Are Night-Shift Sleep Problems Tougher on Men or Women?

Q. I work in a hospital and my husband works in an airport. For years, we’ve had to work night shifts a few times a month. I was okay with that at first, but as I get older (I'm 53) I find night work harder to take, and am having more sleep problems. Our jobs aren't going to change and we can't risk losing them. What will help?
-- Louise, Atlanta

A. We feel your strain. Like you, we've both worked many night shifts in hospitals. As more and more places stay open 24/7, night work is an economic fact of life for many people.

You and your husband do what's called rotating shift work. Instead of permanently working nights, which has its own problems but at least a steady pattern -- you're occasionally pulling all-nighters, then trying to go back to your regular schedule without missing a beat. Not easy. Your body doesn't like having its sleep/wake clock ignored. Adapting these shift worker tips will help you compensate.

Here's the headline for you: Women have more trouble with night shifts than men do.

It's well known that steady night workers are more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes and obesity, but new research strongly indicates both are also true for women who work even a few rotating night shifts. That's you. Just three nights a month ups your risk of type 2 diabetes slightly. Do that for 10 years (which it sounds like you have) and the data shows the risk jumps 40%, compared to women who do little or no shift work.

Women who do rotating shifts are also more likely to smoke, much more likely to get injured on the job (sleepiness does that), and more prone to stomach aches and irritable bowel syndrome.

Why do women struggle more? Canadian researchers suspect that because women often handle more childcare and household chores, they have a harder time with fluctuating sleep schedules.

Probably the most important goals for you (and your husband) are to get 7 to 8 consecutive hours of sleep each day, no matter what, and to exercise daily, even if you're beat. Both are critical for your health, and both help keep your energy up and weight down. (Walk this long and you'll sleep much, much better.)

Still, the hardest part of shift work can be falling asleep at dawn. Some shut-eye tips:

• Avoid caffeine in the second half of your shift.
• If it's bright outside when you head home, wear dark sunglasses door to door so sunlight can't activate your internal "wake up" clock.
• When you get home, have at most a light snack (so digestion won't keep you awake), relax a bit (avoid electronics; they're stimulating), then go to bed and get a good day's sleep.

Find out why sleep is so important for your heart, brain, and waistline.

Job stress getting to you in general? Try these sanity savers.