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Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D.
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Mental health (1)
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Healthy at work (3)
- Shift work: How do I adjust to daytime sleeping?
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Question
Shift work: How do I adjust to daytime sleeping?
I just started working the night shift, and I'm having trouble sleeping during the day. Do you have any sleep tips for shift workers?
Answer
from Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D.
It is common to have difficulties sleeping during the day. Humans are naturally wired to sleep best at night and be awake during the day. However, modern work schedules require some people to try to accommodate the unnatural schedule of shift work — being awake at night and sleeping during the day.
In order to make this adjustment, you need to pay special attention to your sleep environment and your preparation for sleep. If shift work is a necessary part of your work life, here are some suggestions that may help:
- Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, several hours before bedtime. If you are working nights and need to sleep from morning until afternoon, try to avoid caffeine after midnight.
- Arrange to sleep uninterrupted in a quiet, dark room. This means you may have to turn off or unplug your phone, hang darkening curtains on the windows or wear a sleep eye mask, make appointments outside of your sleep period, and train your family and friends to leave you alone while you sleep. Make your sleep time sacred.
- Fit in a nap. When your daytime sleep period is too short, taking a short nap of less than 30 minutes just before work or on a break has been shown to improve alertness and enhance performance.
- Develop and follow a sleep routine. It's best if you go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Try not to vary this too much on weekends. Your body likes routine.
- Take extra care to make healthy choices. You may be tempted to reach for unhealthy foods or nicotine to stay awake or alcohol to try to sleep. But ultimately these choices are more harmful than helpful.
If you have tried all these things and are still having problems getting enough quality sleep during the day, talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist. Sometimes medications may be helpful and safe. In other cases, there may be an underlying sleep disorder that needs to be addressed.
Next questionNight shift and cancer: Any connection?
- Dhand R, et al. Good sleep, bad sleep! The role of daytime naps in healthy adults. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 2006;12:379.
- Sleep hygiene tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/hygiene.htm. Accessed March 22, 2009.
- Morgenthaler TI (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 25, 2009.
