Avoid products that contain alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before you go to sleep. They can keep you awake and make it difficult to get restful sleep. If you have a few days before your first shift, ease yourself into sleeping during the day. Start going to bed and waking up incrementally later, and sleep in as late as you can the morning before your shift. Take a nap the afternoon before your shift, especially if you haven’t yet gotten into the habit of sleeping all day. A 30- to 40-minute nap can really help you feel rested before work!
This should be your main meal of the day. Be sure you also eat a light meal right after you get off work so you don’t go to sleep hungry.
A caffeinated beverage can give you an energy boost for up to 6 hours, which is why 1 is usually more than enough for an overnight shift. Don’t drink more than 400 mg of caffeine daily. Caffeine is safe in moderate amounts, but drinking more than that can cause negative side effects.
You can also enjoy a light “lunch” halfway through your shift, but don’t overeat all at once! Bring your favorite foods to help boost your mood and make your shift enjoyable.
Drink ice-cold water throughout your shift to help you stay awake. Bring your favorite drinks so you have a treat during your shift. You don’t have to drink only water to stay hydrated. Milk, juice, and herbal teas are also made mostly of water! A good portion of your daily intake should be water, but you can enjoy other beverages too. Dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired because you don’t have enough water if your body to maintain normal functions—which is why it’s so important to drink up throughout the shift.
Be careful not to sleep longer than 30 minutes, or you might wake up feeling even more tired. Exercise self-discipline and get up right when your alarm goes off. If you struggle with hitting the “snooze” button, try setting up the alarm device in a spot out of arms’ reach, so you have to get up to turn it off. Not every work environment allows napping. Get approval from your manager before planning to take a nap during work hours, even if you do it during a scheduled break.
If you’re nervous about working overnight, some quick exercise can help you feel calmer and happier in addition to being more alert. Whatever you do, ensure it won’t disturb anyone else in your workplace. For example, it’s easy to do some jumping jacks in an empty break room, but jogging around the workplace might distract coworkers.
On the way home from your shift, try wearing sunglasses and suppressing your exposure to light as much as possible. This can help you fall asleep faster when you get home.
It’s okay to be nervous before your first shift, especially if you’re not used to staying up at night. Make a quick list of ways to wake up if you feel tired during your shift. It’s often helpful to rely on your colleagues for support (and vice versa). They also need ways to stay alert, so you can help one another out and chat during the shift. If you get really sleepy, you can also run to the bathroom and splash some water on your face for a quick pick-me-up.
If you have a colleague used to overnight shifts and comfortable driving afterward, you could also ask them to give you a ride home.
Turn off all televisions, computers, and electronics that might distract you from sleep. If it’s still hard to fall asleep, try a relaxing activity beforehand to decompress you, like yoga or a warm bath.
Set a single bedtime and wake-up time you can adhere to on days with overnight shifts. On off days, try to stay up until around 3 AM and sleep until noon, so there’s still some overlap in sleeping times every 24-hour period. Plan meals at a particular time every day too. If you have chores, pick a day you’ll do each one consistently every week. Make time for fun, friends, and family! Taking care of your mental health and maintaining your social life while working the night shift is important.
