

Likewise, resist the urge to check your phone right before bed.

“You’re falling asleep and then that blue light is essentially shutting off at a certain point,” said Atkins.
Staying awake on night shift tv#
If you usually go to bed with the TV as part of your bedtime routine, Atkins suggests setting a timer. Avoid TVĪrtificial light - and blue light, which is emitted from most screens and certain lights - can inhibit sleep, so try to avoid watching TV at least an hour before bedtime. The locust is another popular yoga pose that’s easy to do and will put you in a relaxed, meditative state of mind. While we recommend you avoid power yoga or any strenuous activity, doing some mindful meditation or breathing exercises could help calm and soothe you, enabling you to get better rest.Ĭhild’s pose, for instance, is a yoga pose designed to relax the body and mind, and is relatively easy to execute. Try to get in a relaxed state of mind as you prepare for bed. While bedroom temperature preferences vary and the thickness of your bedding and pajamas can come into play, it’s usually a good idea to keep your bedroom temperature somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees when you’re trying to go to sleep. Keeping your bedroom cooler could help you sleep better. Try to relax and get yourself mentally prepared to go to bed instead. Those who do engage in high-intensity exercise within an hour of bedtime stay awake longer and have poorer quality sleep. While some moderate exercise before bed is okay, vigorous activity should be avoided at least one hour before bedtime. Avoid vacuuming the house or doing other physically demanding household chores that will keep you awake. In general, try to avoid eating at least three hours before you go to sleep and nix the caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, it could keep you awake even if you consumed it much earlier in the day. Likewise, caffeine is a stimulant that affects everyone differently.

Research suggests that sugar intake negatively impacts our sleep quality. “I did all the things I would do at night time to wind down, just during the day.” Avoid Sugary Foods and Caffeineīe sure to avoid anything that’s likely to keep you awake, like sugar and caffeine. “I’d get home, I’d wind down, I would take a hot shower to kind of put me in that sleepy mood, have lots of low lighting,” says Atkins. The best thing you can do is follow the same nighttime routine you normally would, even if you’re on the opposite schedule. Is a warm bath typically part of your bedtime routine? Then draw yourself a bath before going to bed in the morning.

like your 8 a.m., and think of your midnight like your noon time.”įor instance, if you drink sleepytime tea before you go to bed, then drink it when you get home from your night shift. Except it’s reverse,” says Alie Atkins, a Sleepopolis SEO associate who spent most of her seven years in nursing on the night shift. “It sounds so silly and so basic, but treat your nights like you would a day. The key to sleeping better on the night shift is to try to adhere to as normal a bedtime routine as possible. If you have a ride or are taking public transportation, on the other hand, wear a pair of dark shades and keep them on until you arrive home. Scott Hollingshaus, Chief of Sleep Management with the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.Ī good way to avoid exposure to sunlight is by throwing on a pair of sunglasses before you leave work, though we don’t recommend this while you’re driving home in order to remain alert. “You really want to avoid exposure to sunlight after your shift because that’s going to really try to push your rhythm back into the daytime rhythm,” says Dr. The light of day can energize us and remind us that it’s the wake portion of our sleep-wake cycle.
Staying awake on night shift how to#
Tips for How to Sleep Better on the Night Shift Wear Sunglasses With a few behavioral modifications, you can get a good night’s sleep during the daytime. It can take some time, but there are ways to help your body adjust to a new sleep schedule so you can sleep better on the night shift. Unlike owls and other nighttime critters, we’re not nocturnal animals wired to sleep during the day and stay up through the night. But what about when it’s the night shift? Is there a way to reset the body’s internal clock to adjust to this major change? It’s always exciting to land a new job or start a new career.
