Several weeks ago, I was introduced to one of the less glamorous aspects of being in the field of medicine: the night shift. When the rest of the world was soundly asleep, I was wide awake and had to be on high alert. While the night shift is certainly a unique and enriching learning experience, the toughest part was adjusting my sleep schedule beforehand. If you are preparing for upcoming night shift work, here are my best tips to help you adjust to this odd schedule.
1. Start adjusting your Sleep Schedule Immediately
If you find out that you have upcoming night shift work, it is best to begin adjusting your sleep schedule immediately. If afforded the luxury, it is best to push your bedtime later by around 30 minutes each night. However, this is not always possible. For this reason, I recommend taking the amount of time you need to push your bedtime and dividing it by the days you have to prepare. For example, if you need to stay up 8 hours later and you have 4 days to prepare, push back your bedtime by 2 hours each night.
2. Take Frequent naps
I get it. It isn’t always easy to sleep through the day, even when you go to bed late. I know when I tried to shift my schedule, I was still awake by 9:00 a.m., despite not getting much sleep the night prior. To alleviate this, I would recommend taking as many naps as possible during the day. The goal is to be as well rested as you possibly can by the time the night shift rolls around. That way, you feel less of the need to sleep during your shift.
3. Caffeine is your best friend
As I said, the first couple of days of working the night shift may be rough. This is where caffeine becomes your best friend. No matter how much you sleep, it can be challenging to stay awake when it becomes dark outside and your circadian rhythm starts to kick in. If you feel yourself beginning to doze off, this is the perfect time to have a cup of your favorite kind of coffee. It is important though to not have it too close to when you need to go back to sleep.
4. Make your Sleeping space as dark and quiet as you can
I know this is easier said than done, especially when you are sleeping while the rest of the world is awake. If you can, try your best to mimic good sleep hygiene habits in your bedroom or other sleeping space. This means using blackout curtains if you have them, or you can use a sleeping mask to block out excess light. If your environment is too loud, I would recommend wearing earplugs, or if you like listening to music to fall asleep, wear a pair of noise-canceling earbuds or headphones that are comfortable to sleep in. Lastly, cool down the temperature in your room to make the environment more conducive to sleeping.
5. engage in movement during your shift to help you stay awake
I am sure we have all been in a situation where our chair feels just a little bit too comfortable, which is not conducive to staying awake. If you feel your consciousness beginning to drift, it is best to get up and move around a bit, even though this is not the most fun. I would recommend going on a short walk around the hospital parameters if you are allowed to, although even some light exercises like jumping jacks or jogging in place can help to wake you up. However, it is imperative to make sure you do not do any intense exercise close to your designated bedtime, as this can keep you up longer than you may like.
One of the biggest changes I noticed while on the night shift was that time just didn’t feel quite real. It felt like I would go in for my shift, sleep, and then immediately go back to the hospital. While the night shift is not for me, I was able to gain a deeper appreciation for those who work those hours. It is something that goes much more smoothly if prepared for, so I hope you find these tips helpful. And if you are a night shift worker, I thank you for your dedication.