When shift workers ask for tips on sleeping, they usually preface their question with a list of everything they’ve tried so far. Although many of the tactics are sound options, there’s usually one glaring omission; light exposure.
If you don’t have a good handle on your circadian rhythms, all the hacks and tips in the world aren’t going to help you. And the most important factor in maintaining a strong circadian rhythm is light.
Humans need periods of both light and dark for strong rhythms. And these periods need to occur at similar times each day.
Shift work encompasses a wide range of schedules, so there are no standard times that will work for everyone. Thus, we should first consider what a good day might look like for normal folk. We can then transpose this to fit our own schedule.
The day walker’s light schedule is pretty simple: Sunlight exposure upon waking, to signal the end of sleep. Sunlight throughout the day to help with energy. Little to no light after sunset to prepare the body for sleep.
Just shift these times to adapt to your needs: Sunlight as soon as you get up. Bright lights during the first part of your shift. And, assuming you don’t have control over workplace lighting, blue-light blocking glasses and a brimmed hat for the last couple hours of your shift. Keep those blue-blockers on until you’re in bed with the lights out – in a room that’s as dark as possible.
Failing to take light into account will ensure you fight an uphill battle. For example, supplemental melatonin is rendered ineffective when taken with a dose of bright light.
Control for light first. You can fine tune from there.
Blueberries for the Brain?
Blueberries offer many metabolic benefits, but can they also improve our cognition? This is a particularly relevant question since shift work is associated with both metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline.
A new study found that wild blueberries improved not only glucose and insulin response to a meal, but also cognitive performance, “particularly in the context of demanding tasks and cognitive fatigue.”
I wouldn’t get too hyped up over these findings, but adding some blueberries to your daily routine probably isn’t a bad idea. The dose in the study was equivalent to about one cup of blueberries.
Blueberries Improve Cognitive Performance in Healthy Adults | Psychology Today
Morning Brew
I’ve previously read that coffee first thing in the morning isn’t the best strategy. The article suggests timing caffeine consumption around your natural cortisol rhythms.
We now have another reason to delay that morning cup, thanks to the results of a new study.
…strong black coffee consumed before breakfast substantially increased the blood glucose response to breakfast by around 50%.
Delaying coffee intake until 9:30 – 11:30 is not only a good strategy for optimizing energy levels, it may also benefit our metabolism.
Note: This 9:30 – 11:30 window applies to “most” people. But we all know shift workers aren’t most people. Forbes addresses this somewhat in an update below the original article, citing military personnel who are often up by 4 or 5 AM daily.
Drink Coffee After Breakfast, Not Before, for Better Metabolic Control | Neuroscience News
Location, Location, Location
Excess body weight is bad for our health and increases our risk of early death. But a new review published in BMJ suggests that where we carry that extra weight makes a big difference.
Unsurprisingly, a bigger waist increases mortality risk, to the tune of 11 percent for each four-inch increase in waist size. However, bigger thighs and hips actually reduce our risk. Each two-inch increase in thigh circumference was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality. And a four-inch increase in a woman’s hip circumference was associated with a 10 percent lower risk of death.
“Thigh size is an indicator of the amount of muscle, which is protective,” said a co-author of the review, Tauseef Ahmad Khan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. “And hip fat is not visceral fat, but subcutaneous fat, which is considered beneficial.”
“The takeaway message is watch your waist size,” Dr. Khan said. “It’s more important than a simple measure of weight. You can have a normal weight and B.M.I., but if your waist is large, that puts you at high risk.”
TL;DR: Bigger waist: bad. Bigger hips/thighs: good.
Where You Carry Body Fat May Affect How Long You Live | New York Times
Risk Enhancing Supplements
Shift work can take its toll on brain function. Our unnatural schedules can cause a lack of energy and difficulty concentrating. And long-term, shift work is associated with cognitive decline. As such, the idea of popping a pill that boosts brain power might seem like an appealing way to compensate.
The use of supplements that claim to improve mental focus and memory (nootropics, cognitive enhancers, smart drugs, etc.) is on the rise. The problem is that these over-the-counter supplements are not as closely regulated as pharmaceuticals. And new research shows that these supplements may contain unapproved drugs, in potentially dangerous combinations and doses.
“Use of these supplements poses potentially serious health risks. Not only did we detect five unapproved drugs in these products, we also detected several drugs that were not mentioned on the labels, and we found doses of unapproved drugs that were as much as four times higher than what would be considered a typical dose.”
Cohen said the supplements could be especially risky if used in combination with prescription drugs or instead of seeking medical advice.
The key takeaway: do your research before trying one of these “nootropics”. Stick to stuff that has been extensively studied, like caffeine.
Multiple Unapproved Drugs Found in “Brain Boosting” Supplements | Neuroscience News
Worth Thinking About
“It takes many hours to make what you want to make. The hours don’t suddenly appear. You have to steal them from comfort.”
– Derek Sivers
Stay healthy-
Jason Glenn