We're ticking, slowly, into a 24-hour culture. From restaurants that will serve you brownies at 3am to getting that novel you fancied the same day as you ordered it (hello, Amazon Prime), getting what you want – right now – has never been easier. But how is this all made possible? A growing army of the evening and night shift workers. From paramedics to doctors to news journalists, some of us have zero say in this way of working. But getting a handle on your body's mechanisms is always an empowering move. Here's how working shifts impacts your health.

Early Morning Shift

If you start your work in the wee hours of the day, you typically wake up outside your natural circadian rhythm. This results in sleep that isn’t refreshing and more difficult to wake up from. Limiting sleep can lead to decreased resting metabolic rates and increased blood glucose concentrations, which set the stage for diabetes and other diseases. Sleeping too little could also increase the likelihood of becoming obese concluded a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Afternoon Shift

Afternoon shift allows you to manage your sleep patterns better so you often feel better on this schedule than on a night shift. The main downside to the second shift is that it requires work during the "prime-time" evening hours when the family is available. This can cause stress and tension in your personal relationships and stress is often a precursor of bad habits like smoking and even drinking. E-Cigarettes No Safer Alternative Than Traditional Smoking says Study. 

Evening Shift

Working evening shifts seem to have many negative effects. Various studies have shown that evening shift workers are more likely to have a high body mass index (BMI). And it may not be doing too well for your mental health too. A study published in the International Journal on Disability and Human Development found that working evening shifts increase the risk of developing or aggravating mood disorders at least in vulnerable individuals. Here are 5 Shocking Facts About Depression and Suicides in Men. 

Night Shift

According to National Sleep Foundation, working night shifts regularly can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, where you will never be able to catch up on the sleep you need. The lack of sleep can result in difficulty concentrating, which can heighten the risk of injury.  In fact, errors typically occur during night hours. Another study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine concluded that those working night shifts also had a greater risk of developing diabetes. Include These 5 Foods in Your Diet To Lower Blood Sugar.

Rotating Shift

An earlier study in the journal PLoS Medicine showed that rotating shift workers had a higher Type 2 diabetes risk, likely because of shift work's impact on insulin activity. Another study published in the British Medical Journal also concluded that working rotating shifts could make you more likely to have a heart attack.

If finding a job with normal working hours is not an option, you can minimise the risks of working when you should be sleeping by eating right, exercising daily and getting at least eight to nine hours of shut-eye. If you are working night shifts, you may often find it very difficult to eat right and nutritious food is rarely available. So when you are on the job, carry healthy snacks grapes and other purple produce, nuts, and dark chocolate.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2019 11:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).