how to stay awake at work night shift

It’s helpful to cluster night shifts together and stick to a night shift sleep schedule even on your off days. Relax before trying to sleep so your mind can unwind and process what happened during the shift. Weird hours be damned, I’m gonna help get you healthy. The best way to maintain a social life when you work the midnight shift is to befriend other people who have similar hours. With so much demand for nurses, doctors, officers and store clerks, they are being asked to work night shifts, overtime and more strenuous work during regular hours. Bonding with co-workers not only makes the night shift easier to handle, but good communication between co-workers can also help increase the likelihood that a shift will run smoothly. Reading the above isn’t pleasant especially if you have to work night shifts, but not all hope is lost and there are things that you can do to minimise the … Tiredness at work is common whether you work part time or full time, day shift or night shift. The extra calories could lead to weight gain. Try our 12 tips. Night shifts are daunting for a number of reasons. The best way to prepare for night shifts requires you to incorporate a number of items; food preparation, organize the household, inform close contacts of your schedule, transition your sleep pattern, prepare your bedroom for daytime sleeping, exercise and booking a social event. Socialize with other night shift workers. The night before stay up a little later than normal. With time and focus you can make night shift tolerable and maybe even enjoyable (and for a small fraction, the best thing since sliced bread). Becoming self-employed means you choose when and where you work, and can lead to higher career satisfaction and a better balanced life. As a nurse, working the night shift can be an inevitable part of your work life. Learn the best ways to stay awake at work. Napping is also helpful for night shift workers as it can improve alertness while on the job. Manage Yourself. Over 15 million Americans work night shifts, or have jobs that require them to rotate to nights. Cluster night shifts together. These are the exact strategies we work with our night-shift clients in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program! Light Exposure. Holy cow. There are many challenges that face those who work the night shift.The body’s normal rhythm is to sleep at night and remain active throughout the day, so doing the exact opposite can cause stress and various potential health problems—that’s the bad news. Your other two meals can be eaten outside of work… Surviving the day after an all-nighter can be more difficult than it was to stay awake in the first place. 14. Try limiting yourself to no more than two healthy snacks and one meal while you are on night shift. The DTN Home Care blog has an article giving 10 tips on how nurses and caregivers can stay awake during a night shift. The problem is, shift work doesn't just leave us zonked. Healy, P. (1996). During night shifts, it may be helpful to turn on extra lights. At Shiftwork Services we recommend three key areas that can help you on night shift. I would see the night nurses when I started my shift at 7:00 AM and they all looked exhausted! Stay away from alcohol or sleeping aids as they can interfere with, rather than offer more, restful sleep and make getting through that next shift even harder. Either way, you can pull off an all-nighter with a few successful and simple tricks. Staying Awake on Night Shift. Make sure you have plenty of sleep prior to working at night. By planning for adequate rest after every night shift, you can avoid some serious complications of chronic sleep deprivation, such as high blood pressure, cardiac disease, and depression. Listening to music can be a great way to keep the mind awake. I've worked shift work which includes 12 hr nights for 17 years and I never sleep even though I have plenty of opportunities to do so. This means the night shift can get a bit boring. For me its simple. Night shifts are notoriously slower than day shifts in all different lines of work. Good, restorative sleep is hard to come by on the night shift, especially for those who have family commitments during the day. 16. Shift work can be demanding when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, especially for those who work night, early morning, or rotating shifts. However, if you find that working night shifts is detrimental to your health, there’s a solution. Learn about the best and safest ways to stay up all night. Get 7 – 8 hours of sleep. When your shift is over, take another short 15-minute nap before driving home to help re-energize your body and mind, making the commute safer. A regular exercise routine is part of a healthy lifestyle, but quick bursts of cardiovascular activity can induce alertness even if you don't have time for a lengthy workout. Little did I know at the time that I would work nights for a very long time (five years and counting!). It also makes sure you are awake and alert before the start of a shift (Which is a good thing). The World Health Organization considers it a probable carcinogen—and research suggests that if you spend your nights wide awake, you're more likely to suffer not just from certain kinds of cancer but also diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cognitive impairment. Night shift work linked to depression. I got 20 years of age on you (I'm 45), that may be part of my problem with staying awake too!! But there are ways you can work the night shift and stay healthy—and caring for your own health will help you care more effectively for others. Unfortunately, as a junior doctor, these are among the many things that you have to get used to. Prioritizing healthy living 24/7. If you have to stay awake for one night or adjust to a new night shift at work, these basic techniques will let you know how to stay awake all night long: What liquid calories will help your 12 hour or night shift. Among them: Make daytime sleep your #1 priority. If you work the night shift or rotating shifts, ... doctors can prescribe medications to help people stay alert when they need to be awake and help shift workers fall asleep. Would work nights ) that connect night shift workers in your area increase your ability to stay at! Can pull off an all-nighter with a few successful and simple tricks away... That you have to work a night shift snacks and one meal while are. Is detrimental to your health, there ’ s a solution the job what! Hang out with co-workers or friends that work nighttime jobs the first place a boring. Full time, day shift or study throughout the night nurses when I started my shift at 7:00 and... 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