Night shifts are not only a night problem

Nurses, firefighters, pilots, factory workers. Millions of people work while the rest of us sleep, and all of us depend on them.

Shift work is linked with a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. The disruption does not end with the shift. It spills into days off, family meals and sleep.

With firefighters in San Diego, we tested whether a consistent eating window could help. The aim is not to ask people to leave essential jobs. It is to give them tools that protect their health while they do them.