Night shift workers die younger than people whose shift rotates die younger than people who work a day shift.
And one way people acclimate to different sleep schedules is by forgetting what not feeling like shit feels like. People do not acclimate to commuting, they forget what not feeling terrible all the time feels like.
Well, I think there are more factors to earlier dying night shift workers than just their sleep cycle. To name a few:
- less sunlight (vitamin D)
- lower payment
- lower education
Those might all affect the life expectancy and if night shift workers die earlier than those with rotating shifts, it is obviously a sign that not the change is the main factor for the lower life expectancy.
From my own experience I can tell you, that I neither forgot what feeling like shit feels nor was I forced to change my sleep cycles by some exterior factors. I agree to some extend with your examples, but I don't think those are the only options to acclimate to different sleep schedules.
And one way people acclimate to different sleep schedules is by forgetting what not feeling like shit feels like. People do not acclimate to commuting, they forget what not feeling terrible all the time feels like.