These problems linked to sleep encourage the occurrence of psychological problems and the beginning of various chronic illnesses. These chronic illnesses generally appear after several years of work.

Depressive tendencies and mood problems: +15 to 20%

Cardiovascular problems: x 2

Gastric problems: x 5

Possible treatments to feel better when working at night

Some advice linked to light (and the avoidance of it) may help the worker to adapt his body to the shift pattern.

A light therapy session at the right time, thanks to its inhibiting effect on melatonin, enables the resynchronization of the wake/sleep cycle and improves the worker’s quality of sleep and alertness when he wishes.

Conversely, the use of glasses with a blue light filter (blue blocker glasses) prevents the light from blocking the melatonin and allows easier access to sleep once the work shift ends.

Advice for using light therapy in the case of night working

The time of exposure to light or avoidance of light is very important, because it will enable the advancement or delay of the internal biological clock and therefore provoke either an advanced or delayed phase.

Light therapy: For a person who carries out night shifts more than 3 nights in a row, we recommend carrying out a light therapy session before each shift and, if feeling tired, also in the middle of the shift.

Blue light blocker glasses: For all night workers, we recommend wearing filter glasses between ending the shift and going to bed. If the person stays in a dark environment during this time (as may be during winter when the sun has not come up yet), then wearing the glasses is not necessary.