Functioning in a 24-hour-society
May 03, 2005
“NIGHT shift workers need to adjust their body mechanisms so as to remain alert and healthy,†so says Kajumba Mayanja, the health psychologist for Makerere University.
By Titus Serunjogi
“NIGHT shift workers need to adjust their body mechanisms so as to remain alert and healthy,†so says Kajumba Mayanja, the health psychologist for Makerere University.
Our bodies are suited to the traditional pattern of daytime work and night time sleep. But the modern society is giving way to more 24-hour industries.
Everyday at nightfall, the brain begins secreting the sleep hormone, melatonin, into blood. This slows down brain waves, reducing concentration and ability to learn or respond. “Bright lighting resets the body’s cycle of sleep and wakefulness,†says Dr David Basangwa.
Avoid soft cushions and jackets while working indoors during the night. In fact, you may need to work opposite an open window, with the wind blowing into her face.
Drinking one cup of coffee will keep you alert for up to six hours. Coffee urges the digestive system to break down more glucose to energy. However, it has been linked to increased risk of cancers and heart disease.
Take your meals at least four hours before work. But avoid high-starch food like cassava, sweet potatoes or maize.
Do not drink hot milk with ginger while at work. According to Richard Kajura, MSc Applied Human Nutrition, the beverage is rich in calcium, which slows down the brain waves, causing sleep.
Night shifts must never be monotonous. Take a brisk walk at every opportunity, fill in a crossword puzzle or play a card game on the computer. You will return to your duties feeling refreshed and alert.
Albert Szent Gyorgi, a Nobel Prize winner, proved that the body secretes different hormones according to the colours just before our eyes.
Red causes us to secrete adrenaline, the hormone for hyper-activity. Yellow boosts mathematical and organisational skills. However, blue engenders sleep.
People work more efficiently when several of them are stationed in one large hall and only separated by low partitions.
Jazz and country music activate the right hemisphere of the brain, which brings about logic and mathematical skills.
Such music is suitable for anyone who has to spend the night before a computer. Hip-hop/ rap stimulate physical activity. Classical music relaxes the brain waves, and sometimes listeners will fall asleep.
All the above measures may help one keep his/her job. But the effect is so cruel on health.
“Sleep-deprived people are more prone to stress, impotence, alcohol abuse and accidents,†says Basangwa.
You need eight hours of sleep everyday, for optimum health. So, even if you spend the whole night earning a living, get ample rest during the day.
“NIGHT shift workers need to adjust their body mechanisms so as to remain alert and healthy,†so says Kajumba Mayanja, the health psychologist for Makerere University.
Our bodies are suited to the traditional pattern of daytime work and night time sleep. But the modern society is giving way to more 24-hour industries.
Everyday at nightfall, the brain begins secreting the sleep hormone, melatonin, into blood. This slows down brain waves, reducing concentration and ability to learn or respond. “Bright lighting resets the body’s cycle of sleep and wakefulness,†says Dr David Basangwa.
Avoid soft cushions and jackets while working indoors during the night. In fact, you may need to work opposite an open window, with the wind blowing into her face.
Drinking one cup of coffee will keep you alert for up to six hours. Coffee urges the digestive system to break down more glucose to energy. However, it has been linked to increased risk of cancers and heart disease.
Take your meals at least four hours before work. But avoid high-starch food like cassava, sweet potatoes or maize.
Do not drink hot milk with ginger while at work. According to Richard Kajura, MSc Applied Human Nutrition, the beverage is rich in calcium, which slows down the brain waves, causing sleep.
Night shifts must never be monotonous. Take a brisk walk at every opportunity, fill in a crossword puzzle or play a card game on the computer. You will return to your duties feeling refreshed and alert.
Albert Szent Gyorgi, a Nobel Prize winner, proved that the body secretes different hormones according to the colours just before our eyes.
Red causes us to secrete adrenaline, the hormone for hyper-activity. Yellow boosts mathematical and organisational skills. However, blue engenders sleep.
People work more efficiently when several of them are stationed in one large hall and only separated by low partitions.
Jazz and country music activate the right hemisphere of the brain, which brings about logic and mathematical skills.
Such music is suitable for anyone who has to spend the night before a computer. Hip-hop/ rap stimulate physical activity. Classical music relaxes the brain waves, and sometimes listeners will fall asleep.
All the above measures may help one keep his/her job. But the effect is so cruel on health.
“Sleep-deprived people are more prone to stress, impotence, alcohol abuse and accidents,†says Basangwa.
You need eight hours of sleep everyday, for optimum health. So, even if you spend the whole night earning a living, get ample rest during the day.