[Burden and health effects of shift work]. 2010

Jörg Heitmann
Schlafmedizinischen Ambulanz in Marburg. heitmanj@med.uni-marburg.de

In Germany aprox. 15% of all employees have irregular or flexible working hours. Disturbed sleep and/or hypersomnia are direct consequences of shift work and therefore described as shift work disorder. Beyond this, shift work can also be associated with specific pathological disorders. There are individual differences in tolerance to shift work. Optimization of both shift schedules and sleep to "non-physiological" times of the day are measures to counteract the negative effects of shift work. There is still not enough evidence to recommend drugs for routine use in shift workers.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006970 Disorders of Excessive Somnolence Disorders characterized by hypersomnolence during normal waking hours that may impair cognitive functioning. Subtypes include primary hypersomnia disorders (e.g., IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNOLENCE; NARCOLEPSY; and KLEINE-LEVIN SYNDROME) and secondary hypersomnia disorders where excessive somnolence can be attributed to a known cause (e.g., drug affect, MENTAL DISORDERS, and SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME). (From J Neurol Sci 1998 Jan 8;153(2):192-202; Thorpy, Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, 2nd ed, p320) Daytime Sleepiness,Daytime Somnolence,Excessive Daytime Sleepiness,Hypersomnia,Hypersomnolence,Primary Hypersomnia Disorders,Secondary Hypersomnia Disorders,DOES (Disorders of Excessive Somnolence),Excessive Somnolence Disorders,Hypersomnia, Recurrent,Hypersomnolence Disorders,Hypersomnolence Disorders, Primary,Hypersomnolence Disorders, Secondary,Primary Hypersomnolence Disorders,Secondary Hypersomnolence Disorders,DOESs (Disorders of Excessive Somnolence),Daytime Sleepiness, Excessive,Daytime Sleepinesses,Daytime Somnolences,Excessive Daytime Sleepinesses,Excessive Somnolence Disorder,Hypersomnia Disorder, Primary,Hypersomnia Disorder, Secondary,Hypersomnias,Hypersomnolence Disorder,Hypersomnolence Disorder, Primary,Hypersomnolence Disorder, Secondary,Primary Hypersomnia Disorder,Primary Hypersomnolence Disorder,Recurrent Hypersomnia,Recurrent Hypersomnias,Secondary Hypersomnia Disorder,Secondary Hypersomnolence Disorder,Sleepiness, Daytime,Sleepiness, Excessive Daytime,Somnolence Disorder, Excessive,Somnolence, Daytime
D008550 Melatonin A biogenic amine that is found in animals and plants. In mammals, melatonin is produced by the PINEAL GLAND. Its secretion increases in darkness and decreases during exposure to light. Melatonin is implicated in the regulation of SLEEP, mood, and REPRODUCTION. Melatonin is also an effective antioxidant.
D009784 Occupational Diseases Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment. Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D002940 Circadian Rhythm The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs or environmental and physiological stimuli. Diurnal Rhythm,Nyctohemeral Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythm,Nycthemeral Rhythm,Circadian Rhythms,Diurnal Rhythms,Nycthemeral Rhythms,Nyctohemeral Rhythms,Rhythm, Circadian,Rhythm, Diurnal,Rhythm, Nycthemeral,Rhythm, Nyctohemeral,Rhythm, Twenty-Four Hour,Rhythms, Circadian,Rhythms, Diurnal,Rhythms, Nycthemeral,Rhythms, Nyctohemeral,Rhythms, Twenty-Four Hour,Twenty Four Hour Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythms
D005858 Germany A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D006262 Health The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease. Individual Health,Normalcy,Normality,Health, Individual,Normalcies,Normalities
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012890 Sleep A readily reversible suspension of sensorimotor interaction with the environment, usually associated with recumbency and immobility. Sleep Habits,Sleeping Habit,Sleeping Habits,Habit, Sleep,Habit, Sleeping,Habits, Sleep,Habits, Sleeping,Sleep Habit
D012893 Sleep Wake Disorders Abnormal sleep-wake schedule or pattern associated with the CIRCADIAN RHYTHM which affect the length, timing, and/or rigidity of the sleep-wake cycle relative to the day-night cycle. Sleep Disorders,Long Sleeper Syndrome,Short Sleep Phenotype,Short Sleeper Syndrome,Sleep-Related Neurogenic Tachypnea,Subwakefullness Syndrome,Disorder, Sleep,Disorder, Sleep Wake,Disorders, Sleep,Disorders, Sleep Wake,Long Sleeper Syndromes,Neurogenic Tachypnea, Sleep-Related,Neurogenic Tachypneas, Sleep-Related,Phenotype, Short Sleep,Phenotypes, Short Sleep,Short Sleep Phenotypes,Short Sleeper Syndromes,Sleep Disorder,Sleep Phenotypes, Short,Sleep Related Neurogenic Tachypnea,Sleep Wake Disorder,Sleep-Related Neurogenic Tachypneas,Sleeper Syndrome, Long,Sleeper Syndrome, Short,Sleeper Syndromes, Long,Sleeper Syndromes, Short,Subwakefullness Syndromes,Syndrome, Long Sleeper,Syndrome, Short Sleeper,Syndrome, Subwakefullness,Syndromes, Long Sleeper,Syndromes, Short Sleeper,Syndromes, Subwakefullness,Tachypnea, Sleep-Related Neurogenic,Tachypneas, Sleep-Related Neurogenic,Wake Disorder, Sleep,Wake Disorders, Sleep
D014940 Work Schedule Tolerance Physiological or psychological effects of periods of work which may be fixed or flexible such as flexitime, work shifts, and rotating shifts. Schedule Tolerance, Work,Schedule Tolerances, Work,Tolerance, Work Schedule,Tolerances, Work Schedule,Work Schedule Tolerances

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