How can I stay healthy while working the night shift?

Dear Reader, 

Working the graveyard shift can definitely be an eye-opening experience! Staying awake at night and sleeping during the day can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being. Fortunately, there are ways to get more restful sleep, keep your energy levels up, and build a strong support system—read on to find out more!  

Why is working the night shift so hard on the body? 

Staying up all night and sleeping during the day goes against your body’s circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are part of your body’s 24-hour internal clock. They regulate body functions like sleeping and waking, body temperature, brain activity and function, metabolism, and hormones. For example, your core body temperature drops, and you produce more melatonin as the sun sets. This signals to your body that it’s time to sleep. Light synchronizes the body’s internal clock with the 24-hour cycle of night and day. Exposure to light in the morning can shift circadian phases forward, while exposure in the evenings can delay them.  

For people working the night shift, changes in sleeping schedules and light-darkness patterns can cause circadian clocks to become desynchronized from the environment. For instance, core body temperature and melatonin levels don’t rise and fall when or as much as they should. 

Some people who work more than four or five consecutive night shifts may show signs of circadian adaptation meaning their circadian rhythm is starting to adjust to staying awake at night. However, most night shift workers’ circadian rhythms never adapt and remain misaligned.  

What are some health effects that working the night shift may cause? 

Working the night shift can take a toll on your health and relationships. Some common experiences include: 

• Sleep problems: Working the night shift can lead to insomnia, poor sleep quality, and reduced sleep duration. 
• Impaired performance: Fatigue, impaired cognition, and reduced alertness can increase the risk of workplace accidents. 
• Increased risk of chronic health conditions: Shift work is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular heart disease.  
• Increased risk of cancer: Shift work is associated with a higher risk of breast, prostate, colon, and rectum cancers. 
• Emotional and social difficulties: Temporal isolation from family and friends can strain personal relationships and increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and burnout.  

How can you feel your best while working the night shift? 

While working the nightshift, you can develop habits and strategies that can make adjusting to and living with sleeplessness that the night shift brings a little easier. Some of these include:  

Prioritizing sleep: 

• Go to bed when you get home and sleep for as long as possible.  
• Block all light coming into your space using blackout curtains.  
• Work out a “compromise” sleep schedule on off days—if you sleep from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on workdays, try sleeping from 3 a.m. to 12 p.m. on off days so that your body always has some consistent sleep hours (8 a.m. to 12 p.m.). 

Eating well:  

• Avoid eating heavy meals between midnight and 6 a.m.  
• Divide eating into three meals per 24-hour period.  
• Choose whole grains, vegetables, and protein over sugary foods, which can lead to a “sugar crash” and sleepiness.  

Maintaining relationships:  

• Share your work hours and sleep patterns with family and friends.  
• Discuss how your schedule might affect your responsibilities.  
• Communicate ways for family and friends to support you. 

Using sleep aids and simulants smartly:  

• Avoid caffeine in the second half of your shift, which can make it difficult to sleep after work.  
• Avoid alcohol as a sleeping aid, as it can cause unrestful sleep.  
• Avoid over-the-counter sleeping aids like antihistamines, which can cause drowsiness upon waking. A health care provider can prescribe medication if needed.  

While you may not always have control over your schedule and work environment, you might consider implementing the following strategies or discussing them with your employer:  

Changing light exposure:  

• Spend time in brightly lit areas during the first half of your shift and reduce light exposure during the second half. 
• Wear sunglasses on your way home if you’re not driving. 

Taking naps:  

• Take a short nap during your shift to keep your energy up.  
• Take a longer nap before your shift.  

Optimizing work schedules:  

• Avoid permanent night shifts or working more than three consecutive night shifts.  
• Choose forward rotations (when earlier shifts are followed by later shifts, such as morning to evening to night) if given the option.  

List adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

At the end of the day (or night) getting enough shut-eye, fueling your body, and having people to support you can help to make the groggy graveyard shift a bit easier. 

Good luck!