping helps relieve drowsiness, then it is recommended by health professionals to nap for 10-20 minutes. Avoid napping longer than this.