In today's wired world, many of us work all hours of the day or night, which affects our well-being and safety. Fatigue among shift workers is an internationally recognized problem across multiple industries.

Night workers are just as likely as day workers to perform tasks requiring attention to detail, reasoning, decision-making, and other mental skills. Many night workers don't fit the stereotype of the shift worker. Think of actors, musicians, television news anchors, computer programmers, doctors on call, diplomats, business executives, and just about anyone who work long or irregular hours.

What is the impact of shift work?
A night worker, even one who has slept reasonably well, is no more alert between 2 AM and 8 AM than a day worker who has slept only four hours per night, two nights in a row. The cost of mistakes made by fatigued workers, including lost production, missed days from work, and medical costs, exceeds an estimated $100 billion annually in North America alone.

There are many indicators of fatigue, including:

• Wandering and disconnected thoughts
• Headaches or stomach aches
• Drowsiness during shift and inability to sleep after shift
• Inattention to minor but potentially important details
• Degraded mental abilities (including memory, decision-making, and perception)
• Increased distractibility and irritability

What can be done to mitigate the adverse effects of shift work?
Clinical research now confirms that bright light in specific wavelengths can help shift the internal body clock and regulate sleep patterns through usage for 30 to 40 minutes upon waking. It can help shift workers and people who work irregular hours feel more alert, energetic, and, in turn, improve on-the-job performance.

Use The Litebook® at the start of your day, whatever hour that may be, and again part way into your shift if you feel the need for an energy boost. Do not use the light or get exposure to bright sunlight at the end of your shift if that is your normal sleep time for that work cycle. The bright light will confuse your body into thinking it should be alert, when in fact you want to be gearing down for sleep. A dark pair of sunglasses that completely cover your eyes will be enough shade from the sun on your way home from your shift.