The holidays are a joyous time, but let’s face it, all that travel and celebrating can be exhausting! We’ve compiled some tips to help you stay rested and keep you singing fa-la-la-la-la instead of fa-fa-fa-fatigue.
Travel Tips
There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed, but during the holidays, chances are your squatting on someone else’s turf. Here are a few tips to get the best sleep you can while sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings.
If you’re staying in a hotel, ask for a room
far away from the elevator and all the noisy traffic it brings.
Bring an eye mask in case the curtains don’t darken
the room enough. Or, use clothespins or hairclips to hold the curtains closed.
Don’t forget the earplugs to block out the
celebrations in the room next door (wink wink J)!
Use your new Christmas socks or scarf to cover
up any light sources in the bedroom. All light is bad light when trying to
sleep.
If you’re staying at someone else’s home, let
your hosts know what time you would prefer to get up so that they know not to muzzle
the kids and not bother you before you’re ready.
If your hosts have pets (or young children),
keep the bedroom door closed to discourage them from entering and disturbing
your sweet slumber.
Bring your own pillow (especially if you have
allergies) to optimize your sleep and prevent a kink in your neck.
Travel with anti-histamines. They produce a
drowsy effect that can help you fall asleep when the house is noisy, and they
don’t have the addictive or narcotic effect of sleep medications.
If you use a C-Pap device, make sure you bring
it with you. There are travel versions available for easier packing.
Stick to a Schedule
Our bodies’ circadian rhythms crave routine, including a set sleeping schedule. However, if you find yourself invested in an all-night Christmas move marathon, or catching up with family and friends over one too many libations, a mid-day nap may be just what you need, but make sure you stick to the rules!
Limit your nap to 20-40 minutes to avoid
falling into a deep sleep or, commit to at least two hours so you can complete
a full sleep cycle and wake up back in the lighter stages.
No nap is too short. Sometimes a five-minute
nap is all you need to kick start the festivities all over again.
If you’re traveling
between time zones, there are more rules to follow.
If it’s a short trip (2-3 days) to see Aunt
Bertha and Uncle Herbert, or if you’re only travelling across one or two time
zones, stick to your home schedule. For example, if you normally go to bed at
11PM EST, make sure you still go to bed at 11PM EST even if it’s 9PM MST.
If it’s a longer trip (3+ days) or across
multiple time zones (hello jetlag!), slowly adapt your routine towards the time
at the new location that you’re headed to.
A few days prep can make all the difference!
Watch the Indulgence
The holidays are a time for indulgence and who are we kidding, most diets go out the window until the new year. However; what we eat and drink can have a big impact on our sleep.
Avoid late-night meals and snacking when our digestion is shut down.
Over-indulgence of alcohol especially 2-3 hours before you go to bed not only increase drowsiness, but significantly disrupt sleep patterns and the ability to get into deep recuperative sleep. It also wipes out your memory.
Alcohol also increases snoring by causing the throat muscles to relax.
Salty snacks can cause dehydration, which makes you feel tired.
Eat breakfast to help stay alert throughout the day.
Sugary snacks and beverage give a quick energy boost, but after 30 minutes, can makes us crash and burn.
Don’t Blame the Turkey!
We all know the turkey drug… Tryptophan! Yes, it makes you drowsy and has a calming effect, but only when the tryptophan is activated. So what activates tryptophan? Carbohydrates such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and all the lesser regarded dishes at the holiday feast that we overdose on. If you just ate turkey and nothing else, you would be alert enough to do the dishes after dinner instead of crashing in front of the TV within 5 minutes of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. So stop blaming the turkey.
Exercise
During the flurry of activities, set aside time to get out for some fresh air and exercise. Not only will it help keep the holiday pounds off, but it also does wonders to relieve stress and stabilize your body’s circadian rhythms for a better night’s sleep.
Finally, make sure you schedule in some quiet time for
yourself; catch up on a book or take a relaxing bath!
Before you know it,
the holidays will be over and you’ll need a vacation!
As Canadians, we sit back with beer in hand, (*insert team name here) hockey jersey on, orange-fingered and covered with the dust of cheezies (look it up), bemused as we channel surf during commercial breaks to catch glimpses of the chaos that is the American Presidential Election unfolding to the south of us.
I realize that we as outsiders should hold our opinions to ourselves. But come on… this is no ordinary election! Still, I will refrain from trashing/endorsing either candidate and instead, attempt to rationalize their behavior based on science. Ok, just Trump. I can’t explain Hillary.
As someone who specializes in fatigue management, perhaps I can shed some (blue) light on Trump’s communication style. Let’s look at the facts.
Fact #1. Last November, Trump eloquently bragged about his lack of need for sleep. “You know, I’m not a big sleeper,” he said. “I like three hours, four hours, I toss, I turn, I beep-de-beep, I want to find out what’s going on.”
