is there any scientific evidence that working overnight is bad for health?

[kenny1999]

I have a job offer that requires working overnight and there is no shift, so practically I can only sleep in the daytime. I have been hearing a lot of opinions that working overnight is really bad for health in the long run. In fact, is there any scientific evidence or study which suggests that it is possible? Or is it solely an unproven belief?

Edited April 6, 2023 by kenny1999

[TheVat]

I've seen quite a few studies finding negative health and cognitive effects from working night shifts.  Good luck with the search engine.

[Endy0816]

I work overnight and have found it to be fine.

I typically sleep in two periods, once upon arriving home and then again for 1-2 hours just before starting. Biphasic sleep seems to work better than attempting a full 8 hours straight.

Do use eye mask and room darkening curtains to help with ssunlight. I suspect a lot of the issues are from people not getting enough good sleep in general.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Endy0816

[Peterkin]

There are some variables that could reduce the ill effects. If you are naturally nocturnal and don't have to make a huge change in your life habits, that would make the shift easier. The worst part of shift work is usually the shifting itself; having to reset your internal rhythms every few days. So, continuous night work is less harmful: once you've made the adjustment, you develop new habits.

Another factor is: How much time do you have off work? Sleeping when everyone else is active puts a serious dent in your social life and relationships.

Being deprived of sunlight is a further consideration: If you have two or three full days to be outdoors, and find pleasurably activities, that would be great help. And you would probably need a SAD light  in winter.

As a career, night work is not for everyone. As a short term arrangement, you could take steps to minimize the adverse effects..

[LuckyR]

There is a robust set of data on the association of sleep deprivation and cardiac arrhythmias (which is how I got out of working nights, back in the day). Of course working nights doesn't necessarily entail sleep deprivation, but it commonly does. The data on working nights is less compelling, but does show negative effects.