What Is Shift Work Disorder?

The term shift work disorder, or SWD, may be new to you. But if you have a nontraditional work schedule or work shifts and are often tired on the job or have trouble sleeping, it's a condition you should learn more about.

Shift work disorder is a recognized medical condition that can be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.¹ It occurs when your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is out of sync with your work schedule.² The circadian rhythm helps regulate different functions, including sleeping and waking—also called the sleep-wake cycle.³

Many people who work outside of the traditional 9 to 5 schedule need to be awake when the body's natural cycle calls for sleep.² This disturbance of the circadian rhythm can lead to excessive sleepiness during waking hours or trouble sleeping during sleeping hours.¹

It's important to know that humans are built to be active during the day and to sleep at night.⁴ This means that if you work a nontraditional schedule or odd hours, it can be challenging to stay awake both at work and outside of work for social or recreational activities.

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.⁴ If you have shift work disorder, even using sleep aids to help you sleep during the day may not help you stay awake on the job at night.⁵

References: 1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. 2. Shift Work. American Academy of Sleep Medicine Web site. http://sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=12. Accessed May 21, 2010. 3. Reid KJ, Burgess HJ. Circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Prim Care Clin Office Pract. 2005;32:449-473. 4. Monk TH. Shift work: basic principles. In: Kryger MH, Roth T, Dement WC, eds. Principles and practice of sleep medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2005:673-679. 5. Morganthaler TI, Lee-Chiong T, Alessi C, et al. Practice parameters for the clinical evaluation and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Sleep. 2007;30(11):1445-1459.

Sign up for a free Shift Work Disorder (SWD) Self-Assessment Tool you can share with your doctor. The Wake-Up Squad will also send you some helpful information about SWD.