Sleep Secrets for Shiftworkers & People with Off-beat Schedules [Paperback]

David Morgan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1570251185 | ISBN-13: 978-1570251184 | Publication Date: April 1996 | Edition: 1

Twenty-five million people in the United States work shifts, and half of them report sleep problems. Sleep Secrets for Shift Workers & People with Off-Beat Schedules-the first book to address the unique problems shift workers face-helps people improve the quality of their sleep so they can lead happier, healthier, more productive lives. This book's seven steps to sleep management will help you recognize the mental and physical dangers of sleep problems; identify sleep problems and determine if they require a doctor's attention; banish some of the worst enemies of sleep: worry, fear, and regret; and conquer problems unique to evening, night, and irregular shift work by learning how to reprogram your body's clock.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In a self-help book designed to prevent (not produce) yawns, Canadian freelance writer Morgan offers sensible sleep advice for insomniacs and shift workers. His offbeat occupational background--RAF radar operator, deckhand on a Swedish freighter, and Canadian mine geologist--gives him a personal stake in an often ignored health problem. His seven-step approach starts with recognition and analysis of an individual's sleep problems; considers physical factors, drugs, and psychological "sleep wreckers" ; maps the sleep consequences of various shift-work systems; and discusses napping as "an essential survival skill." Particularly useful are Morgan's emphasis on the interaction of sleep needs, work schedules, and family life, and the "Forty sleep problems and solutions" summary that ends this informative volume. Mary Carroll

About the Author

David Morgan, who has worked odd, often grueling hours at radar installations, on ships, and in mines, understands the special psychological, social, and physical problems associated with working a rotating schedule. He draws from his own experiences and from current sleep and shift-work research.

Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: Whole Person Associates; 1 edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570251185
• ISBN-13: 978-1570251184
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #832,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A SLEEP SUITE RECOMMENDATION, February 19, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleep Secrets for Shiftworkers & People with Off-beat Schedules (Paperback)

I recommend this book to all my sleep-deprived customers. The author's great advantage is that he has been there and done that. The book not only contains general information on sleep, sleeping pills and health but also insider tips on creating the ideal bedroom and maintaining family life. A practical, easy-to-read guide.

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly solid with some weird bits., January 22, 2010

By 

K. Frushour (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sleep Secrets for Shiftworkers & People with Off-beat Schedules (Paperback)

I've worked 11pm-7am for nine years, and can say this is a solid book on the effects of working night shift, but has some downright wacky issues.

The book talks about the dangers of being sleepy while you drive, and the importance of keeping your social and family lives intact - not to sacrifice them to your shift job. These are all very important issues to shift workers issues. The one omission that really bugged me was the difficulty in getting medical appointments when you work those shifts.

Now the odd stuff:

The book offers a form you can hand out to your neighbors expalining the hours you sleep and asking them to be quiet then. This seems tacky beyond tacky. The book NEVER brings up to possibility of wearing ear plugs while you sleep.

The book talks of the dangers of sleeping pills but only talks about perscription sleeping pills. There are over the counter sleeping pills that use diphenhydramine (such as Sominex and its store brand equivalents) which are non-addictive.

4.0 out of 5 stars Get off nights Linda, September 19, 2008

By 

Darren Grundy (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleep Secrets for Shiftworkers & People with Off-beat Schedules (Paperback)

The title of this review refers to my constant nagging at a work colleague who remains dear to me, yet is slowly dying on night shift. If this book isn't enough insight into the negative effects of this kind of work, then do some more research. The book itself is excellent in that it gives you the tools to manage that which is essentially a habit akin to smoking. If you can't stop then it may kill you - make no mistake. At best it will just take some years off your life.

In any case an excellent book, but my advice is to get off nights and buy it for someone who can't.