Posted on 08/23/2021 11:24:57 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Our body is tuned to function in a synchronous manner with a "circadian" or day-and-night rhythm. Alterations to daily lifestyles due to the current stressful routines people follow can disrupt the body's day-night cycle for longer periods. Recent studies in rats have shown that even chronic light exposure can disrupt the circadian rhythm and cause memory deficits seen in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Interestingly, circadian rhythm disruption has also been frequently reported in patients suffering from AD.
To understand the correlation between circadian rhythm disturbances and AD progression, a team tested the effect of circadian rhythm disruption caused by chronic light exposure on Wistar rats. Professor Rohit Goyal, who led the study, said, "Cells of various organs in the body are synchronized to the day-night cycle, and release different biochemical substances including hormones in a time-specific manner. Untimely expression of these hormones can trigger anxiety, cognitive impairment, and memory loss, all symptoms of brain disorders such as AD."
Overall, the study suggests that long-term circadian rhythm disruption induces AD-like pathology in rats, which can be prevented by treatment with fluoxetine. Notably, elevation in Aβ, a hallmark of AD, and disturbed circadian rhythms, can each trigger the other, resulting in a cascade of irreversible neurological symptoms. This sets the stage for serious life-long conditions like AD.
The clinical implications of their findings are also evident. Prof. Goyal remarks, "Lifestyle changes that support exposure to natural light followed by ample rest at night may thus be key to limiting the risk of neurological disorders. Therapeutic strategies to optimize circadian timing in prospective patients hold great promise to restrain the prevalence of AD." Better lifestyle practices or maintaining a natural day-night cycle for work schedules and even dietary practices may make our bodies healthier and function better.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I could be wrong, but based on the experience of everyone I have known to work the variations of “Panama Schedule”, they all end up experiencing both significant exhaustion, and difficulty sleeping, AND staying awake.
As well, the Panama schedule has had me terribly messed up, every time I have been forced to work the dynamic shift rotation.
Older people know of other, far more pressing needs to wake up in the middle of the night. ;-D
what is that? i know shift changes are the hardest
friend used to work relief shift, i could NEVER do that
I know what you mean, but you always settled into a sleep pattern in which you could achieve a good number of hours of sleep, so you are safe.
Example of original “Panama Schedule”
Panama Shift Schedule | 24/7 Shift Coverage
This is a slow rotating shift pattern that uses 4 teams and two 12-hr shifts to provide 24/7 coverage. The working and non-working days follow this pattern: 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on, 3 days off. Each team works the same shift (day or night) for 28 days then switches over to the other shift for the next 28 days. After 56 days, the same sequence starts over.
Name - Panama Plan
Applicability - 24/7 operations
Teams Required - 4
Shifts - Day (12-hr), Night (12-hr)
Repeat Cycle - 56 days
Rotation - Slow rotation between day and night shifts
Average Hours per Week - 42
Staffing Fluctuation - Balanced from shift to shift and day to day
Pluses - Every other weekend off, No night shifts for 28 consecutive days
Minuses - Long shifts (12 hours), Averaging only 26 weekend-off days per year, Requires an average of 2 overtime hours per employee per week
Common Usage - Popular with military and security service organizations in the United States
When used, Panama Shift Pattern is seen mostly in IC and DoD operations. In reality, regulat military mostly stays away from it if they can.
There are several variations of this, but no one ever gets adjusted to a schedule, which is a bit like slow torture.
Any natural rhythm is ultimately thrown off.
I have been on this dynamic shift for long periods of time, and it has costed me health.
https://www.bmscentral.com/learn-employee-scheduling/panama-shift-schedule/
thx,
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