Shift work is a reality of our modern economy. Services don’t
stop running when the sun goes down. Without night
workers—nurses and doctors, toll booth workers, security guards,
policemen and women, truck drivers, pilots, and more—our world
would grind to a halt. One of my closest friends works nights at
a home for children. Most of his time is spent reading, but when
the kids wake up or there’s an emergency, he is the first person
on the scene. Without him, those kids wouldn’t be safe. But he
pays a high price. Like many late shift workers, he suffers from
terrible sleep-wake disruption, and is always either strung out
or exhausted. After years of this strange schedule, he suffers
from a host of physical problems. He has high blood pressure,
struggles with his weight, and was just diagnosed with type 2
diabetes. He also has a lot of trouble with his relationship.
Unfortunately these problems plague shift workers the world
over. At least 15 percent of workers in Australia, the United
States and the United Kin