Abstract: As victims of shift work, many typically wake up around 1 PM, having only slept for five hours, far less than the 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep recommended by experts. If a single good night's sleep cannot reach seven to nine hours, shorter naps can be scheduled throughout the day. Total sleep time over 24 hours is more important than the duration of a single sleep session.
Healthy late-night snacks
1. Why do I always want to eat?
Shift workers often resort to eating to combat boredom or fatigue, and because healthy food is harder to find at night, these habits can severely undermine weight loss plans. Furthermore, your body's natural instincts will also work against you: when sleep is deprived, you're more likely to crave high-fat, high-calorie foods. Sleep deprivation also leads to a glucose surplus in the body, which can also cause weight gain.
2. Healthy eating
Understanding these factors is the first step to maintaining healthy habits. While there's no evidence that specific foods help you stay relaxed, for shift workers, as with anyone else, the best foods are healthy, nutritionally balanced meals. The National Sleep Foundation recommends not going to bed too full or too hungry—either will make it harder to fall asleep.
3. Drink coffee in advance
If you enjoy coffee, try to drink it before you go to work. Why? A recent study found that consuming the same amount before bed has a greater sleep-disrupting effect on people who sleep during the day than those who sleep at night.
4. Drink less alcoholic beverages.
Many shift workers use alcoholic beverages to relax after their shift and fall asleep quickly. While alcohol can indeed help you fall asleep, it can lead to poor sleep quality. Try placing scents like lavender, vanilla, green apple, and cucumber in your bedroom; these aromas can help you relax. You can also achieve the same effect with sliced fruit or an open shampoo bottle—synthetic fragrances smell just as good as natural ones.
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