Can graveyard shifts and long working hours make managing diabetes tough?

The prevalence of diabetes has increased from 2 per cent in 1970 to 25 per cent in 2015 in the rural areas. The number is expected to increase even more in the coming years due to unhealthy lifestyle habits and unawareness about the condition. A study claims that working in shifts can make your battle with diabetes tougher and take a toll on your health.

According to a study conducted in 2017, it was found that people with type 2 diabetes who worked in night shifts had a more difficult time in managing their blood sugar level than people who worked during the day time or were not working.

As per the Endocrine society, working overnight is associated with several issues including higher body mass index, shorter deep duration and extra calorie intake. Eating at night can disrupt the body's clock and make it difficult to manage the blood sugar levels.

You will be surprised to know that not just shifts, even working for more than 45 hours a week can put women at 51 per cent higher chances of developing diabetes than working for 35-40 hours a week, says the study published in BMJ Diabetes Research and care.

The findings were not the same for men. In fact, it was found that men working for longer hours seemed to have a lower risk of developing diabetes as compared to men who worked for fewer hours.

Here are easy tips to manage blood sugar level while working in shifts

People eat unnecessarily when they are working in the night or rotational shifts. Sometimes they do this to keep themselves awake and stay energised. But these unhealthy eating patterns can be a huge hindrance in diabetes management.

Working in shifts can disrupt your workout routine. But you must keep yourself physically active by choosing a workout that can be done at any time of the day.

Working in odd shifts should not change the time when you are supposed to consume your medicines. Eat at the right time, include small meals and take your medicines on time.

When you have to work in shifts, pack your meals and especially snacks because finding a healthy snack around is not always possible. Depending on packaged foods and biscuits can be harmful for your health condition. Thus, pack small bites and meals from home before you head to work so that you do not have to rely on outside food.