6 Ways You Can Improve Sleep (for the night shift worker)
Roughly 16% of American workers work evening or night shifts and find themselves staying up at night and sleeping during the day. If you are one of these individuals, you know just how much of a toll this can take on your sleeping habits and your overall health.
One of the effects of working night shifts is excessive sleep loss and insomnia, also known as shift work disorder.
This disordered sleeping can lead to many problems like mood disorders, difficulty focusing at work, and health conditions like cardiovascular and gastrointestinal issues.
One recent study stated that “night shift workers may be at an increased physiological risk of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)” at least partially based on disruptions to the circadian rhythm.
Getting an adequate amount of sleep each day is vital to not only your immune system but ever aspect of your well-being. If you have shift work disorder or you find yourself having trouble getting enough sleep on a consistent basis, you may need to make changes to your sleeping habits and after-work routine.
Here are five strategies you can use to get a better sleep today:
1. Stick to a set sleep schedule
If you are struggling to sleep after your shifts, try establishing and adhering to a specific sleep schedule. Humans are creatures of habit. If you create a regular bedtime routine to follow each and every day, and then you get in bed and try to fall asleep at the same time each night, you will eventually train your body to fall asleep on a specific schedule.
For instance, if every time you get home from a shift, you drink a glass of water, put on pajamas, and brush your teeth right before heading to bed, you will start to associate these activities with going to sleep. If you start your bedtime routine at the same time every day, you will quickly notice that you will begin to feel tired and ready for bed at this time day after day.
Creating a specific schedule and bedtime routine will help you to feel sleepy at the appropriate time so that you aren’t facing insomnia when you’re trying to sleep during the day.
2. Sleep in the darkest possible room
Has the sunlight peeking through your blinds ever roused you awake after only a couple of short hours of sleep? Do you find it difficult to fall asleep at all after work because there is light creeping in your room?
Installing blackout curtains can immediately fix this issue and improve your sleep right away.
The reason why sunlight keeps you up is because it affects your circadian rhythm: your internal clock that lets the body know when it is time to wake up and when it is time to rest. When you are exposed to light, natural or artificial, it signals to your brain and your body that it is time for you to be awake. ‘
On the other hand, when it’s dark, your body will stay tired because it will feel like it is night-time. By using blackout curtains, you can create an artificial night for yourself and prevent sunlight from entering your room and keeping you awake.
3. Don’t drink caffeine during the last 5 hours of your shift
Sometimes you are going to have to drink caffeine in order to stay awake during your shift. While caffeine will help you stay up at work, it will also make sure you are still awake long after you get home if you don’t give it enough time to metabolize.
With a half-life of approximately four hours (plus almost another hour to completely digest, it can take a long time for caffeine to leave your body. If you need to drink caffeinated beverages in order to make it through your shift, try to make sure you finish your last one at least five hours before the end of your shift so it can leave your system before you try to go to bed.
Everyone experiences different effects from caffeine. What’s most important is to know your body and how it affects you.
4. Go straight to bed after work
When your shift ends, you might be tempted to pop in the grocery store to pick up a couple of things or to swing through a drive-through. Don’t do this! The more time you spend doing activities and exposing yourself to bright lights, the harder it will be for you to fall asleep when you get home.
In addition to skipping out on errands and food stops, you also want to avoid doing anything around the house before you jump in the bed. Seemingly small actions like loading the dishwasher or checking your email can cost you hours of sleep.
Keep yourself from tossing and turning restlessly by going straight to bed as soon as your shift is over.
5. Set firm boundaries
When people have never had to work evening or night shifts, it can be hard for them to understand just how difficult it is to get quality sleep during the day. Chances are you have a friend or a family member who disrupts your sleep every once in a while, making it nearly impossible for you to fall asleep again.
Don’t be afraid to set firm boundaries with anyone that you live with so that you are able to get the sleep you need. Make sure everyone in your household is aware of your night shift sleep schedule and when you will be sleeping each day so that they can avoid noisy activities while you are home. Make it clear that unless there is an emergency, you would not like to be disturbed.
When the people you live with know and respect your boundaries, it will allow you to get a better day’s rest.
6. Wear sunglasses on your drive home
It might seem silly, but putting on a pair of shades after your shift can help you fall asleep much faster. Wearing dark sunglasses will minimize your exposure to bright lights on your commute home, preventing disturbances to your circadian rhythm.
According to research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, even minimal exposure to bright or artificial light for short periods of time can be enough to influence your circadian rhythm, making your body feel like it is not time for you to sleep by the time you make it home.
Putting on a pair of sunglasses can be enough to block this external light and allow you to drift off quickly when you get in your bed.
The quality of your sleep is important! Make getting a good day’s rest a priority and prevent your night shift schedule from impacting your health by keeping these 6 tips in mind.
Night Shift Nutrition is a community focused on living your best life, while working nights. We do this by sharing our experiences and science based educations. The point is to not only survive working nights but to thrive! If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of you can apply to join our facebook group or subscribe to our email list.
