Shift work sleeping disorder is a circadian rhythm disorder that causes sleep deprivation as a result of doing shift work. It's not uncommon for people to experience sleep problems when they work work irregular, long, or night shifts - when this happens, it is called shift work sleep disorder.
Many people have felt that scary feeling of drifting slightly off to sleep while driving, only to perk up with a start. Or that scary feeling of hearing though warning on the side rumbling your tires. Especially for shift workers, sleeping at the wheel is one of the main causes of death.
Shift work sleeping disorder is a circadian rhythm disorder that causes sleep deprivation as a result of doing shift work. Not everyone who works outside of the typical M-F, 9-5 shift develops this disorder, but sleep problems among people who work irregular, long, or night shifts are prone enough to developing sleep problems that there is a disorder named for it.
Do you work hours outside of the “typical” 8-5 business day? Do you work days on and then days off? If so, then you are like millions of Americans who are considered shift workers. Especially in Alaska, the summer season often means a large influx of shift work.
Someone who is a shift worker doesn't work typical hours and days. This means either working non-typical hours (8ish-5ish), working rotation work (changing shifts), or working many days on followed by many days off. Especially in Alaska, summer time means a large number of seasonal shift work jobs.