Tips for Handling Night Shifts

Working at night is going against the grain.

The conventional notion of a full-time job is that it’s from 9 AM to 6 PM; a night shift flips that, so you’re burning the midnight oil. When the sun’s peeking out, instead of snoozing your alarm clock, you’re getting into bed and preparing for sleep.

However, it’s a common arrangement taken up by thousands of Filipinos, from call center agents to remote workers to doctors.

Logically, there shouldn’t be any problem. You’re working the same number of hours as in daytime, so it should be a matter of adjusting your sleeping patterns–like travelling to another continent, experiencing jetlag at first, then slowly getting used to it.

The human body keeps its own time, though. People have something called an internal body clock, which wakes them up and triggers them to fall asleep during certain times of the day. This is synchronized with your environment–sunlight, to be specific.

If we don’t seem like we’re following this–all-nighters, parties until 6 AM, sleeping in until afternoon–that’s mostly because we’re bombarded by artificial light from fluorescent bulbs and our gadgets. Try to spend your evening in only candlelight, and you’ll naturally fall asleep early.

Here are a few tips to make it easier to adjust to a night shift:

Take advantage of light

Because our body clock is based on light, controlling our exposure to it can help us fall asleep or stay awake accordingly.

When you’re going home from your night shift, get some shut-eye before it gets too sunny–you can even wear sunglasses or block it out with dark curtains in your room. This also applies to artificial light: the more you use your phone or laptop, the harder it’ll be to sleep.

On the other hand, the opposite applies when you’re hard at work. Your workspace should be brightly lit–avoid dim lighting if possible–and you can even invest in light sources that imitate sunlight.

Prioritize sleep

The importance of sleep is frequently underestimated. Not getting your full 7 or 8 hours of sleep can lead to a lot of complications, from short-term fatigue to a weaker immune system to increased weight. In fact, if you sleep for less than 6 hours two weeks straight, you’re as conscious as a drunk person.

Night shifts pose an additional challenge to sleeping–not just because of your natural body clock, but also because it’s tempting to go out during the day. To maintain discipline, keep a regular schedule of sleeping: go to bed the same time every day.   

Use coffee and other stimulants in moderation

Don’t overdo the coffee. It gives you a kick that won’t have you slumping over your desk, but taper it off  when you’re reaching the latter half of your shift–unless you want to get jittery and anxious when you should be winding down.

If you’re getting unbearably drowsy, get up and take a brisk walk, or do a cardio exercise to get your blood pumping. You can also drink tea instead–since it has a lower concentration of caffeine–chew on mint, or even turn on more lights to brighten up the room.

Don’t give up on your social life

Aside from catching up with your sleep, you’ll also have to tweak your social life a bit. When you’re sleeping during the daytime and working at night, it can be hard to maintain your former social life without sacrificing your sleep.

One way to deal with this is to find other people who are also on night shifts–such as your coworkers–and make friends with them. This helps on the job because talking to your coworkers will keep you energized and alert enough to not fall asleep.

The post Tips for Handling Night Shifts appeared first on Sprout.

source https://sprout.ph/blog/tips-for-handling-night-shifts/