Working nights could lead to memory loss in middle aged and older adults as those working late have 79% higher rates of cognitive impairment, study finds
- Authors said disruption of the circadian rhythm — our body clock — may be to blame
One study found that working night shifts can impair memory in middle-aged and older adults by up to 79 percent.
Previous research has shown that shift work – meaning any work schedule that takes place outside of the traditional 9am to 5pm working hours – has significant health implications.
A team analyzed data on 47,811 adults, including information on employment, work schedules and results of cognitive function tests. One in five participants reported having been exposed to some form of shift work during their career.
Those who worked night shifts in their current job had 79 percent more cognitive impairment than those who only worked daytime shifts. And those who worked night shifts during their longest job had 53 percent higher rates.
The authors say disruption of the circadian rhythm – our body clock – could be the cause.
The authors say disruption of the circadian rhythm – our body clock – may be responsible for the increased rate of cognitive impairment (Stock Image)
Previous research has found that shift work — which refers to any work schedule that takes place outside of the traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work hours — has significant health effects (Stock Image)
In the journal Plos One, the team from York University in Canada wrote: ‘The findings suggest a possible link between shift work exposure and cognitive impairment. We speculate that disruptive circadian stimuli may play a role in neurodegeneration that contributes to cognitive impairment.’
Russell Foster, a professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, said the conclusion that night work increases the risk of cognitive impairment was important.
He added: “Such findings are consistent with both laboratory and field studies — for example, in long-haul airline pilots — that disruption of sleep and circadian rhythm is associated with poorer health outcomes, including impaired emotional and cognitive responses.”
Previous research found that night work was also “significantly associated” with an irregular and rapid heartbeat.
The study of 283,000 people in Britain suggested that women and those who weren’t as physically active may be at the highest risk of atrial fibrillation. Night work was also associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of night shift workers in Britain has fallen in recent years, from 9.5 million in 2016 to 8.7 million in 2022. The data showed that last year 15 per cent of night workers did. so from home.