Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. There are many reasons leading to insomnia, for example depression, work load due to jobs that are based on poor and odd hours. There are a number of jobs that are capable of wrecking your sleep, resulting in insomnia. Shift work often leads to insomnia, stomach disorders, less alertness and many other problems. This is because our circadian rhythm adapts to the pattern of our daily activities and when the same gets disturbed, things turn to be chaotic. Here is a brief view on such jobs that lead to insomnia which means lack of sleep.
1. Air Traffic Controller
We often hear about air traffic controllers falling asleep while on duty. This is because of the hardships they face due to shift duties. It’s a big challenge for these people to stay awake and prevent the lives of others from any kind of harm. The problem in the shift work is that it is difficult to adapt since the body clock – known as circadian rhythm – cannot adapt to the frequent changes in working hours.
2. Network Administrator
Although the world has become a small place with the advent of the world wide web, the same is playing havoc with the lives of many who are either addicted to or are into jobs that have raised the demand for shift workers. Network Administrators are the ones who check if the Web-services are accessible by the users. The consequence of this shift-work load leaves them go for hours and hours without sleep.
3. Factory worker
To increase the productivity, an industry has to employ workers and allot them shifts. If we compare the shift and non-shift workers then non-shift workers are the ones who get less than 6 hours of sleep which can be detrimental to their health and life as well. Lack of sleep also results in depression, diabetes and high blood pressure.
4. Senior Manager
Senior Managers are often required to stay awake for long hours because of heavy workload. And if your boss is too cranky, inadequate sleep is definitely a problem. Studies suggest that the more you work, the less you sleep. A survey shows a direct relation between job dissatisfaction and poor sleep.
5. Cable News Reporter
It is the 24 hours cable news which started a trend of shift workers. Producers, reporters and camera persons work throughout the night to provide the latest news to the viewers. As the industries are heading towards the goal of working for 24-hours a day, the need for shift workers are also in huge demand. It has been found that more than 15 million of the American workers work in irregular shifts during the nights and in the evenings.
6. Nurse
Being a nurse is an honorary profession. Nurses work on shift basis and are readily available to their patients. It has been seen that during the last hours of a shift, people become inactive and tired. This is a reason that nurses are hired to work in shift-basis.
7. Financial analyst
Financial Analysts look after the foreign markets like Asia and Europe. The time difference between different countries and continents contributes to their profession giving them odd working hours. These analysts are highly specialized and keep an eye on the international markets. High professionals with lucrative incomes work for about 50 hours per week while there are many others who go on for about 80 hours in a week.
8. Police Officer
The duty of a police officer is to protect the public from crimes. Police force works through all the night and day. There are many departments that have rotating shifts to serve the people, and have been found effective in staying alert for 24 hours of the day. At the same time the challenges cannot be ignored, so do the long and odd working hours. Alternate day and night shifts are not easy to manage as the body clock doesn’t adapt so quickly to these time changes.
9. Medical Intern
Medical students adapt themselves to cram many things in one go, and most of these night-fighters start their career after graduation. They are required to work for 14 hours continuously without a break. Lack of sleep can push them to diagnose the patients inaccurately which increases the risk for the patients as well.
10. Airplane Pilot
Pilots often face problems of inadequate sleep and long working hours. This brings a punch with triple intensity to sleep. The FAA in this regard, has made a few guidelines to prevent pilot fatigue according to which the pilots must get a continuous sleep for at least 8 hours and that there should be accurate rest time and flight time.
11. New parent
A job that is tiring yet legendary to crack your sleep, is unique: Becoming a parent. A newborn baby wakes up many times while sleeping. At the same time the parents are woken up from their deep sleep. It is the mother who suffers from lack of sleep. It has been found in surveys that a new mom sleeps for about 7 hours. This seems enough, but the sleep is fragmented and it’s not satisfying. The insomnia because of the newborn lasts for about 16 weeks and sometimes more.
12. Truck Driver
Truck drivers are required to cover long distances. They travel miles to deliver different articles. To avoid the traffic, they are out on the roads at night. And this is one of the jobs in which the chances of road accidents are ever increasing. In the US, the majority of work-related deaths are attributed to road accidents involving drivers, as they suffer from drowsiness. These incidents not only risk the life of the truck drivers but also the lives of many other travelers who stay alert and have control over their vehicles and on themselves.
13. Bartender
The nightlife attracts each one of us. The bars remain open till 2 or 3 a.m. with DJ’s and drinks going on. Some people adapt to such schedules as they are kind of “Night Owls” who are really alert and active at night. The bartenders must work at these timings, if their biological clock co-operates with them. Sticking to the same work timings is for sure a smart option to keep drowsiness away. But if you belong to the category of “Lark”, then keep away from being a bartender because you cannot fit-in well at all.
