Five tips to help you get enough sleep before a night shift

One of the most challenging aspects of working a 12 hour night shift is getting enough sleep. It’s the body’s natural circadian rhythm that prevents us from falling asleep during the day because we’re so accustomed to sleeping at night.

Everyone knows how difficult falling asleep during the day can be, so we hope our tips will help when you’re trying to catch up on some shut eye - no sheep counting involved!

Black-out Blinds/Curtains

Black-out blinds/curtains can trick our circadian rhythm into believing we are trying sleeping at night. The specially designed fabric soaks up the natural light and helps to surpass the standard day and night cycle.

Hydration

Staying hydrated during our waking hours has a positive impact on sleep. Going to sleep dehydrated is likely to mean you’ll wake regularly and result in fragmented rest without reaching a level of deep sleep that is so vital to recuperation

Caffeine

A cup of tea or coffee is an essential for many people to get through a long day or night shift. By limiting caffeine intake in the eight hours before you intend to sleep and only drinking up to two cups of coffee a day you will find yourself more able to fall asleep.

Exercise

Exercising before bed may sound like the least appealing thing to do if you’re exhausted from working back-to-back shifts. However, exercise induces the body’s natural endorphins and helps us to relax and easily drop off to sleep.  

Diet

Eating at three set times during your night shift will help regulate your circadian rhythm, and fool it into believing you are awake during daylight hours.

Getting enough sleep before a 12 hour night shift makes a huge difference to how tired you are. If you have any other tips for drifting off into a peaceful sleep either before or after the night shift, we’d love to hear from you, so please let us know how in the comments below. Want to find out how to survive the night shift itself? Read our blog on that here.