What are the effects of working or studying at night on the body?

What effect does working or studying at night have on the body: A silent decay

When the depths of night descend around us, many people sit at their desks—some preparing for exams, some trying to meet job deadlines, and some living their lives in solitude, making the night their companion. Sometimes working at night becomes necessary, and sometimes it can even be beneficial. But if this night waking becomes a routine, it poses some dangers to the body and mind that people do not immediately realize. It is a silent decay that slowly eats away at us from within.

We have a natural clock inside our bodies, called the circadian rhythm. This clock determines when we will fall asleep, when our body will feel tired or restless. Daylight and darkness of night—these two elements affect this body clock. Day means work time, night means rest time—this rhythm is what our body needs. But when you wake up at night, this rhythm is broken, and that's where the trouble begins.

The first thing you notice is the deterioration in the quality of your sleep. If you sleep late or sleep less, your body cannot reach sufficient REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and Deep Sleep levels. These two levels rest the brain, help form memories, and maintain mental stability. As a result, waking up regularly at night weakens your memory, reduces your focus, and makes it difficult to learn. In the case of students, this directly harms their studies.

The second major impact is on mental health. If you get less or irregular sleep, the part of the brain called the 'amygdala' becomes overactive. This is the center of our brain's fear or panic. As a result, people become more anxious, angry, and irritable due to sleep deprivation. The risk of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. also increases. A study has shown that the rate of depression is more than double among those who wake up regularly at night.

Third, waking up at night disrupts the body's metabolism. When the circadian rhythm is disrupted, the secretion of hormones is not done on time. In particular, the balance of hunger and satiety hormones called insulin, cortisol, and ghrelin-leptin is disrupted. As a result, people who stay up at night eat more, especially high-calorie and sweet foods. This leads to weight gain, obesity, and gradually increases the risk of type-2 diabetes and liver disorders.

Another obvious result of working at night is a decrease in immunity. When the body sleeps, the immune system actively repairs the body's cells. But if this sleep is not sufficient, then that repair does not take place. As a result, people who regularly stay up at night are easily affected by colds, coughs, fevers, or infections. In the long term, it even increases the risk of cancer—especially breast cancer or prostate cancer.

The strain of staying up at night on the eyes is most noticeable. Lack of sleep can cause red eyes, tired eyes, dry eyes, and blurred vision. In the long run, it can cause dry eye syndrome, dark circles under the eyes, and even corneal damage.

Not only the body, but also social relationships are affected. Those who stay up late at night often cannot do their day's work properly. It is difficult to complete school, office, or family responsibilities on time. As a result, tension is created in the family or workplace. Many times, this lifestyle pushes them towards loneliness or social isolation, which is also harmful mentally.

However, it should be remembered that not all nights are the same. Some are forced to work night shifts for professional reasons—such as doctors, security guards, call center workers, etc. It is not possible for them to maintain a regular lifestyle. However, there are things they can do—such as going to bed at the same time every day, keeping the room dark before going to bed, and avoiding daylight so that the body does not mistakenly think it is 'day' when they wake up.

If a normal person wakes up at night occasionally, that is not a problem. The problem starts when it becomes a habit. Our body is not a robot, it has its own rhythm, its own needs. If we repeatedly clash with that rhythm, the body rebels at some point. That rebellion comes in the form of various illnesses.

Therefore, as a conscious person, we should give utmost importance to night sleep. Sleep should never be considered a waste of time, but rather an investment in the future.