sleep tips for Night Shift Workers

How Do You Sleep Right After Night Shift? – 8 Tips for Workers

Check out the most useful and doable sleep tips for night-shift workers in today’s blog.

Well, there’s a common saying that we have heard or even studied since our childhood. It says that it takes months for a food-deprived person, weeks for a water-deprived person, and only a couple of days for a sleep-deprived person to die.

This clearly marks the importance and significance of Sleep. But there are cases and situations where people have a very poor cycle of sleep and especially those who work at night.

The daily routine for night shift workers is very hectic and they struggle to get good sleep which hinders their mental and physical health.

So, if you are a night worker then keep reading because in this blog we will see some effective sleep tips for night shift workers to overcome sleep-related issues.

 

8 Sleep Tips  for Night Shift Workers

Those who work in the second half of the day, particularly the night shift workers, face a lot of disturbance due to their disturbed sleep cycle.

Sleep deprivation is one of the most common side effects of working the night shift. Night shift workers are affected mentally, emotionally, Physically, and psychologically to the maximum extent.

So it is important to know how they can get their lifestyle back on track while continuing their work.

Let us look into the solutions to this common problem for night shift workers:

1. Avoid Sleep Debts

Sleep debt is basically the difference between the amount of sleep your body needs and the amount of sleep your body gets.

For example, if your body needs 7 hours of sleep and you manage to sleep only 4 hours, then the remaining 3 hours is the Sleep Debt. It is not at all good to keep on accumulating sleep debt with each passing day.

In order to avoid that, one needs to prioritize their sleep. Night-Shift Workers should take the optimum amount of sleep as per their body requirements.

It is not good to take sleep for granted. In fact, it is important to have strictness when it comes to sleep routines in order to avoid sleep debts.

2. Sleep Longer

Night-Shift Workers already get a lack of sleep. So it is better to sleep longer whenever there is time to take proper naps.

This is so because not sleeping properly can have several impacts on your health, especially your mind and behavior patterns.

It can stimulate irritability, mood swings, anger, and temperament issues. Most importantly, the mind will not function properly for the next day’s work schedule.

3. Remain in Light Exposure

Light has the ability to keep a person awake and alert. So while on duty, when Night-Shift Worker keeps the light exposure on, they tend to increase their chances of alertness.

There is also less chance of feeling lazy or sleepy from exposure to light rays. It is good if the light is brighter because this will help you to stay awake and alert during your working hours.

This alertness during working hours will make you tired, which as a result will help you sleep better during your resting hours.

4. Block Blue-light Rays

The only time night-shift workers get to sleep is during the daytime. But this daytime sleep is hindered by the Blue-light Rays. In order to prevent that one can take the help of Blue-light blocking sunglasses.

These glasses prevent the Blue-light Rays from reaching the eyes of the night-shift workers and help them get a good sleep.

5. Nap Prior to Work

It is a scientific fact that a quick nap even if it is for a few minutes recharges the body for upcoming work for hours. A quick nap has the potential to bring the lazy, sleepy, and inactive mind and body into an alert and calm state.

It basically brings alertness to the mind and body. This will also help in inhibiting frequent urges to sleep during work hours.

6. Keep Munching Between Work Hours

Late-night random snacking will make it harder for you to sleep at the desired time. But one can use this technique to be awake at working hours. keep munching between work hours to be alert and awake.

This alertness and awakeness will drain your energy, which will make you feel exhausted so that you can get into a deep sleep the moment you reach your bed.

Furthermore, consuming foods like Warm milk, walnuts, chamomile tea, and almonds almost half an hour before going to bed can help you to get a good sleep.

Also, try to sleep in a dark place as it will improve sleep quality and refrain you from staying awake for a long while waiting to get sleep.

7. Go Straight to the Bed

It is tempting to stay awake and spend time watching movies, Netflix, or scrolling social media. But if you want to have a good and healthy lifestyle, you must straight move to bed.

Wasting time on the phone or unproductive chit-chats will not help you remain active the next day. Try to use the maximum amount of free time to get good sleep.

8. Cut Down on Caffeine Intake

Caffeine has the power to boost your metabolism and energy level instantly. Once consumed, it can keep you awake for hours.

One Cup of Coffee can have the ability to keep a person awake ranging from 6-12 hours, depending upon how it reacts to the person’s body. Hence, cut it down completely.

Instead of caffeine, many people try taking Melatonin Supplements that help in treating insomnia and also maintaining a proper sleep cycle.

However, melatonin comes with numerous side effects in which headache is one of the most common ones and people are getting aware of it.

That is why many now people prefer to use a supplement that is melatonin free and Noocube Sleep Upgrade is one such product.

This sleeping aid is made up of natural ingredients like lemon balm, lavender extract, vitamin D3, calcium, and magnesium.

According to the Noocube Sleep Upgrade review, these ingredients help the user to sleep faster, better, and longer, which makes this supplement the best sleeping pill for night shift workers.

Furthermore, it relaxes the brain, improves mental clarity, boosts energy, and helps in muscle repair.

Conclusion

These are the ways by which a Night-Shift Worker can deal with the issues of sleep.

But in case you are facing an extreme situation of sleep disorder then you may prefer to take sleeping pills with the recommendation of the doctors.

Try finding out the best sleeping pills for Night-Shift Workers and know about their side effects, and their pros and cons. Use the pills only when your doctor has agreed to them and follow the instructions given by them.

Apart from all of these, the most important thing is to balance your circadian rhythm which can only happen if you remain systematic and maintain the sleep cycle.

The Sleep Cycle works hand-in-hand with other body cycles or functions. When a body gets good sleep, automatically the behavioral changes and emotional upheaval will come to the normal state of mind.

So, it is important to prioritize your sleep.

Hpoe this blog helped in knowing some best sleep tips for night shift workers, if you liked it do share it with your night shift worker freinds.

Mike Harris

Mike Harris is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and owner of the Sweat Guy. He is also award-winning health, wellness, and nutrition writer based in the USA. Armed with many training certifications and an exercise science teaching degree, Mike has been working for over 6 years now, helping others achieve optimum health.