Don't Dance the "Southern Swing"

If you work rotating shifts, you know it’s almost impossible to reset your biological clock. As soon as you start getting accustomed to one shift, you’re onto the next. My shifts used to run 10 days. After 4 days off, I would be working a different shift. If that weren’t bad enough, I’d end up working one or two days of overtime, which could occur on any of the three shifts. Zombie is a word that comes to mind.

When we finished our night shift (12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.), we would then rotate to the swing shift (4:00 p.m. to Midnight) with four days off (if we got them); this could work out to a nice stretch of time off. However, we found that this “reverse rotation” was extremely difficult on our bodies. Today, it is commonly acknowledged that this “Southern Swing” is the worst possible choice of rotating shifts. A “forward rotation” however lets us change our sleeping patterns more easily, especially if we use our days off to allow for part of the transition. Here’s how it works.

Sleep researchers have isolated their subjects from the outside world. With no reference to clocks or natural night/day cycles, they found that people actually created their own 25-hour day. This means that during your transition, if you stay up a little later each day before going to sleep, you are more closely mimicking this “natural” 25-hour day. If you are leaving day shifts and transitioning to evening shifts, staying up a little later each day fits in well with staying alert for the last few hours of your shift, as well as the drive home. During your last few swing shifts and into your days off, staying up a little later each night before going to bed, will leave you more ready for those dreaded graveyards.

The amount of time you stay up is critical, and will ultimately be a matter of your own situation. The major synchronizer of your circadian rhythms is daylight, and major transitions that interfere with this powerful signal should be avoided. Your own personal schedule is obviously a factor as well.

There is an interesting article by Eric Goulet available at EndurePlus Online that describes this in the context of world-class athletes. http://www.endureplus.com/jetlag.cfm As they experience time changes to new venues, the inevitable jet lag can affect their athletic performance. He mentions a variety of strategies to promote successful adaptation including meals, exercise, and light therapy. All of these suggestions have merit for shiftworkers as well.

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