How much do you work?

It seems the 9 to 5 job is becoming a thing of the past. People are working longer hours and families increasingly have both parents in the workforce. You hear a lot about the recommended hours of sleep (8 hours) and tips to fall asleep – but what if you are a night shift worker?

Working at night

More than 15 million Americans work the night shift between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. These people make up an important part of the workforce –hospital staff, emergency personnel and those in the transportation industry, to name a few. While most of the country is sleeping, shift workers are filling the ever-increasing demand for 24-7 productivity.

Sleep and wake cycles

While it seems reasonable that shift workers can simply sleep during the day, they are at a big disadvantage – fighting the body’s natural sleep patterns that we all experience in the evening hours.

All humans run on a 24-hour sleep and wake cycle, regulated by what’s called a circadian clock. Our circadian clocks are “pre-set” to react to nature’s light and darkness and the desire to sleep is strongest between midnight and 6 a.m. It is no surprise, therefore, that up to 20 percent of shift workers report falling asleep on the job.

How can I solve my sleep problems?

So, what can you do if you are a shift worker? Make sleep take precedence over all other tasks when you arrive home from work. You need to regulate what time you go to bed every day and stay on that schedule. Getting both the quantity and quality of sleep your body needs is important.

Furthermore, you need to communicate this to anyone else present in your home when you return from work. Try wearing earplugs and eye shades to create a tranquil and non-stimulating environment.

Additionally, save household tasks and daily activities until after you wake up – keeping your mind clear and calm before bedtime.

If you are getting adequate sleep, but still find yourself falling asleep during your shift, you may want to contact your employer about filling your schedule with additional tasks or varying your hours.

Insomnia

Falling asleep or staying asleep is not as easy as it seems and is a common problem among adults. According to a survey administered by the National Sleep Foundation, about half of Americans report sleep difficulty at least occasionally. This sleep problem is referred to as insomnia and has some serious effects, including a negative impact on concentration, productivity and mood.

How can I improve my sleep?

The good news is that there are many things that can be done to improve sleep. One of the ways you can improve your sleep is by monitoring your exercise patterns.

Exercise can be great for sleep, especially when done regularly in the afternoon, and not too close to bedtime. Instead of taking that mid-afternoon coffee break, why not take a brisk walk, jog, or bicycle ride?

Research suggests that exercise at this time of day can lead to deeper sleep, meaning you stay longer in the deeper stages of sleep. Also, people who exercise may take less time to fall asleep than people who do not exercise.

Exercise and Sleep

Besides the time of day you exercise, the type of exercise you do can affect how you sleep. If you are having problems with sleep, start paying attention to the types of exercises you do and how well you slept each night. Sleep experts caution people to avoid strenuous exercise right before sleep and even up to three hours before bedtime.

This is because exercise has an alerting effect and causes a rise in body temperature. This rise leads to a corresponding fall in body temperature five to six hours later, so it’s best to time your exercise to when your body temperature will be falling back to normal.

If you have been exercising close to bedtime and are having trouble falling or staying asleep, try to move your workout to earlier in the day.