Discussion on the Effects of Night Shift
Discussion one: I acknowledge that sleep is essential for the full development and optimal functioning of the body systems of a human being. I also agree with your observations that working consistently at night without breaks is likely to put one’s ability to manage a healthy life in jeopardy. More, I concur with your findings that lack of sleep would make one susceptible to develop other conditions like immune suppression, cancer being one of them (Ward, Duke, Gneezy, & Bos, 2017). Other chronic diseases are likely to ensue when one is deprived of sleep for a long period.
Discussion two: Part of sleep hygiene entails ensuring one has regular times of sleep and duration of sleep alongside making sure they avoid intake of fluids and stimulants. I refute your proposal to use of stimulants and sedatives to alter the normal pattern of the sleep-wake cycle. The use of drugs to manage between shifts is often likely to lead to dependence (Sodhi, 2020). In the long run, dependence on the drugs would breed other unforeseen problems. The human body, through an interplay of hormones, normally, has a way of adjusting to changes, therefore returning to homeostasis.
Discussion three: Before resuming the night shift duty, it is always important to slowly reduce the length of sleep while at the same time doing some light exercises to reduce fatigue whilst having regular times of sleep and wake. I also support that light exercises would help reduce fatigue and therefore make one able to transit through shifts with ease. The use of stimulants, however, creates dependences (Zhu et al., 2018). Therefore, there should be no use stimulants when one wants to stay awake at work during night shifts. Stimulants would also open the gates for the use of stronger and even harder drugs in the event that there is tolerance.
References
Sodhi, H. K. (2020). IVF Fertilization and Psychological Consequences. International Journal of Nursing Education and Research, 8(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.5958/2454-2660.2020.00027.7
Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1086/691462
Zhu, D., Dai, G., Xu, D., Xu, X., Geng, J., Zhu, W., … Theeboom, M. (2018). Long-Term Effects of Tai Chi Intervention on Sleep and Mental Health of Female Individuals With Dependence on Amphetamine-Type Stimulants. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(AUG), 1476. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01476