Tips for staying awake and alert during your shift

10 Effects Of Working Night Shifts

• 1) Interferes With Natural Sleep Rhythms.
• 2) Increases Risk Of Breast Cancer.
• 3) Increases Risk Of Heart Attack.
• 4) Increases Risk Of Depression.
• 5) Increases Risk Of Workplace Injury.
• 6) Changes Your Metabolism.
• 7) Increases Risk Of Obesity And Diabetes.
• 8) Increases Risk Of Gastrointestinal Problems.

Night shift work wreaks havoc on our circadian rhythm. A circadian system is a biological process that works in cycles of 24 hours. It’s like our body’s internal clock. Its most potent signal is light and darkness, so it tells us to be awake and alert during the day and drowsy or asleep at night.

1. Nap. Take a 30 minute nap before your shift begins and, if possible, try to get in a few 10-20 minute naps throughout the night.
2. Eat small portions throughout the shift.
3. Keep moving.
4. Chat with your co-workers.
5. Be careful with your caffeine intake.

Excessive sleepiness: Shift work disorder may cause fatigue and reduced alertness while the person is at work during the night or early morning hours. They often feel the need to nap at least once during their shift. These impairments can also decrease their performance capacity and can pose a safety risk.

Go straight to bed after work. As soon as your shift is over, make plans to go straight to bed. One of the triggers that keeps people awake is light, so it helps to decrease your light exposure at least 30 minutes before trying to sleep.

As I mentioned before, some of the shifting methods will have you go to sleep in order to work and some will have you stay awake. For sleep methods, obviously, you will wake up inside your DR after using the method before bed.

Determine what hours (7-8 hours) you are going to sleep. These must be the same hours every day through the work week. Sleep as soon as possible after the night shift. If you delay sleep after the night shift, your body will begin to warm up and prepare for the day’s activity.

Remember to have at least a two-hour sleep before going back on duty, and make sure you are fed and watered properly. The most important thing is to try and keep your sleep debt to a minimum, so the more daytime sleep that you get, the better you are going to feel.

Night shift workers should try to stay on the same sleep schedule every day of the week. This means that you don’t change your sleep time on days off. Keeping a regular schedule will help align your body clock with your sleep pattern. This will increase the quality of your sleep.

Sugary and salty foods are also a major reason for the weight gain that is such a common problem for shift workers. “Plan for your meal breaks: high protein foods like chicken and hummus are filling and calm cravings, while prepackaged healthy snacks, such as unsalted nuts and cut vegetables, are accessible on the run.

Some facilities allow night shift nurses to nap during breaks and provide safe, designated locations to do so. Make sure this is something your workplace allows, and if it is, take advantage of it. You will be better prepared to work if you are well-rested.

10 Survival Tips for Night Shift Nurses

1. Always have snacks: Many hospitals do not have a 24-hour cafeteria to grab food and drinks while you are working.
2. Stay hydrated: To help prevent fatigue and headaches, carry a water bottle at all times.
3. Get at least eight hours of sleep during the day: Stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on your days off.

To recap, scientific studies have shown that a night shift power nap can aid in reducing fatigue by alleviating the natural build-up of sleep pressure. They can help night shifters feel more alert and increase the cognitive functions necessary to do well at work.

How to Work the Night Shift and Stay Healthy: 12 Tips

1. Cluster night shifts together.
2. Stick to a routine.
3. Get your household on board.
4. Practice good sleep hygiene.
5. Prioritize sleep.
6. Eat healthy.
7. Stay hydrated.
8. Nap effectively.

A person working night shift, which causes disruption to the circadian rhythm, is at greater risk of various disorders, accidents and misfortunes, including: Increased likelihood of obesity. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher risk of mood changes.

Tips For Night Shift Workers

1. Take an hour or so to relax after work, whether it is day or nighttime.
2. Eat meals at the same time each day seven days a week.
3. Eat high protein foods (vegetables, peanut butter on crackers, fruit, etc) to keep you alert.
4. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages before bedtime.

People who work night shifts or varied schedules that disrupt their sleep may be more likely to develop depression than individuals with 9-to-5 jobs, a research review suggests.

You can schedule night shift to turn on any time you’d like, but I recommend keeping it on all day. We get plenty of blue light and this way you never have to worry about looking at your phone. This way your phone will turn off Night Shift for one minute a day, and then immediately turn back on.

While dark mode has a lot of benefits, it may not be better for your eyes. Using dark mode is helpful in that it’s easier on the eyes than a stark, bright white screen. However, using a dark screen requires your pupils to dilate which can make it harder to focus on the screen.

Accessible by tapping Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift, the mode lets you “shift the colors of your display to the warmer end of the color spectrum after dark.” The “warmer” the screen, the less blue light it emits. The less blue light it emits, the better you’ll sleep — theoretically.

Dark mode may reduce eye strain Fans of dark mode claim that it can increase the amount of contrast between the text that you’re reading and the background. This would, in theory, make it easier to read on your device.

It reduces the blue light emitted by your phone/tablet’s display, which should, ideally, reduce the strain on your eyes while you’re using the device late at night. And basically every Android phone maker soon followed suit with a similar feature.

It enables a new mode called Night Shift that you can set starting at whatever you choose time in the evening. When Night Shift kicks in, your phone automatically adjusts the display so that it gives off warmer, less blue light. Still, don’t consider this the solution to all phone-related sleep issues.

Apple’s latest feature, Night Shift, uses geolocation and sunset time data to reduce the amount of blue light your device emits. However, the result isn’t a technical reduction in blue light, but rather a filtered amber version.

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