Do night shifts burn more calories?

kendeci
kendeci Posts: 10
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
This is puzzling me although I'm sure its been covered somewhere before I just cant find it.

I work a lot of night shifts as a midwife in a busy unit and wondered if I actually burn more calories than my BMR simply by being awake longer.

My typical first night shift day starts at getting up at 07.30 to take little one to school, I then clean and prepare meals and general housework stuff until 13.00 when I go to bed for 2 hours, I'm up at 15.00 to pick little one up from school, general stuff until 18.00 then off to work I go until 07.45 the following morning. Therefore in 24 hours I have 2 hours sleep so wonder if I am actually burning more calories by being active?

For my next 2 nights/days I normally get around 5 hours sleep in before getting back up to work 12.5 hour shifts.

What do you think folks?

Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I can't tell you the scientific evidence for or against it...but I can tell you in my personal experience it has not been the case. I used to work first shift, and that's when I got down to 126 pounds. When I started working night shift 3 years ago, the pounds came back and I have been finding it more difficult to lose it simply because I want to sleep when I used to workout. I've had to change my whole daily routine, get used to omelets in the afternoon and grilled turkey in the morning.
  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
    I don't beileve so... as a matter of fact I just read a study (can't find it now... but I will) that people who sleep 8 hours a 'night' actually have a healthier BMI. Unless you are one of those people that have their internal clocks set for nights you more than likely don't get 8 hours a day at one stretch. I never did and now after years I can't sleep more than 4 hours at one time and had a rough time losing or even maintaining... it just kept creeping up. I've learned there were other factors at play but I'm sure it didn't help.

    Found one of the abstracts: http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/abs/oby2008298a.html
  • kiss1995
    kiss1995 Posts: 4
    I, too, think it packs on the pounds. Unfortunately, lack of sleep does add pounds. :/
  • upsydaisy2011
    upsydaisy2011 Posts: 39 Member
    I do different shifts but always find I lose weight when I'm on nights. I'm guessing because I miss out lunchtime meal as I'm sleeping off my night shift. I do 4 nights in a row and often drop 2-3lbs but it evens back out again when I'm back on day time shifts.
  • ktdid626
    ktdid626 Posts: 185 Member
    Eat small meals. Healthy snacks. When I worked nights as a nurses aide (now RN), I lost weight. I think going straight to bed at 0800 and not eating late helped me out a bunch.
  • Uerzer
    Uerzer Posts: 273
    less sleeping -> more activity -> more calories burned

    still, sleep deprivation increases mortality : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20469800
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    For me, I tend to eat less and def. less junk food on night shift. Not sure if you are burning more cals, or just eating fewer cals.
  • kendeci
    kendeci Posts: 10
    Interesting points for both sides. I *think* I tend to retain water when on nights and always seem a little heavier but manage to "wee" it off in 24 hours post nights. I'm doing splits this week so worked last night - back Thurs Fri night then Sunday long day shift. It just seemed to make sense that longer awake time meant greater basic non-activity based calorie burning .

    Well I'll see in a few days - I weigh exactly the same this morning as I did when I left for work last night,
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