How to sleep well when you work the night shift. Night: 1800-0600. or. The Best Sleep Schedule For Night Shift. Night: 1900-0700. A 2011 study at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that 1 in 4 nurses were doing just that, choosing to go without sleep for up to 24 hours in order to adjust to working on the night shift. This is how I do it! I switch back to a normal sleep schedule when I’m not working so I can take care of my little boy. And if you’re new to shift work or have been struggling to get adequate sleep, you might need to try a few different sleeping patterns to see which is best for you. While a few true night owls prefer this schedule, working the night shift is challenging for most nurses. Sleep duration and difficulty was greatest on night shift. Split sleep schedules have recently begun to emerge as a potential alternative to continuous night shift work. 12 hour shifts are used by approximately 40% of our clients. If you can't, it's easier to adjust to a schedule that rotates from day shift to evening to night rather than the reverse order. This strategy might shock you if you had been relying too much on caffeine during your night shifts. You might, for example, find yourself spending a chunk of your time off recovering from your time on. I usually work 2-3 shifts together and then have a day or two off. Sleep deprivation and deficiency. Action: Minimize unnecessary or complex tasks at the end of shifts. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. See 7 different 12-hour shift rotation examples here . Sometimes I read articles on how to sleep while working nights that dogmatically dictate a certain sleep schedule. It took me quite awhile and a lot of experimenting to find a sleep schedule that works well for me. Cleveland Clinic. Day: 0700-1900. Overall minimization of end of shift tasks is important. They make scheduling a bit simpler since you are only dealing with 2 shift times. On the last few days of the evening shift, delay the times you go to bed and wake up by one to two hours each day. How to Set a Night Work Sleep Schedule. Soon you are going to rotate to a night shift. Here are the key points and some action steps for creating a better schedule. Cut down your Caffeine Intake. In many hospitals and long-term care facilities, newly hired nurses are asked to work the night shift. Performance is worse at the end of shifts, particularly night shifts. But, realistically, the same thing just doesn’t work everyone. For many, adopting a consistent sleep schedule and creating a bedroom environment conducive to rest can have a huge impact. National Sleep Foundation. Circadian rhythm disorders. See the chart below for an example. Try to avoid long commutes that take time away from sleeping. The researchers pointed out that this is the least effective strategy for adapting one’s circadian clock to a night-time schedule. 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