Shift Work Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea — How Are They Related?

Millions of people have a job that requires shift work. From retail to healthcare and emergency services, countless individuals have to constantly adapt their schedule to accommodate the demands of their employment. While shift work is certainly valuable for communities around the world, it has some major drawbacks for workers. This blog post explores how shift work disorder and obstructive sleep apnea might be affecting the quality of your rest.

Shift Work Disorder — What Is It?

Shift work disorder, also called shift work sleep disorder, affects people who work split shifts, graveyard shifts, early morning shifts, or rotating shifts. It can lead to inconsistent sleep patterns, which can adversely affect the body’s circadian rhythm. According to one survey, just 63% of shift workers said their schedule allows them to get enough sleep, compared to 89% of non-shift workers.

Recognizing Shift Work Sleep Disorder

If you are a shift worker, you might suffer from excessive drowsiness, lack of concentration, low energy levels, and difficulty falling asleep. Over the long-term, you could even be at risk of developing serious health conditions that are associated with chronic sleep deprivation, such as poor heart health, memory loss, and more.

Shift Work Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can affect anyone, regardless of their work schedule. It is a disorder that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The pauses occur when tissues in the airway block the flow of oxygen.

While there is no evidence to indicate a causal relationship between OSA and shift work disorder, these two conditions can exacerbate one another. For example, being overly tired when you go to bed may worsen your sleep apnea. You might also tend to drink a lot of caffeinated beverages, which could also increase your OSA symptoms.

Together, shift work sleep disorder and OSA can make it extremely difficult to get all the rest that your body needs to function optimally.

What Can You Do?

If you are a shift worker with OSA, there may be some things you can do to start getting enough sleep:

• Treat your OSA. A custom oral appliance can gently shift your lower jaw to allow for uninterrupted breathing during sleep. These appliances are also easy to transport, so you might have the opportunity to use yours while resting at work (if you have a job that allows you to sleep during slow times).
• Try to cut back on caffeine. It is best to avoid caffeine during the last several hours before you try to sleep.
• Whenever possible, stick to a consistent sleep schedule. This is not always possible for shift workers, but it might still be worth a try.
• Eat a healthy diet. Getting lots of nutrients supports your overall health and can prevent digestive discomfort when you are trying to sleep.

Regardless of your work schedule, you deserve to get good sleep! Take steps now to protect the quality of your daily rest.

Meet the Practice

As a double board-certified dental sleep medicine expert, Dr. Kenneth Mogell has helped countless patients to enjoy better rest through oral appliance therapy. Working along with Dr. Yitta Garden and the rest of our team, he provides compassionate and effective care for members of the communities we serve. To learn more about how you can cope with obstructive sleep apnea, contact any of our locations or call our Vero Beach office at 772-882-6800.