Staying healthy while working the night shift

Maintaining a healthy sleep routine and working the night shift can be challenging. If your workplace requires you to work the night shift, the following tips may help you:  

  • Increase your total amount of sleep by adding naps when able and lengthening the amount of time you allot for sleep 

  • Use bright lights at your workstations 

  • Minimize your shift changes so that your body’s biological clock can adjust to a night-time work schedule 

  • Get rid of sound and light distractions in your bedroom during your daytime sleep 

  • Use caffeine only during the first part of your shift to promote alertness at night 

Relaxation techniques 

Being able to wind down is just as important as waking up and getting going. Give yourself enough time to relax and get rid of work-time stresses. Find out what is best for you personally to help you relax; it could be sitting down and closing your eyes for a while, or it can even be meditating, reading, taking a bath or watching TV.  

A simple exercise that you can try to start your quiet relaxation time is lying on the carpet or bed or sitting in an easy chair. Slowly tense each muscle group in your body, then gradually let the muscles relax. Do this for your arms, legs, stomach, neck and face muscles. Breathe deeply during this exercise and let go slowly. Try to feel all the muscle tension draining away from your body; simply let go of all the day’s stresses, which can help you slow down.  

Protecting sleep 

Take responsibility for getting enough sleep to feel rested and restored. For some people, this may happen without doing anything special. However, most late-night shift workers need to be aware of how to get satisfying sleep. Below are some tips that you can utilize to get the rest you need for a late night: 

  • Block out noise: Using earplugs can effectively block out noises disturbing your sleep. Another way is to take control of the activities happening inside your home. Switch off your phone and disconnect the home’s doorbell during your sleeping hours. Ask your family and friends to cooperate with your sleep schedule by requesting them to use headphones for any music and TV and set up strict time schedules for noisy activities such as vacuuming, clothes washing and children playing around the house. It may also be helpful to consider your sleeping quarters. If possible, sleep in a bedroom in the quietest place in your home, away from the kitchen and bathroom. Soundproof your bedroom with insulation and use heavy blackout curtains.   

  • Keep a sleep routine: Follow a regular routine every time you go to bed. For example, take a shower and brush your teeth before turning in. These steps can signal to your body that it is time to sleep. Do not read, eat, watch TV or argue with your spouse while in bed. Doing so will get your body used to feeling comfortable and relaxed whenever you lay in bed, ready for sleep.  

  • Avoid heavy foods and alcohol before sleep: Heavy, greasy foods are not suitable before bedtime. If you must eat, a light snack won’t disturb your sleep. Alcohol might make you sleepy, but it will wake you up too quickly after falling asleep. Do not drink alcohol for an hour or two before sleep.  

Exercise and diet 

Keeping physically fit helps resist stress and illness. Regular exercise also keeps a person from becoming tired too quickly. A big question for night shift workers is when to exercise and what the proper diet should be. 

  • The timing of exercise is essential so that it does not make a person too tired to work. Exercise also should not interfere with your sleep. If a worker does physical labor, too much activity before work might make work too tiring.  

  • Twenty minutes of aerobic exercise before work, such as a brisk walk, bike ride, jog or swim, can help you wake up, get going and keep your heart in shape. Try to avoid exercise in the three hours before sleep. Exercise tends to activate the body or wake it up, which might make it difficult to fall asleep.  

  • Stick to a diet that can help you stay physically fit. Avoid fatty and sugary foods, which can make a person gain too much weight. Heavy meals should be avoided, especially in the middle of the night, since these types of meals are the most difficult to digest. Eating lighter meals in the middle of the night can help reduce stomach upsets.