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Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by insomnia, excessive sleepiness, or both affecting people whose work hours overlap with the typical sleep period. Insomnia can be the difficulty to fall asleep or to wake up before the individual has slept enough. [ 1 ]
Side effects of melatonin may include sleep disturbance, nightmares, daytime sleepiness, and depression, though the current tendency to use lower doses has decreased such complaints. Large doses of melatonin can even be counterproductive: Lewy et al. [ 48 ] provide support to "the idea that too much melatonin may spill over onto the wrong zone ...
A circadian rhythm is an entrainable, endogenous, biological activity that has a period of roughly twenty-four hours. This internal time-keeping mechanism is centralized in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of humans, and allows for the internal physiological mechanisms underlying sleep and alertness to become synchronized to external environmental cues, like the light-dark cycle. [4]
Sleep disruptions can be caused by various issues, including teeth grinding and night terrors. Managing sleep disturbances that are secondary to mental, medical, or substance abuse disorders should focus on addressing the underlying conditions. [4] Sleep disorders are common in both children and adults.
Sleep patterns (typical bed time or rise time on weekdays and weekends), shift work, and frequency of naps can reveal the direct cause of poor sleep, and quality of sleep should be discussed to rule out any diseases such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
Extended night shifts have been found to significantly impair attentiveness and memory recall for shift workers, especially nurses and other healthcare professionals. 69% of 100 shift-working nurses in the study reported having inadequate sleep, which was linked to worse cognitive function, such as shorter reaction times and more mathematical.
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Here is an example of how chronotherapy could work over a week's course of treatment, with the patient going to sleep 3 hours later every day until the desired sleep and wake time is reached. [1] Day 1: sleep 3:00 am to 11:00 am; Day 2: sleep 6:00 am to 2:00 pm; Day 3: sleep 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Day 4: sleep 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Day 5: sleep 3: ...