Some Facts About Shift Work Disorder

SWD Is Common

• As many as 20% of US workers are involved in some form of shift work, including permanent or intermittent night work, early morning work, or rotating schedules.^1,2
• Approximately 10% to 25% of night-workers and rotating-shift workers have shift work disorder
  • This means that up to 1 out of every 4 night- or rotating-shift workers may be suffering from shift work disorder^1-4
• Over 15 million Americans work odd hours or non-traditional shifts, and are "at risk" for SWD.³
  • Of these, 3.75 million Americans are estimated to have SWD.^1,3,5

Signs a Person Could Have Shift Work Disorder

Shift work disorder is an often undiagnosed condition in which excessive sleepiness and/or insomnia are the main symptoms.⁶

Excessive Sleepiness

Excessive sleepiness is defined as having trouble staying awake enough to do the things you need to do.⁷ People who experience excessive sleepiness often describe it as being tired, fatigued or lacking energy.⁸

Insomnia

People with SWD may also experience insomnia, which affects the length and quality of their sleep. Insomnia can be more than just difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early, and poor quality of sleep.⁹

Since shift workers often have to sleep during the day, insomnia may be caused by daytime distractions such as noise, light, and other things that disturb sleep. Also, their internal body clocks may insist it is time to be awake during the day instead of asleep.¹⁰ As a result, people who complain of insomnia may report an inability to fall or stay asleep. They may feel that their sleep is short and inadequate, light and easily disrupted, or nonrestorative.⁷

Shift work disorder can lead to other issues⁶

SWD can affect many different parts of life. These are just some of the problems people with shift work disorder may experience:

• Trouble focusing
• Drop in work performance
• Missed family and social activities
• Worsening of heart and stomach disorders
• Sleepiness-related accidents
• Increased irritability

If you work shifts, just improving your sleep may not improve your ability to cope with shift work. That's because sleep is not the only factor that affects your coping ability.¹¹