Working night shifts will require you to get habituated to a new lifestyle. The hardest part about this transition is to train your body and mind adequately so that you can fall asleep naturally and get quality rest. Human beings require 7 to 8 hours of daily sleep to function properly and sleep deprivation can give rise to tons of health issues.
Here are 10 useful ways to help you recalibrate your sleeping cycle and get better sleep:
- Maintain a Timeframe
In order to get proper, timely rest, you have to adjust to the new sleep schedule by tricking your body, as well as your mind. Make sure to maintain this new sleep timeframe and avoid making any delays in going to bed.
- Warm Shower
Taking a warm shower before going to sleep helps in eliminating stress from the body and improves the quality of sleep. According to recent studies, it has been found that people who shower or bathe a couple of hours prior to bedtime, have an easy time falling asleep.
- Light Activities
After a long day at work, you can indulge in some light exercises or activities like meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, etc. This will enable you to calm your mind and senses and help you fall asleep faster.
- Power Naps
Taking a power nap in between night shifts, will increase your mental alertness and allow you to be more productive during work. Restrict this nap to 20-45 minutes, as the prime purpose of power naps is to counter fatigue to improve sleep quality.
- Remove Digital Screens
Try to stay away from your phone, computer, social media, etc. when trying to sleep and instead focus on getting rest. The use of digital devices can cause distractions and disturbances and it becomes obstacles between you and quality sleep.
- Eliminate Blue Light Exposure
“Blue light” is a type of light that emits from electronic devices and can cause several issues like dry eye, eyestrain, blurry vision, etc. Some have also reported having issues with sleep due to a long time of exposure to blue light. Hence you should use spectacles with a blue light filter or use the device’s in-built “eye comfort” option.
- Limit Caffeine
Caffeine can help you stay awake and maintain your deadlines, however, it will work against maintaining good quality sleep. This is why you should limit your daily caffeine intake and avoid drinking coffee for up to six hours before bedtime.
- Take Breaks While Working
Taking minor breaks while working has tons of benefits, as it helps to maintain your energy levels and improve your sleep quality. You can take a 5-10 minute break every one to two hours of work, and walk around your office space.
- Focus on Your Diet
When adjusting to a new sleep schedule, you must adequately recalibrate your meal timings. Maintain a schedule, eat a variety of healthy food and stay hydrated. This will keep you healthy and give you a much more relaxed sleep.
- Use Sleep Masks
A perfect sleeping environment helps individuals to fall asleep quicker and maintain quality sleep. For many, a dark room helps the most, thus buying some good sleeping masks or curtains to block external light is a good investment.
Generally, it is better to maintain your natural sleeping schedule. But in case you have no other alternatives than night shifts, you can follow the above-mentioned tips to get the quality sleep that your body needs.
