1. If it’s sunny, wear sunglasses on the way home.
Darkness promotes the production of sleep hormone, but in this case you need to prepare for rest.
2. If your work is far from home, it is better to get home by transport.
If you work far from home, it is better to return home by transport – bus or taxi. Don’t waste time on the road that you could spend sleeping.
3. If you work with night shifts, try not to fall asleep in transport after work.
Sleep after a night shift should not be interrupted. It is better to sleep once and for a long time than a few times a little.
4. Provide yourself with good conditions for rest.
Good darkening of the bedroom, silence, comfortable clothes and a bed will help you fall asleep soundly. If necessary, you can use an eye mask and use earplugs.
5. If you are hungry at bedtime, it is advisable to eat light foods such as cereals, fruits and vegetables.
6. Determine the optimal duration of “post-work” sleep.
During the day after work you need to sleep as much as your body needs. If you nap for a couple of hours or your sleep is 15 hours, it is unlikely to give you health. In this situation, it is better to rest and sleep for about 7-8 hours.
7. When you go to bed after a night shift, set an alarm.
Also, ask someone to wake you up at the right time. Otherwise, you may fall asleep and it will further disrupt your schedule.
The duration of sleep after work should be longer than the duration of one sleep cycle (it lasts 1.5-2 hours). This will help you wake up easily, without headaches, heaviness in the head and drowsiness, and then you will be able to fully spend the rest of the day.
8. Take a shower.
After waking up, take a shower, play sports, drink coffee. This will help you quickly recover from the night shift.
9. Discuss the specifics of your work with the household and explain that you need rest after shifts.
Provide silence while sleeping, and plan activities when you are sure you are feeling well. All this is very important to ensure that an awkward schedule brings as little discomfort as possible. Plan your day so that there is time for both rest and activity. How to be energetic after a sleepless night you can read here.
10. On days when you are not working, follow a constant and correct regime.
You need to go to bed and wake up at the appointed time, even on weekends.
11. Go in for sports.
Exercise regularly, this increases the adaptive capacity of the body, improves the quality of sleep and well-being in general.
12. Try to avoid stress, as it aggravates the circadian disturbance.
It is very inconvenient to work at night. However, by following the tips above, you can improve your condition. But, working a night shift is unnatural, difficult and dangerous. Night work means isolation from family, ill health and future health problems. In addition, scientists have found that working at night shifts increases the incidence of hormone-dependent tumors.
If possible, choose a job with a convenient schedule.
