Many parts of Australia are expecting temperatures consistently approaching or above 40 C (105 F) this week. Some areas will top 45 C (113 F).

It’s hard enough trying to get our day to day activities done in these conditions, but imagine for a moment if you were trying to sleep through them overnight.

For many shift workers this is a reality. Nurses, doctors, police, security guards and many other professions who will struggle with trying to sleep through their ’nights’ of swealtering heat.

Some of course will have air conditioning, making it easier. But many do not.

For them, broken or lack of sleep can have a significant impact on their performance and decision-making abilities. Not to mention their mood. And for essential services such as doctors, nurses, police etc that are required to make many critical clear-headed decisions whilst the rest of us are sleeping…this is a real problem.

So. Shout out to the shift workers. May you sleep well despite the heat this week.