The best sleep tips for night shift workers are simple: go to bed soon after you get home, make your bedroom very dark and quiet, keep part of your sleep at the same time every day, nap before your shift, and never drive home drowsy. Here is how to put each one into practice.
Cleveland Clinic explains that shift work schedules go against most people's internal body clocks, which respond mainly to light and dark. Night workers often try to sleep in daylight, exactly when the body's signals to wake up and stay awake are strongest. As a result, daytime sleep tends to be short and frequently disrupted.
The gap adds up. Cleveland Clinic notes that most shift workers sleep one to four hours less than people who don't work shifts. NIOSH, the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, says most adults need about 7 to 8 hours to stay properly alert. Every tip below is about closing that gap.
NIOSH's training for night shift nurses says to go directly to bed when you arrive home. The more sleep you get before 2 p.m., the better rested you will be. Save chores and errands for later, because early morning is your prime sleep time.
NIOSH recommends a very dark sleep space: install blackout shades or drapes, or wear an eye mask. Check for light sneaking in around curtain edges and under the door, and cover glowing chargers or clocks.
Use earplugs or a white noise machine, both NIOSH suggestions.
Set your phone so it can't wake you.
Ask people at home to use headphones for TV or music, and to skip vacuuming and the dishwasher while you sleep (Cleveland Clinic).
Put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the front door so deliveries and visitors don't ring the bell.
NIOSH suggests a compromise sleep schedule, so part of your sleep happens at the same hours whether you are working or not. On work nights, sleep as soon as you get home (for example, 8 a.m.) and sleep as long as you can. On days off, try to stay up until about 3 or 4 a.m. and sleep until noon or 1 p.m. The overlap, roughly 8 a.m. to noon, gives your body clock something steady. Some people call this protected block "anchor sleep."
Avoid staying awake all day before your first night shift or after your last one. NIOSH warns that being awake for too many hours raises the risk of accidents, injuries and long-term sleep loss.
NIOSH suggests more light during the first half of your shift to stay alert, and less light during the second half so it's easier to sleep when you get home. Sunglasses on the way home can cut morning light, but NIOSH says the safest approach is to wear them only if someone else is driving, because blocking light when you are very sleepy can make the drive more dangerous.
If you can, take a nap before you go back to work. NIOSH says this can increase your overall sleep time and may help you stay alert during the night, and Cleveland Clinic notes that naps can improve alertness in night shift workers. For timing ideas, see how long a nap should be.
Cleveland Clinic suggests moderate caffeine to stay alert at work, stopping in the later part of your shift so it doesn't disrupt your sleep. More detail is in caffeine and sleep.
If you have any say in your schedule, Cleveland Clinic suggests:
Working five or fewer night shifts in a row, or four in a row if your shifts are 12 hours.
Taking more than 48 hours off after a run of night shifts, if possible.
Avoiding frequently rotating shifts, long commutes and excessive overtime.
This is an example only. Shift times, commutes and family life vary, so adjust it to fit yours.
7:00 a.m. Shift ends. Sunglasses only if someone else is driving.
7:45 a.m. Home. Light snack, wash up, phone silenced. No chores.
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Main sleep in a dark, quiet room.
3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Meals, errands, time outside, family time.
9:15 p.m. Short nap before work, if you can.
10:30 p.m. Leave for work.
Days off: Bed around 3 or 4 a.m., up around noon or 1 p.m., so your core sleep still overlaps with work days.
The drive home is one of the riskiest parts of a night shift. In figures cited in NIOSH's training, almost 60% of people who fell asleep while driving said it happened on a trip of less than an hour, and 70% said they felt awake enough to drive when they set off. NIOSH also explains that when you are sleep deprived you cannot control when microsleeps happen, and rolling down the window or turning up the radio won't fix it.
Plan your alternatives before you need them:
Arrange for a family member or friend to pick you up.
Take a taxi when you know you are unsafe to drive. NIOSH notes that some hospitals have a fund for exactly this.
Take a nap at work at the end of your shift, if your workplace allows it.
NIOSH adds that if you are very sleep deprived, caffeine plus a short nap still might not keep you awake enough to drive safely.
Many people struggle when they first switch to nights. Cleveland Clinic says that if you still have trouble falling or staying asleep after several weeks, or you feel tired even after seven to eight hours of sleep, you may have shift work sleep disorder, and a healthcare provider can help. Get help sooner if you fall asleep at work or behind the wheel. Talk to your provider before trying melatonin, and know that while sleeping pills may help in the short term, long-term use can lead to dependency.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
The same as anyone else. NIOSH says most adults need about 7 to 8 hours to stay alert. Shift workers often get less, so treat your main sleep like a fixed appointment and add a nap if you fall short.
NIOSH recommends going to bed as soon as you get home, then adding a nap before your next shift if you can.
Try NIOSH's compromise schedule: stay up until about 3 or 4 a.m. and sleep until noon or 1 p.m., so some of your sleep still lines up with your work-day sleep.
A very dark room is one of NIOSH's core recommendations for day sleepers. Blackout shades, blackout drapes and eye masks all work toward that same goal.
Sleepward: Bedtime Routine is an iPhone app built around a short wind-down before your chosen bedtime. Its white, pink and brown noise comes with a sleep timer, and Minimal Mode cuts the routine to one action, one timer and one Finish button for when you are worn out. It is free with optional Pro purchases, has no accounts or ads, and it is a routine app, not a medical device.
Get Sleepward free on the App Store
Coping with the Night and Evening Shifts: Sleep (NIOSH, CDC)
Coping with the Night and Evening Shifts: Sleep, continued (NIOSH, CDC)
Coping with the Night and Evening Shifts: Light (NIOSH, CDC)
Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD): Symptoms and Treatment (Cleveland Clinic)