![]() Next, establish a routine that helps support your sleep. This can start with creating an environment that’s conducive to a restful night’s sleep with items such as blackout blinds, ear plugs, comfortable sheets and blankets. In order to prioritize sleep, you need to find the right techniques to ensure you maximize sleep when you get it. Sleep deprivation is proven to have serious implications for your health and well-being, both in the short and long term. Keep focused on the reasons why you need to stick to your schedule and the importance of rest. That said, the night shift worker’s challenge is that when they’re trying to sleep, their friends and family are arranging social gatherings that can be hard to turn down. ![]() Sleep is your body and mind’s natural way of repairing itself. Ideally, aim to drink 12-16 cups of water per day to ensure nutrients are delivered to cells, your organs are kept functional, and your body temperature is maintained. Try and stick to water rather than the high-sugar sodas, so that your body stays regulated as well as possible. Stay hydratedĮating healthily goes hand in hand with keeping your hydration levels up. For your shift, pack healthy snacks, such as high-protein energy bars, rather than sugary treats that will give you a spike in energy followed by a slump. Include plenty of protein, as well as green leafy vegetables. To stay healthy, prepare your meals in advance to make sure you’re eating a solid three meals during your wake hours. It stands to reason that this may be why night shift work has been correlated with increased metabolic issues, such as diabetes and heart disease. Many shift workers fall into the understandable trap of snacking to stay awake or grabbing fast food – meals that are readily available at all hours. While it’s not always easy to determine your shift pattern, make sure you use your last day off to stay up as late as possible to get ready for your first night shift. Rotating shifts can be extremely difficult to adjust to, and may lead to constant tiredness as your body plays catch-up with the changing pattern. Where possible, it’s worth trying to cluster your shifts so that your body gets used to your schedule. Top tips for working night shift and staying healthy 1. That said, if the right steps are taken, there’s no reason why night shift workers cannot live healthily and happily in their schedules. While there are many benefits of working night shift, this disruption can be difficult to overcome.Īs such, it’s crucial that night shift workers take extra steps to manage their health and avoid issues that are linked to night workers, such as diabetes, heart disease, weight gain and even mental health issues. By contrast, night shifts go against the biological grain, and can disrupt the body’s pattern. Most people work during the day when we’re naturally prepped for activity. This natural schedule helps us to map out our day and night and determines how our digestive system, body temperature, and heart rates are regulated. The human body is governed by an in-built circadian rhythm that tells us when to be active and when to rest. Why it’s important to stay healthy on a night shift Let’s take a deep dive into how to work night shift and stay healthy at the same time with our top tips for working night shift. For all the benefits of working night shift, it can be tricky to establish a routine that allows you to get sufficient sleep, nutrition, and exercise. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.01.If you’re one of America’s 15 million night shift workers, you may face the well-known challenge of creating and maintaining a healthy routine. Aligning work and circadian time in shift workers improves sleep and reduces circadian disruption. Vetter C, Fischer D, Matera JL, Roenneberg T. Napping on the night shift: a two-hospital implementation project. The effectiveness of bright light exposure in shift-worker nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. How to sleep well despite changes in your schedule.Īemmi SZ, Mohammadi E, Heidarian-Miri H, Fereidooni-Moghadam M, Boostani H, Zarea K. High risk of near-crash driving events following night-shift work. Eating on the night shift: A need for evidence‐based dietary guidelines?. doi:10.1007/s4067-6ĭ’Annibale M, Hornzee N, Whelan M, Guess N, Hall W, Gibson R. Shift work: disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep-implications for health and well-being. James SM, Honn KA, Gaddameedhi S, Van Dongen HPA.
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