Crazy Work Schedules May Increase Irritable Bowel Risk
A lot of people work around the clock. It spans the workforce, from doctors and police officers, to cab drivers and grocery clerks.
You might work all day, other times through the night, and sometimes both in the same week.
But, now researchers are saying this kind of work irregularity might mess up your pooping schedule.
Writing in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, scientists examined how rotating schedules, dayshifts, nightshifts, and lack of sleep effect the risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among nurses.
While the percentages were close, working nights and rotating shifts were the crumbiest, compared to working daytime hours.
- A total of 214 worked straight days, 110 worked straight nights, and 75 rotated between day and night shifts.
- 48% of nurses on rotating shifts had IBS related problems; as did 40% of those working straight nights, both high figures when you consider the much smaller sample size.
- By comparison, 31% of those working straight days, had IBS symptoms, which is much more than you might expected in the general population (up to about 20 percent).
To further the point, investigators found that poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, and daytime drowsiness, were all common among nurses with IBS, no matter what type of shift they worked.
Lack of sleep is the pits. I have insomnia. And for me, not sleeping means I better stay very, very close to a toilet bowl all day. Eek!
Via Reuters.
5 Comments
Add Your Comment
Created / Updated: March 15, 2010
People with weird shifts also end not to eat that good too which may have something to do with IBS.
ReplyThis is EXACTLY what happens to me because I work first shift some days and second shift other days. If I have to work the super early first shift, my bowels don't always "wake up" with me like they normally do, so I get bloated and gassy. I wish I could work the same shift every day, but that just isn't a reality in a profession where you need people on staff all the time.
ReplyHa, I had insomnia for 3 years and definitely had loose bowels but I NEVER thought to connect the two. Amazing. One thing I do know for sure though - the more unsettled your sleep and the more you play God with your circadian rhythms, the greater chance of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Excess light triggers carbohydrate cravings and fat storage; it's a survival mechanism.
ReplyI've spoken to lots of night workers who say they eat really poorly on night shift, and tend to just snack on biscuits and coffee etc. As Jody said, this could have something to do with the IBS symptoms.
ReplyI hate being tied to natural rhythms. I want to transcend my biological nature and become a luminous being. Pure energy, pure thought.
Reply