Now we all like a good beep-de-beep now and again, but this lack of sleep has been an ongoing habit of his for over a decade. In 2004 in his bestselling book, Think Like a Billionaire, he wrote,
“Don’t sleep any more than you have to. I usually sleep about four hours per night.” There’s also been mention of him getting as little 90 minutes! Keep in mind that many groups use sleep deprivation as a form of mental torture.
There are two issues of concern with Trump’s slumber habits. First, he is not getting the essential amount of sleep for the brain and body to fully repair itself. The short term consequences will show up
in real time, such as impaired judgement (“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,“), trouble with complex decision making (“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”), reduced tolerances to stress and increased aggressiveness (“I’d like to punch him in the face”), and lack of memory consolidation (“I never said that”).
The long term consequences are even more devastating, with science now proving the link between restricted sleep and mood disorders, brain inflammation, and several dementias including the onset of Alzheimer’s.
And although research has yet to prove it, I’m sure there’s a connection to his hair.
Fact #2. Second, and by his own admission, he’s a twitter addict and famous for using technology in the middle of the night. All of our backlit devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, e-readers) use blue LED. While any light exposure at night is bad, blue wave length is especially damaging as it prevents the production of melatonin, our body’s natural sleep hormone. It’s what helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. So even if he wanted to get more sleep, it could be possible that he can’t, and now he just believes (erroneously, as most people do) that his body doesn’t actually need more sleep than what it’s allowing him.
Now I can’t say for sure whether or not this is the case with Donald, nor am I suggesting he’s using these devices every night. He may have blue-blocking apps that reduce the blue light effect, or maybe he wears sexy orange tinted glasses to bed while tweeting out his latest gems, but even those controls won’t eliminate the problem completely.
I suppose that we have to acknowledge that he could be one of the approximately 1% that carries a mutation of the DEC2 gene which plays an important role in regulating daily total sleep time requirements. These individuals have been known to function at the same level of most people but with needing only half the sleep to fully recuperate instead of 8 like the rest of us, but only for the short term. The science is quick to point out that there will still likely be long term consequences related to health impacts if this pattern continues over time.
Ok, so maybe he’s a mutant. Again, not saying there’s anything wrong with that unless you’re taller than a skyscraper and eating Manhattanites for breakfast. Just making a point.
In summary, I have attempted to explain why Donald Trump may be exhibiting extreme temperaments, poor memory, and unclear thoughts at times. As for Hilary, a wikileaks document from 2011 reveals that she is regarded by her staff as a “champion napper” and big on caffeine to boost her alertness. If so, the drug test that Trump is insisting on may reveal nothing more than overdose of Starbucks (think Tim Horton’s with twice the flavour but four times the cost). Rumor has it, she can afford it.
This is not a judgement on either one’s political skills or presidential aspirations. Who am I to judge someone else’s country? Remember, I’m Canadian.
I had the pleasure of presenting fatigue management concepts to the Occupational Safety and Health Cooperative Committee at the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando. And yes, that’s my foot in the photo, proving I was there!
A huge shout out to Darcy Miller and Brian Gloade of NASA for inviting me to address such an important group of leaders, and for the once-in-a-lifetime behind the scenes tour. We’ve all witnessed that defining moment when, on the day of a launch, the astronauts exit through that infamous doorway littered with past mission stickers, smiling, waving, before being whisked away and strapped onto massive rockets that go where few, or no one, has gone before them.
To walk the path of the astronauts as they made their way onto a Mercury, Apollo or Space Shuttle flight was humbling. To view the remnants of the Apollo 1 disaster site, and the debris collected from Challenger and Columbia… words simply cannot describe their courage, or the bravery of those who marched forward from the footsteps left behind.
Such legacies continue to drive space exploration forward and human factors is front and center in ensuring the safety of these noble missions. Their Human Systems Integration Division is world leading in the areas of human performance, human computer interaction, and technology design for both in-flight and ground operations. But its the people, the spirit, the camaraderie that is their heart and soul, proudly displayed through such ways as the signature wall of every worker who has helped to launch a space shuttle.
In other news, the Canadian Space Agency is recruiting potential astronauts for two spots in its program. To date, they have received over 3300 applications. If only I was 30 years younger!
Very proud to have this report released! Thank you to all who contributed to our efforts, and a huge thank you to the CSA Group for tackling this issue. We are one step closer to providing all Canadian workplaces, both large and small, with a national standard on how to address fatigue. – Mike
With unprecedented levels of workplace fatigue attributed to modern day work, a national standard could help address the issue and improve workplaces in Canada
(Toronto, November 20, 2019) – Professional burnout is affecting a wide range of jobs, workplaces and industries, and there is no standard definition or management practice in place to address this issue. That’s the key finding from CSA Group’s latest research report Workplace Fatigue: Current Landscape and Future Considerations which was released today and finds that a common definition of workplace fatigue is currently lacking in Canada.
In 2019, for the first time, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as a medical diagnosis. However, without a standard definition of what workplace fatigue means in Canada, it’s difficult to say how pervasive the problem is.
