Everyone knows that shift work is tough, but until now no one knew just how tough.
Recent research shows that 10 years of shift work can age your brain by an extra 6.5 years and with an estimated one in five people in Europe doing shift work, this could spell trouble for a lot of people.
The study from the Université de Toulouse and Swansea University, assessed 3,232 adults in south-west France on a variety of cognitive tests and compared the results of those who had never done shift work with those who had done more than 50 days in a year.
There was a clear link between shift work and a reduction in the ability to remember and think clearly. It also concluded that it took five years to recover that level of function after stopping shift work.
Not surprisingly, the shifts suspected of causing most harm include nights, getting up before 5am, not being able to go to bed before midnight and rotating patterns.
The chief reason behind these results is the disruption of circadian rhythms and physiological stress.
In a review of the evidence, the Institute for Work and Health in Canada found that shift workers are also more likely to injure themselves at work and to have mental health and gastrointestinal problems. Shift workers are also more likely to smoke, drink heavily and feel exhausted.
