Working nine-to-five is good for you.
Working nine-to-five shifts have health benefits
A new study suggests that working traditional shifts in early life is connected to better health when a person gets older.
Experts analysed data on over 7,000 people and found that those with a volatile schedule slept less, had poorer sleep quality and were more likely to be depressed once they reached the age of 50.
Erratic shift patterns are associated with physical fatigue and emotional exhaustion, making people vulnerable to an unhealthy life.
Professor Wen-Jui Han, lead author of the study at New York University, said: "About three-quarters of the work patterns we observed did not strictly conform to working stably during daytime hours throughout our working years.
"This has repercussions. People with work patterns involving any degree of volatility and variability were more likely to have fewer hours of sleep per day, lower sleep quality, lower physical and mental functions, and a higher likelihood of reporting poor health and depressive symptoms at age 50 than those with stable work schedules.
"Volatile work patterns might be a chronic stressor in our life."