Night shifts may damage our health by not allowing our body to repair its DNA, new research suggests. Night shift work has been associated with a variety of adverse health effects. New research adds to these, suggesting that the body's ability to repair DNA damage may be inhibited by night shifts. Working at night has been associated with a wide range of negative health effects, including cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, and breast cancer . Additionally, some studies have indicated that night shifts may increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Now, new research examines how night shifts influence the body's ability to repair its DNA. The first author of the study is Dr. Parveen Bhatti, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. The findings were published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine . Building on previous research In a previous study, Dr. Bhat