Working the night shift comes with a range of challenges, not least of which is the need to stay awake when your body is signalling it wants to do anything but. Here are some useful tips night-shift workers can take on board to stay awake and remain alert.
Monitor your food and hydration
It’s best to avoid heavy meals during your night shifts, as well as any foods with lots of fats, carbohydrates and sugar. Try to stick with lighter meals that are high in protein. Good foods to eat during your shift include hard-boiled eggs, chicken, turkey, tuna, cheese, salads, soups, peanut butter, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
Avoid eating ‘to keep your energy up’. Instead, take a walk (being mindful of your safety and surroundings) or change your activity to maintain alertness.
Make sure you drink plenty of water during your night shift to maintain hydration. Being dehydrated will only increase the feeling of fatigue. If you’re feeling thirsty, it means you’re already dehydrated. Drink mouthfuls of water at regular intervals rather than a whole bottle of water every few hours.
Maintaining a good diet, while always a plus, will be incredibly beneficial while you’re working night shifts. Avoid heavy meals close to your bedtime and in the middle of your shift. Aim to have your main meal after you wake up.
Take your rest breaks
It’s important to take any rest breaks that are available to you during your shift. Your mind and body need regular breaks to rest and recuperate, and taking them will help you stay alert on the job. Use this time to make sure you eat well, stay hydrated and take a walk.
Be careful when driving home
If you start to feel tired while you’re driving home, pull over and take a power nap (a brief nap of up to 20 minutes). Before you get back on the road, go for a short walk to make sure you are fully alert again.
Exercise
Regular exercise will help you to sleep better. Avoid exercising within a few hours of going to bed. Instead, try to set up an exercise routine like going to the gym before or after work, or going for a regular run, walk, swim or cycle.
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Make sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. You might need to trial different start and finish times to determine what works best for you. For example, you might find you sleep better straight after you finish a shift and wake up a few hours before your next shift. Alternatively, you might like staying awake after your shift and sleeping until right before your next shift starts.
On average, people need between six and eight hours of sleep per 24 hours. If you have less than six hours sleep over a 24-hour period, you are at a higher risk of developing fatigue during your next working shift.
When working night shifts, you might need to plan or organise your time with family and friends more carefully than you would when working other shifts. If you work only night shift it can be beneficial to maintain your sleep schedule even on your rostered time off. This will mean you don’t have to keep resetting your body clock.
Caffeine, alcohol and smoking
While caffeine can be useful to keep you alert during your night shift, you should avoid drinking caffeine within three to four hours of going to sleep. This includes coffee, tea and caffeinated drinks like Red Bull.
Also avoid drinking alcohol before you go to sleep. It interferes with the quality of sleep, particularly deep sleep, which is necessary to rejuvenate your brain function.
Heavy smokers will likely find that they wake during their daytime sleep due to nicotine cravings. Ideally you will want to stop or reduce your smoking.
Sleeping tablets, melatonin tablets and dark glasses
Prescribed sleeping tablets are not recommended for regular use as they can be addictive, particularly if taken frequently. They may cause ongoing sedation, which will affect your alertness at work. If you’re having difficulty sleeping while working night shifts, you should talk to your doctor.
Melatonin is the hormone that stimulates sleep. You should also speak with your doctor before taking any melatonin tablets.
Wearing dark glasses to block out early daylight on your drive home will help if you like going to sleep straight after your shift.
Fatigue is a recognised workplace hazard, and fatigue-related incidents and accidents are more likely to occur during a night shift. By creating helpful routines and making a few lifestyle changes, you’ll give yourself the best chance of remaining safe and alert on the job. Of course, if you have any particular concerns about fatigue management and your personal circumstances, it is best to see your doctor.
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