Night Shift and Weight
Night-shift work disrupts the body clock, and shift workers gain weight more easily — eating at night, less sleep and altered hunger hormones all contribute.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Night-shift work disrupts the body clock, and shift workers gain weight more easily. Eating at night, less sleep and altered hunger hormones all contribute.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Shift work causes circadian misalignment, which is associated with reduced glucose tolerance, altered leptin and ghrelin profiles, increased energy intake and weight gain in longitudinal cohorts. Night workers also face limited healthy-food access and social eating at atypical hours. Management focuses on meal timing relative to the shift, prioritising sleep and structured food choices — acknowledging that “eating at normal hours” is not an option for a night worker.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Telling a nurse on night shift to “just eat normally” fails because her biology is working against the clock. Realistic plans — meals anchored to her shift, protected sleep, pre-prepared food — work where generic advice doesn't.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
