It’s the thing you spend a third of your life doing: sleeping. Getting sufficient and regular sleep keeps you fit and healthy. But what if you work irregular shifts? We’re about to explain how you can still get a good night’s sleep (or in some cases, a good day’s sleep).
What does a healthy sleep schedule look like?
On average, adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. For some, it’s a little more and for others, it’s a little less. As well as the duration, your quality of sleep is also important.
During the night, we shift from light sleep to deep sleep, to REM sleep. During deep sleep, we recover. This means that a good sleeper spends plenty of time in deep sleep.
If you sleep well, you have a better memory and you can concentrate better. In the long run, good sleep reduces your risk of developing a range of diseases.
How can you improve how you sleep if you work night shifts?
For people who work night shifts, it’s even more important to focus on getting good quality sleep. The following tips can help you with this.
1. Make sure your bedroom is a relaxing environment
If you often sleep during the day, get some blackout curtains or blinds and maybe even use a sleep mask. A quiet environment also helps. Use earplugs if necessary.
Even the colour of your walls plays a role. In 2013, a hotel chain was trying to figure out how to help their guests get the best night’s sleep. A study carried out with two thousand families found that people sleep best in bedrooms with blue walls. We associate blue with the light of the ocean, which makes us feel calm and serene. This has been confirmed by scientific research.
Finally, freshly laundered sheets, a good mattress and good pillows can help you form a good sleep pattern.
💡 Learn more about enhancing your sleep hygiene in our article: How to Cope with Night Shifts
2. Engage in healthy behaviours
Compensating for tiredness, for example, by drinking coffee or not exercising enough can lure you into a vicious cycle of sleeplessness. Fortunately, the reverse is also true: by making healthy choices, you can improve your biological clock, which is good for your sleep schedule.
If possible, get some daylight as soon as you wake up in the morning. Pull back the curtains or go outside. It’s good for your biological clock. Also, make sure that you’re getting enough exercise, but avoid exercising in the two hours before you go to sleep. It’s advisable to exercise for at least half an hour per day. That could include walking or cycling. In addition, it’s also good to exercise intensely at least twice a week.
3. Use your bed for sleeping
Preferably only use your bed for sleeping. This way you’ll associate your bed with sleep, which makes it easier to drift off. Above all, it’s important to avoid looking at screens when you’re in bed. The blue light that emits from your television, tablet, or phone suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle.
If it helps, set a reminder on your phone to stop you from looking at your phone after a certain time. Many smartphones these days also have a function that filters blue light and makes your screen a warmer colour. Switch on this setting around an hour and a half before you go to sleep.
If you wake up during the night, make sure not to look at your phone.
4. Focus on healthy eating habits and regular meal times
When you come home from a night shift, you often want to go to bed as quickly as possible. This means it’s good to prepare your meals in advance and maybe even freeze them before starting your night shifts. This will prevent you from reaching for the most convenient (but perhaps unhealthy) snack. If your shift work starts and ends at similar times, try as much as possible to establish regular meal times.
When making your meals, ensure that they are balanced and nourishing.
🥑 Want extra support with healthy eating habits? Read our article: Everyday Tips for Healthier Eating Habits
5. Maintain a steady sleep schedule
Your body has a biological clock, also known as your circadian rhythm. This rhythm is a cycle that lasts 24 hours. Regularity is key, if you want to keep this cycle healthy. On the days you’re working night shifts, it’s not going to be possible to maintain a regular rhythm.
So, at least on the other days, try going to bed and getting up again at the same time each day – even at the weekend – and avoid taking naps. This way you’ll create some regularity on the “normal” days, which will have a positive effect on your biological clock.
If you do have to take the odd nap now and then, try not to sleep for longer than twenty minutes. Don’t set your expectations too high: it’s not the end of the world if you don’t fall asleep. It’s enough to just close your eyes and have a rest.
⏰ Learn more about your circadian rhythm: How to Cope With Night Shifts
6. Stick to a routine
If you follow a clear routine on normal days, for example brushing your teeth and reading a book before going to bed, then over time, this routine will help you to fall asleep. Your body will associate these steps with sleep. So, make sure to maintain this routine even while you’re working night shifts.
Do you feel like this isn’t working well for you? Then develop a second routine. This means you’ll have one for normal days and one for when you’re working night shifts. Make sure to stick to these two routines.
7. Talk about it
Are your night shifts stopping you from functioning properly? Talk to your employer about this and see if you can come up with a better shift pattern together.
In addition, make sure to coordinate with your partner, family or roommates, so that they can take your schedule into account as much as possible and give you the support you need.
8. Practice acceptance
The odd bad night now and then is just a part of life. Instead of resisting it, accept that it’s normal. Research shows that avoiding or suppressing certain emotions causes you to think about them more in the long run.
So, if you’re sleeping badly, it’s okay to think about it. But know that these thoughts you’re having about your poor night’s sleep are just thoughts. It helps to accept them.
What can help you with your thoughts is a technique known as cognitive defusion. This technique helps you to let go of thoughts and emotions and create some distance from them. You do this by first labelling your thoughts as thoughts.
If the thought going through your head is that you will be useless at work tomorrow because you’re tired, know that this is just a thought. It’s not the truth. Also, keep in mind that you are not your thoughts.
Finally, go easy on yourself: it’s not a big deal if you have unpleasant thoughts from time to time. They’ll disappear on their own.
9. Let your mind rest
If you’re lying in bed at night, don’t focus on everything wrong: the bed is too cold, you made a mistake at work, and you’re nervous about tomorrow. Think about what’s going well. You’re tucked safely in bed and there’s a tub of fresh strawberries waiting for you when you wake up.
To help with this, you can try keeping a gratitude journal. For example, each night before you go to sleep, write down three things that you’re thankful for. These could be big things, but they might also be small things. Perhaps a beautiful sunset or the scent of fresh bread.
Try a sleep meditation: Before getting ready for bed, put your device on do not disturb mode and tune into a meditation. Listen to this Guided Sleep Meditation for Better Sleep and Relaxation to help you unwind before bedtime.
Everyone has bad nights now and then. But if you think that your sleeping problems may be affecting your quality of life, it may be time to receive guidance and support.
Book a 1:1 session with a psychologist or lifestyle expert today.
