Sleep and Shift Work

Your circadian rhythm is set by light and expects you to sleep at night. Shift work asks you to override that daily, which is why shift workers have measurably worse sleep quality and higher rates of insomnia than day workers, even with the same number of hours in bed.

Wear sunglasses on the drive home after a night shift to avoid morning light delaying your body clock further, and go straight to bed rather than running errands first. Blackout curtains and an eye mask matter more for shift workers than almost anyone else.

Keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible even on days off, rather than swinging back to a normal night-time schedule and undoing the adjustment. A short, strategic nap (20-30 minutes) before a night shift can help top up alertness without causing grogginess.

If you rotate shifts, request rotations that move forward (day → evening → night) rather than backward — it's easier on the body clock. Fixed night shifts, where possible, are generally easier to adapt to long-term than rotating ones.