Welcome to Focus on Fatigue,
Two months into 2014, it’s probably a good time to stand back and take a look at how we are all going with our New Year Resolutions.
If you’re like me, greater attention to exercise is high on the ‘to-do’ list for 2014. For many it may be reducing the dependence on caffeine, or finally giving cigarettes the flick.
In this topical “Lifestyle” mini-edition of Focus on Fatigue we thought we’d share some of the extra ‘In the News’ articles that have come across our desk about things we can do to help us feel better in the morning, and safer at work, through a better nights sleep.
It is our hope that the articles shared in the “In the News” section are not only of interest individually to you our readership, but can also be of assistance as useful resources for Health and Safety Managers preparing corporate fatigue management communications for the workforce. Researchers and scientists may always find various points that may seem to tell a slightly different story, with further research suggested. For us however, the important thing is to see how research can be incorporated into the practical operationisation of that knowledge, to make our organisations and the individuals who work for us safer.
How am I going with my daily exercise New Years Resolution you ask? Well, with the performance sharing feature on the running app on my phone still set to the off position, the words of a former New South Wales Premier seem to aptly sum it up for now: “We’ve come a long way, but there’s still more to do”.
Work Safely.
Peter Mushenko
Senior Fatigue Risk Consultant
InterDynamics Pty Ltd
320 Adelaide Street Brisbane Qld 4000
Tel +61 2 8404 0400 Ext 23
www.interdynamics.com
Views expressed in articles and links provided are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of InterDynamics (except where directly attributed).
In the News
Provided below are a selection of articles from around the web on the issues associated with fatigue. We hope you find them useful and interesting.
Tips and suggestions for getting better sleep
Can’t sleep at night? Kicking the butt may help
The University of Florida and Research Triangle Park researchers found that 11.9% of current smokers have trouble falling asleep, 10.6% wake in the night and 9.5% wake too early in the morning.
The figures for non-smokers were much lower and significantly the study found that those who had given up smoking saw improvements in their sleep.
Interestingly, total decreased sleep time (in minutes) per cigarette smoked was also calculated.
Smoking ruins productive sleep, leading to cognitive dysfunction, mood disorders, depression and anxiety
New research published in the January 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that smoking disrupts the circadian clock function in both the lungs and the brain.
National Sleep Foundation poll finds exercise key to good sleep
Many of us may have guessed, or experienced personally that exercise can affect your sleep. The results of the National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep in America® poll show a compelling association between exercise and better sleep. “Exercise is great for sleep. For the millions of people who want better sleep, exercise may help,” says David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
Key findings include:
- Exercisers say they sleep better
- Vigorous exercisers report the best sleep
- Non-exercisers are the sleepiest and have the highest risk for sleep apnea
- Less time sitting is associated with better sleep and health
- Exercise at any time of day appears to be good for sleep
Low intensity exercise helps in reducing fatigue: Study
There is no need to feel dis-heartened if you find it difficult to get out and get into exercise in a big way. Indulging in low intensity exercise for just a few minutes a day can prove to be beneficial in fighting off fatigue and increasing energy levels, a study purports.
How exercise can help us sleep better
What a study published in The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found, is that the influence of daily exercise on sleep habits is more convoluted than many of us might expect and that, in the short term, sleep might have more of an impact on exercise than exercise has on sleep.
Caffeine may harm sleep 6 hours before bedtime
Is caffeine cheating you of sleep? Taking caffeine even six hours before bedtime could reduce sleep by more than one hour, an effect that’s underestimated by the general public and doctors, researchers say.