Studies carried out at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA have found that many nurses purposely miss out on sleep in order to stay awake and alert during night-shifts. The University's research has found that 25% of nurses adapt to peculiar sleep patterns in order to meet the arduous demands of the night-shift. In addition to this, many nurses feel this is a better, more acceptable strategy than any other. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurobiology at the University, Karen Gamble, was shocked to find nurses main preparation for night-shifts was the 'no sleep' strategy. Gamble elaborated, stating that nurses were “staying awake for the 12 hours before starting the night-shift.” Sleep deprivation of this kind has been linked to circadian misalignment which can often lead to severe health problems, from cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders and sometimes mental health issues. Weight gain is another negative affect inadequate sleep can have, due to the excessive consumption of saturated fats, common in those suffering from insomnia.
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