Does shift work affect blood sugar?
Takeaway. Shift work can have an adverse effect on type 2 diabetes. It can also put a person at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place. Shift work, particularly that involving overnight and varying shifts, can make it more difficult to manage glucose levels.
How does shift work affect diabetes?
The more often a person worked an irregular night shift, the greater their risk for type 2 diabetes, the findings showed. For example, working nights less than three times a month increased the risk by 24 percent, but working nights more than eight times a month increased the risk by 36 percent.
Can working night shift cause diabetes?
The night shift workers are known to have a bad effect on their general health, which is associated with several diseases related to lifestyle. A study reports that night shift workers have more systemic diseases, one of these is type 2 diabetes mellitus.
What are the health effects of shift work?
“Researchers have found that shift work is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, ulcers, depression, obesity and high blood pressure, along with sleep problems, such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep and excessive sleepiness,” he said.
Does staying up all night affect blood sugar?
Every night—regardless of whether you sleep—your blood sugar levels increase1 as a part of the natural human circadian rhythm cycle. Blood sugar levels also increase during sleep. Blood sugar fluctuations that occur overnight and during sleep are normal and not a cause for concern for most healthy people.
How does working night shift affect blood sugar?
Shift work can alter the body’s circadian rhythms, internal body clocks that respond to natural daylight and darkness. Consequently, blood sugar levels can be affected: altering sleep times can lead to greater problems with hyperglycemia (too high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
What are three common health problems experienced by shift workers?
A shiftworker is at increased risk of health problems, such as digestive upsets, obesity and heart disease, and accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness.
Why does my sugar spike at night?
The Somogyi effect, also known as rebound hyperglycemia, happens when your blood sugars drop overnight and your body releases hormones that prompt your blood sugars to rise. Sometimes this is an overcorrection, and can actually lead to hyperglycemia and a spike in your blood sugar.
How does working shifts affect your blood sugar levels?
Physical activity is beneficial not just for blood glucose levels but is also good for the heart and for mental health. Working shifts can throw your sleeping pattern off track and can affect your quality of sleep.
What are the health risks of shift work?
Eating and shift work – effects on habits, metabolism and performance Compared to individuals who work during the day, shift workers are at higher risk of a range of metabolic disorders and diseases (eg, obesity, cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal problems, failure to control blood sugar levels, and metabolic syndrome).
How do shifts affect my risk of diabetes?
In addition, varying shifts can affect your ‘body clock’ if sleep becomes disrupted which can lead to difficulties in controlling your diabetes. Research suggests that night shifts in particular may increase the risk of putting on weight and developing type 2 diabetes.
Can shift work affect my insulin management?
If shift work is affecting your insulin management, you may need to raise this with your employer. They may be happy to put you onto a more regular shift so that you’re not having to regularly adapt to different routines. Employers must ensure free health assessments are offered to night workers, but workers do not have to accept this.