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If you are at a season in your life where you find yourself working nontraditional hours, also known as shift work, you may be having trouble getting a solid 7-9 hours of sleep a day. You may find that you are sleepy during the hours you want to be awake and awake during the hours you want to be asleep. Your shift work and sleep schedule don’t always play well together. While prolonged sleep disruption can negatively affect your health, never fear, there are some things you can do to get that circadian rhythm back in sync. Yes, even while doing shift work.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
Psalm 23:2-3
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
5 Tips for Shift Workers and Sleep Schedules
Put Yourself to Bed Like You Would a Little Kid
Often shift workers do not have the option to just jump in bed and immediately fall asleep. It requires some finesse. You must put yourself to bed like you are a little child. Create a sleep ritual for yourself that nurtures you and signals to your body that it is time to prepare for sleep.
Consider something soothing to drink like herbal tea or a glass of milk. Head to bed 15-30 minutes prior to lights out. This is your unwinding time. Make sure your space is clean and inviting with dimmed lighting. Make it a priority to have comfortable blankets and pillows. Perhaps spend some time reading or listening to a sleep story meditation. Sleeping during nontraditional hours requires being a little extra, but the payoff will be worth it. Your health is worth it.
Here’s a sleep story I wrote for Abide. See how listening to a story bathed in God’s Word can help you when your shift work and sleep schedule make getting good rest difficult.
Get Your Support System on Board
Sleep needs to be a priority and when your hours are different from those around you, you will need to be more intentional about how and when you sleep. Let those in your household know what you need. It is helpful when you have a team and everyone understands how important getting sleep is for your health. Your team can help you fiercely protect your sleep hours. They can do this by enforcing quiet hours in the house during your sleep schedule. Quiet hours means that noise in the house is kept to a minimum during certain times—no vacuuming, loud devices, or extra visitors during those specific hours. Your team must understand that your shift work and sleep schedule might not be convenient, but it’s where you are for now.
Keep a Steady Schedule Even on Days Off
It may be tempting to flip your whole schedule on your days off, but this will only cause you to have to start over again each week. Create your pleasant sleep rituals and stay steady, even on your days off.
Minimize Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
It might seem like alcohol and caffeine can help you either sleep or you stay awake. But the reality is they create more disruption in your sleep schedule. They can actually make it more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. As mentioned before, consider an herbal tea or glass of milk. If you love coffee like I do, consider decaf or some of the wonderful coffee alternatives out there.
Pro-tip: Build a Sleep Reserve on Your Days Off
While we do not recommend flipping your sleep routine on your days off, we do recommend getting a few extra hours of sleep in. You can do this by either expanding the hours of your sleep routine or adding naps to your schedule. Naps can be especially satisfying on days off and a strategic way to build your sleep reserve.
If you’re a shift worker, you cannot afford to take sleep for granted. You must make it a priority to maintain your sleep schedule for optimal health. While it takes more intention, these five strategies can help you lie down in green pastures beside still waters while God restores your very soul.
For more help to reconcile your shift work and sleep, check out the Abide app. Our 400+ Bible-based sleep stories all exist to help you experience the peace of Christ and get better rest. Use this link for 25% off a premium subscription, giving you access to all our sleep stories plus much more.
Anna lives in Nashville, Tenn., with her four daughters and two she-cats. She is a freelance writer and graphic designer, as well as a Literature and Writing teacher for middle and high-school students.
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