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When women work in shifts, they often find it difficult to fall asleep in the daytime. This trend is getting to be common amongst the present generation of Indian women. Our body is conditioned to turning itself off during the dark hours. But this shifting of sleeping hours also has a more profound effect.

Working shifts could also cause irregular menstrual cycles. Changes in exposure to light, and lack of sleep may affect the hormones and cause an imbalance.

This may lead to difficulty in getting pregnant and even a higher rate of miscarriages. Premature births and low birth weight babies are also more common among women who regularly work shifts than women working regular hours.

Women, who have problems sleeping, desperately need to de-stress. Regular exercise and well-balanced meals help significantly.

A lot of working women are also prone to tension headaches and chronic fatigue. This may make it harder to fall asleep or may cause them to awaken very early in the morning. Relaxation techniques and cognitive therapy play a vital role in dealing with this problem.

Women working in shifts may also feel very sleepy at times when they expect to be awake. This may be due to a desperate need for a better quality of sleep. If ignored, it could lead to a persistent neurological disorder called Narcolepsy. You may suddenly lose muscle tone and strength.

Very often food with high levels of caffeine and sugar in them tend to keep you awake. Doctors recommend avoiding coffee, tea and alcohol at bedtime.

A lot of sleep related problems could be overcome by changing your lifestyle. If problems still persist, you may need professional help.