A Night-shifters Guide to a Good Day's Sleep

It also has its faults. Leftover dayshift food, 8 a.m. mandatory meetings, missing things at home, sleeping during the day, circadian rhythm disturbances, and being told "Good Morning" when you just really want someone to say to you "Good Night."

So, how do we get a better day's sleep? By following these tips.

It starts before you get off shift.

Avoid caffeine 4 hours before you get off shift. This gives you time to metabolize it and decreases the effects of your body feeling tired. Remember, caffeine is in more than just coffee and energy drinks. Start reading your labels.

The ride home.

Wear sunglasses on the way home, even if it is overcast. The reduction of light signals the body it is time to start winding down and getting ready for sleep.

Exercise is great, but not before bed or after your night shift, especially if you have to work the following night. This is a time to wind down, not up.

Once Home

Keep away from electronic screens and blue light. Recent research indicates that putting your phone on night shift mode (which is supposed to reduce the blue light) does not improve sleep. You are still stimulating the brain and not signaling your body that it is time to wind down.

Keep a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the front door. There are many signs that indicate, "Sleeping night shifter, do not disturb." The signs can hang on your door or even fit over your electronic video doorbell, blocking access to the button while still allowing the camera view. You can find these on various websites.

Put your phone on "Do Not Disturb." If you have certain people who need to contact you in an emergency, most phones have a setting to allow those calls and texts through. The rest of the world can wait.

Take a warm bath/ shower before bed. When you get out, the drop in your body temperature will signal your brain it's time to sleep. This drop in body temperature is a natural occurrence at night, and we are trying to mimic it.

Set the stage in your room.

Cool the Room. Drop the temperature in your room, and turn on a fan. Research has shown that having your room/ house temperature set between 60-67 degrees F, with 65 degrees being the optimal temperature, signals our bodies that it is time to sleep. We are programmed to expect this lower temperature at night already. We are just simulating it during the day.

A side note: if others are in the house during the day, they can put on extra clothing and wrap up in a blanket. You must make your sleep environment a priority.

Wear light clothing to bed to help keep you cool.

Make your room as dark as possible. Light triggers you to stay awake. Use blackout curtains or even aluminum foil on the windows or both. If you cannot cover the windows, then use a face mask that is comfortable and fits well. Some masks are hollowed out for your eyes, so if pressure on your eyes is a barrier to wearing a mask, give one of these a try. Also, cover the light from the alarm clock and the TV buttons.

Sleep Noise: Get a noise machine or use a fan. The fan now has two uses: it keeps you cool and acts as a white noise machine. This way, when the neighbor starts mowing at 9 a.m., it does not jar you awake.

Silence is golden. If you are one of those sleepers, who must have it perfectly quiet, invest in earplugs unless you are on call.

If you are hungry, eat something small like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or peanut butter on toast before going to bed or some sort of slow-digesting protein. There is nothing worse than waking up halfway through your night with hunger pains and rugae music (rugae are the muscles in the stomach) playing their tune.

There are few trains of thought about when you should sleep. Some experts say go to sleep as soon as you get home. Others say to take the split-napping approach: Nap when you get home, get up and go back to sleep before you head out for your shift. Some say staying up for a little while is as if you were on a normal 0900-1700 job and going to bed at the same time you would typically go to sleep on a day shift job, just 12 hours different. Long story short, you need to figure out what works for you.

Sleep as long as possible. The goal is to avoid a sleep deficit.

The name of the game is to mimic a normal evening routine. Implementing the above suggestions will lead to a better day's sleep.

About the Author:

Laura Smith started her journey in the medical field 25 years ago as an Orthopedic Massage Therapist. In addition to her massage therapy practice, Laura taught Anatomy and Physiology at a local college. Wanting to become further involved in the medical field, Laura obtained her BSN from MTSU and became an RN. She then set her sights on becoming an NP. During COVID, Laura decided to return to school and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Since graduating, Laura has worked trauma at a Level 1 Trauma Center, Emergency Medicine, and now managing In-patient Cardiology patients.

Laura enjoys mentoring future medical professionals, including Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, to excel in their fields. She is dedicated to simplifying complex medical terminology for the public, aiding in better education and awareness of the medical landscape. Additionally, she works as a freelance medical writer, producing high-quality content for media brands and their partners. Laura aims to integrate her varied careers to educate, serve, and inspire others.

Laura is an independent contributor to CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program. Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely of the independent contributor and do not necessarily represent those of CEUfast. This blog post is not medical advice. Always consult with your personal healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns.

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