Having a nap between 5-15 minutes has proven to have an almost immediate effect which can last up to 3 hours. But if there is an opportunity to sneak away somewhere on your break and have a nap then I recommended you embrace it. I know that’s not very helpful, especially if you have trouble sleeping during the day. The only true, sustainable way to overcome night shift with no sleep is to actually sleep… Please share with your night shift friends! 4. Here is a post we recently published titled, “ When Should I Eat on Night Shift? which goes into a lot more detail. Any later and your digestive system is starting to slow down. Enjoy your “main meal” before you leave for a shift. Use the sun to judge when you should eat your larger meals. Dark chocolate (look for types over 70% cocoa).Celery and peanut butter (bring a small container so you don’t eat the entire jar!).Fruit and nut (avoid the roasted type of nuts).Raw veggie sticks and hummus like celery, bell peppers, carrots and snow peas if you need some crunch.Instead, we recommend eating smaller, filling snacks throughout the night rather than one big meal. These high carb foods cause a “rise in blood sugar, followed by a plunge in insulin levels, which can cause fatigue and weakness” ( source).The high sugar and flour content can also cause drowsiness and why we should leave these for the weekend or our days off. This can lead to feelings of bloating, nausea and stomach pain, but also lethargy and tiredness. These types of foods require “all hands on deck” in regards to the digestive system which is simply not available overnight. This means the digestive system is simply not ready to break down these large meals and fats quickly. Our digestive system takes a different, slower role overnight (but this varies depending on the cycle of sleep you’re in).The issue with these foods overnight is two-fold. The same goes for pasta and carb-heavy type meals similar to this. Remember to keep your blue light blocking glasses on even when brushing your teeth! See what other Sleep aids are available from Swanwick Sleep – hereĭespite being sleep-deprived and feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus, you have to make food choices that won’t further aid the slump.īringing the leftover pizza from home or ordering a fresh one via take-out is a sure way to make this happen. The bottom line regarding lights and night shift…ĭespite being dark outside, turn on the lights over your direct workspace or work area and leave them on throughout the entire night. If you want more information about the tools we use to best wind down after a night shift from blackout blinds to eye masks, check out our shift work tool page here. We are now ready for the sleep hormones to start doing their thing! Turn off all the lights, pull down the blackout blinds and slide on your blue light blocking glasses. We don’t want these hormones to kick in just yet because we are working and need to be productive. Night shift workers are confusing this fine-tuned routine, so we need to keep the lights on to trick the melatonin into thinking it’s day time. Melatonin levels rise while it’s dark, as this is when we are supposed to sleep and fall during the day when the sun is shining. Important hormones like melatonin, control not only our sleep and when we fall to sleep, but they also play a large role in our body clocks circadian rhythm. I know it’s tempting to turn off all the lights and create a night time atmosphere, but try and resist. Keep The Lights On During Your Night Shift If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, this video will help you out.ġ. Here are 8 which we consistently use and rely on. There is no substitute for sleep, but there are some hacks you can try when feeling tired while working the night shift. We are so busy juggling life as a night shift worker that our own health, including our sleep, slips to the side. It seems that when you’re exhausted, no matter what you do to get through the shift, it’s always short-lived, leaving you scrambling for the next energy boost.ĭespite sleeps huge role in fighting illnesses, aiding in digestion, regulating hormonal balance and just generally keeping us sane, sleep is often not a priority. Trying to survive night shift with no sleep is relentless. Please read our disclosure and privacy statement for more info. Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning we receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, but this is at no additional cost to you.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |