There’s a lot your job can be responsible for: satisfaction in life, dissatisfaction in life, an increased sense of purpose or an increased sense of stress. But, could your job be increasing your chances for developing a sleeping disorder? It’s possible.
The symptoms of sleep disorders can manifest themselves in a number of different ways: snoring, increased waking throughout your sleep, not feeling refreshed upon waking, pain or discomfort in areas like your neck and head. We can’t always trace the source or reason for the onset of a sleeping disorder; however, there are some factors that certainly contribute to possibly developing one – your job could be one of those factors.
What’s in Your Environment?
Your working environment is major contributing factor to you overall health and satisfaction of the job itself. But what about those whose “environments” may pose actual health risks? From firefighters and factory workers to construction workers and others exposed to harmful substances, these jobs introduce a number of potential consequences that can include sleep disorders. Exposure to environmental contamination can leave a harmful impact on an individual.
We’re Not Meant to Be Nocturnal
Perhaps you’re not exposed to harmful environmental substances, but the schedule you’re required to work could be putting you at greater risk for a sleep disorder. In a study [VP1] that compared shift workers to daytime workers (all with similar ages, weights and sleep lengths), it was concluded that shift workers had more severe symptoms of sleep apnea. A contributing reason for this is due to the stress shift work has on one’s internal body clock; the result leaves these workers with body clocks that are off balance, leading to loss of sleep length and quality.
Could your job be impacting your sleep quality? If you suspect that it is, there are solutions to help. Learn more about the symptoms of sleep disorders and your options for relief by visiting my blog.