Shift and night work can place great strain on your health. Working at night and early in the morning is not compatible with human biology and goes against our fundamental need for regular sleep and wake times. It is of the utmost importance that you, as a shift worker, take care of your own health. Smoking, being overweight and getting little exercise increase the risks associated with shift work.
Diet
Eat at the same time every day, regardless of whether you work mornings, days or nights.
Maintain a normal meal pattern as far as possible (breakfast–lunch–dinner). But you can, for example, eat breakfast before going to bed if you have worked a night shift.
Have a morning meal between 6–9 am, the next meal between 11 am–2 pm and your main meal between 5–7 pm.
Caffeine can lead to difficulty falling asleep, poorer sleep quality and more movement during sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours.
Avoid eating at night: If you are unable to go without food at night, choose good snacks with a low carbohydrate content. In the Wellr app there are lots of good snacks for you who work shifts.
Recovery
Recovery is very important when you work shifts. If you are less tired, you will also have more energy to take part in social life. You should also not combine night work with looking after children, extra daytime jobs or other demanding activities.
The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.
Before the night shift: Take a nap.
After a night shift: Sleep as long as possible. Then do some physical activity, preferably a walk in daylight.
After the last night shift: Do not sleep too long if you need to switch back to a daytime rhythm. Prioritize activities that promote recovery.
After a day shift: Do not take a nap, as you risk sleeping worse at night. Instead, go for a short walk.
With short rest between shifts: Wind down after work by doing pleasant, slightly boring activities.
If you usually have trouble falling asleep: Go through the day that has passed, write a to‑do list so you can let go of those thoughts.
Physical activity
Exercising is extremely important for sleep, recovery, weight control and general health. Low-intensity training during the day is recommended. Make sure to schedule your workout at least 2–3 hours before bedtime so as not to impair your sleep. Just getting outside and walking at a slightly brisker pace is often enough.
The importance of light
The main causes of health problems related to shift and night work are disruptions to the circadian rhythm and too little sleep. Working at night and early in the morning is not compatible with human biology and goes against our need for regular sleep and wake times.
Spend 30 minutes outdoors every day (preferably during daylight hours) after your sleep period.
During the winter months, you can compensate for the lack of sunlight by spending time near daylight-like lamps or using light therapy.
Too much light on the way home after night work makes it harder to fall asleep. One way to manage this is to wear dark sunglasses when you go home from the night shift (be aware that visibility is reduced when, for example, driving a car).
Do you want to learn more about shift and night work? Learn more at PREVENT
