The study specifically examined the impact that a four-day simulation of night shift work had on the expression of 20,000 genes in the human body. Those who watch the sun go down on the way to work are more likely to suffer from health problems, according to some studiesĪnother study published last month by researchers from the McGill University-affiliated Douglas Mental Health University Institute (DMHUI) in the United States found many of the genes that regulate important biological processes are incapable of adapting to new sleeping and eating patterns when people work nights, and that most of them stay tuned to their daytime biological clock rhythm instead. “Previous studies have identified associations between disrupted circadian rhythms and poor mental health, but these were on relatively small samples.” “In the largest such study ever conducted, we found a robust association between disruption of circadian rhythms and mood disorders,” says lead author Dr Laura Lyall. Researchers studied data on more than 91,000 people in the UK Biobank to measure daily body clock rhythms. Speaking to SHP Online recently, sleep expert Marcus de Guingand, Managing Director at Third Pillar of Health Ltd, said that someone sleeping during the day is likely to get between one and four hours less sleep than when they are sleeping at night.Ī study published last month by Glasgow University found disruptions to the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythms, can increase the risk of depression and bipolar disorder. “What our security members need is more support in dealing with the stress, mental health and other related health issues that can often go hand in hand with this kind of potentially traumatic work,” says GMB National Officer Roger Jenkins.Īnd with the growing phenomenon of the gig economy, more and more people are working what used to be described as unsociable hours, but what impact is that having on their health? Jamie Hailstone For most people, the working day starts around sunrise and ends at sunset, but for those who work nights, it is the other way around.įigures published last year by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) show the number of people working night shifts in the UK has shot up by 260,000 in the past five years, which means around 3.2 million people regularly work in the wee small hours.Īlmost two thirds (62%) of night workers are male, with women making up a third (38%) and the North West and Yorkshire have the highest rates of night-working, with one in nine people on night duty.Īccording to the TUC night working is most common in the logistics, healthcare and security sectors.Īnd it can surely be no coincidence that new figures from the GMB trade show that security guards in the UK have a life expectancy 20 years shorter than the national average.Īn official estimate completed for GMB by the Office for National Statistics shows the mean age of death of people aged 20 and over working in security professions is 61.9 years, compared to the national average, which is 81.4 years.
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