Must-Follow Sleep Tips for Shift Workers: Get the Rest You Need
Shift workers make the world go around. From health care providers and truck drivers to factory workers, farmers, cooks, customer success teams, emergency teams, first responders and so many other professions have shift work. Unfortunately shift workers notoriously struggle to get quality sleep. There are multiple studies from 2020 that show paramedics, truck drivers, nurses and other shift workers generally suffer from poorer sleep quality, higher levels of insomnia and fatigue, and increased risk of disease.
We want all shift workers to get the sleep the need to be healthy and happy at work and at home.
If you’re a new parent and struggling with irregular sleep, we’ve got a blog just for you.
The dangers of irregular sleep
Irregular sleep can be sleeping at different times every day, splitting rest up throughout the day (like taking naps, or having a few periods of a few hours of sleep instead of a solid 8 hours), or not maintaining a proper sleep schedule.
Being tired at work is dangerous in itself. Fatigue – especially chronic fatigue – increases the risk of accidents, makes it harder to focus, slows down reaction time and even slows down your thought processes, hindering problem solving and critical thinking.
Irregular circadian rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is what tells your body when to sleep and rest, and when to be awake and energetic. Sleeping in shifts and alternating your days and nights can cause an irregular circadian rhythm which alters our ability to get quality sleep at night. How well we sleep determines how we heal while we sleep.
When we sleep, our bodies recover, fight infection and illness and recover from fatigue. Irregular rhythms can impact our ability to recover properly while we sleep.
Our top tip: Be tough on yourself about your sleep
The number one thing we can recommend to shift workers is to be honest with yourself about your sleep. Doing all of the other things won’t matter if you convince yourself you’re not tired or you don’t follow through on what you really need.
Even though you’re on shift work, you still need:
8 hours of sleep
To practice sleep habits and routines
To eat properly (yes this impacts your sleep!)
Lots of water and to stay hydrated (yes this also impacts your sleep!)
Other best sleep practices for shift workers
Now that you’re ready to be honest with yourself about your sleep needs, here are some other tips to get the best sleep you can.
Stay on the same sleep schedule – even on your days off!
Sleep routines make a huge difference. Just because your days are swapped doesn’t mean you can’t have a routine.
The challenge with shift workers is that on days off, you want to go against your routine. We completely understand this – you have the time to go out during the day, to spend time with people or do activities. It really is best for your sleep, however, if you stay on the same sleep schedule. If you really must, adjust your schedule by an hour or two so you can get up earlier (sleep 6am - 2pm, for example, instead of 8am - 4pm) but don’t completely swap back to normal days and nights.
Invest in blackout curtains and eye mask
Light is the enemy of sleep.Trying to sleep during the day for 8 hours is going to be super challenging. Blackout curtains and an eye mask is not only helpful, but one of our highest recommendations. It will help take care of your circadian rhythm and help you fall asleep quickly.
Watch your post-work events
Finishing your day when the world is just waking up can be enticing. It’s easy to feel energized and to want to spend your day out in the world. But you really should be sleeping.
If you’re scheduling after-work activities, do what you can to get them as early as possible. Breakfast dates, coffee chats, etc all before your friends and family go to work is a great way to get social time in without affecting your sleep schedule.
Another benefit of getting to bed as soon as possible when you finish your work is to limit your exposure to sunlight. Sunlight is a natural energizer for us and getting too much before laying down will disrupt your circadian clock.
Ideally, you head home and hop into bed for 8. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Then, you can sleep until 4 or 5, get up and have some time before your work day starts.
Keep health top of mind
Your overall health can impact how well you sleep – both the length and quality of it and how quickly you fall asleep. Being on opposite schedules can throw regular health routines out of whack. We mean both physical and mental health, including:
Eating healthy meals
Eating proper portions
Exercise
Having time for fun
Spending time with friends and loved ones
Drinking water
Because your schedule is opposite of everyone else's, working shift work can leave you feeling isolated. Many activities take place while you’re sleeping so social activities and exercise can feel like a lot more work.
We recommend:
Finding a gym that is 24 hours
Using your breaks to take walks and stretch your legs
Not to drink alcohol before sleep
Prioritize hydration and water
Make breakfast and post/pre (for them) work hangouts a thing with your friends
Sleep for shift workers
Your work should not negatively impact your health. Taking care of your sleep (and the things that impact your sleep!) will keep you healthy and able to focus at work.