Shift worker? Scientists say your role can impair brain function

Shift work is tough in anyone's language.

For anyone who works irregular hours, that feeling you're out of step with the rest of the world is all too palpable at times.

But, unfortunately, the downsides to shift work don't stop there.

According to a study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University, working shifts can result in cognitive impairment meaning that shift workers find it more difficult to retain information, concentrate and make decisions.

Commenting on the findings of their reseach, Dr Christian Benedict said: "Our results indicate that shift work is linked to poorer performance on a test that is frequently used to screen for cognitive impairment in humans."

But if you think opting out of shift work will immediately restore cognitive function to its former glory, this is, unfortunately, not the case.

"The poorer performance was only observed in current shift workers and those who worked shifts during the past five year.In contrast, no difference was observed between non-shift workers and those who had quit shift work more than five years ago."

"The latter could suggest that it may take at least five years for previous shift workers to recover brain functions that are relevant to the performance on this test," he added.

How uplifting…