CSA Group’s research finds that while a number of industries in Canada, including aviation, rail, marine, nuclear, oil and gas, healthcare and defense do recognize fatigue as an issue for workers, there is no comprehensive definition of workplace fatigue, what causes it or how it may affect performance.
“Our research has identified that there is certainly an opportunity for standards that address workplace fatigue to make a real and positive difference to workers in this country,” said Mary Cianchetti, President of Standards, CSA Group. “What we’ve found is there is a need to support the management of workplace fatigue in Canada for the health and safety of Canadian workers. CSA Group could help to address this gap with a national standard.”
In some workplaces, the potential consequences of fatigue can be a matter of life and death. Workers in paramedic services face unique health and safety issues on a daily basis such as shift work and extended work days, as well as periods of intense psychological stress or trauma. That’s why the Paramedic Association of Canada is currently working with CSA Group to develop a national standard on fatigue risk management for first responders, in parallel with this new research.
“Paramedics do a job that can be grueling both physically and emotionally, and workplace fatigue is an issue we cannot ignore. We know that the impact of fatigue on first responders can affect neurocognitive performance, which in turn can endanger not only their own personal health and safety, but also the health and safety of their fellow responders and the public they serve,” said Pierre Poirier, Executive Director, Paramedic Association of Canada. “This research identifies that a gap does exist in Canada when it comes to how fatigue is being addressed in the workplace. We are pleased to already be working with CSA Group to develop a standard for fatigue risk management for first responders aimed at reducing exposure to fatigue-related hazards and protecting both paramedics and the people they help every day.”
In 2018, CSA Group introduced a psychological health and safety standard to address the specific needs of paramedic service organizations. The creation of a standard for workplace fatigue could address gaps in the existing legislation to protect the health and livelihood of all Canadian workers, regardless of where they work.
For more information on the Workplace Fatigue: Current Landscape and Future Considerations research report, click here.
One of your top workers is rubbing his eyes, yawning and moving slowly. You know that “John” still has four more hours on shift in a safety-sensitive job. You ask him how he is and he responds: “I’m fine, just a little tired.” What do you do? Do you get him a cup of coffee? Make him take a break? Or do you tell John to just be safe out there? What actual written procedures do you have in place for your supervisors to follow?
Fatigue is not simply a state of feeling tired. Fatigue can be a hazard in and of itself, but what is often overlooked is how fatigue can elevate the risk of other hazards you’ve already identified. To prevent errors and incidents from happening, it takes more than just having a worker show up with eyes open.
While there are a number of personal reasons why a worker may be struggling with fatigue, at some point we have to start looking at the flaws in the system — not just the flaws in the worker.
The science is clear: workplaces need to understand their role in the promotion and mitigation of fatigue. The most important factor in their control comes down to the design of work schedules. There are two components to consider in a schedule design — the time of day that the work is being done (circadian factor) and the length of hours on and off duty (homeostasis factor).
Humans are not nocturnal
Based on our circadian rhythms, humans are a diurnal (day-oriented) species. This means we will always perform better and be more alert and safe when working during daylight hours, and get our best sleep during dark nighttime hours. We are at our worst between midnight and 6 a.m. when we are programmed for sleep, and suffer poor sleep when trying to sleep during daytime hours. There is also a dip in our rhythms in the early afternoon (the siesta period), which can also affect alertness and performance. Most importantly, research has demonstrated that less than three per cent of night workers show any physiological adaptation to night shifts. In other words, we have yet to figure out how to turn our species into nocturnal animals. So, while you may think you’ve adapted, the truth is, you’ve adapted to being in a state of impairment — it’s your new normal.
Night-shift risks
Recognizing that shift workers are at higher risk for fatigue and performance impairment, consider the following:
Do one or more shifts exceed 12 hours in a 24-hour period?
Do any shifts start or finish between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.?
Do changes to a roster, or posting of shift assignments occur with less than two weeks’ notice?
Are complex or critical tasks scheduled during the high-risk zones?
The longer you’ve been awake, the more sleep pressure builds in the brain due to a depressant called adenosine. The result is that after being awake for 14 hours, sleepiness starts to set in. At 17 hours, you are the equivalent of .05 blood alcohol impairment (BAC). At 18 hours, you will be struggling to stay awake. At 20 hours, you are equivalent to .08 BAC, and your cognitive abilities drop by up to 40 per cent. Back to John. If he works a 12-hour shift, considerations would need to include when he woke up, length of his commute and any other factors that might influence how long he’s been awake, in addition to circadian factors.
If John’s on a night shift, that means a minimum of 12 hours off duty before his next shift. Ask yourself:
Do some extended hour shifts exceed 12 hours?
Are more than three consecutive 12-hour night shifts worked?
Is there less than 12 hours undisturbed rest after a 12-hour night shift?
Do employees work more than 60 hours in a seven-day period?
Are there irregular and unplanned schedules as a result of call-outs?
Is overtime unmonitored?
If you have identified flaws in the scheduling system, that doesn’t mean you have to throw it out. It does mean that you need to put a plan in place to mitigate the risk attached to those flaws.
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