How to Work the Third Shift and Stay Healthy

Getting enough quality sleep is often the primary concern for night workers.

Doctors, nurses and emergency personnel must sometimes work the third shift, in addition to factory workers, call center employees and other workers. The human body is naturally oriented to sleep at night, making it difficult for some to adjust to a daytime sleeping schedule. Staying healthy while working the third shift is mostly dependent on adjusting to your new sleep schedule. However, exercise and nutrition also are essential to maintaining your health.

Things You'll Need

• Curtains
• Fan
• Sleep aids
• Foods

Instructions

Sleep

1. Avoid consumption of caffeine or nicotine after midnight. These stimulants can make it more difficult for you to adjust to a daytime sleeping routine.

2. Customize your bedroom for daytime sleeping. Hang room-darkening curtains on all the windows. Unplug your phone and turn off your pager. Turn on a fan to drown out daytime noises.

3. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day to "instruct" your body to adjust to your third-shift routine. Strive for eight hours of sleep each day.

4. Instruct your family members and friends to leave you alone during your sleep time. Make appointments only during your waking hours.

5. Avoid "flip-flopping" your sleep schedule. Some third-shift workers may stick to a night schedule during the week and attempt a day schedule during time off work. Doing so confuses your body's sleep cycle and impairs your mental function and energy levels. Prolonged sleep flip-flopping may even reduce your life expectancy, according to EMS World.

6. Consult your doctor about sleep aids if you still have trouble sleeping after several weeks. Sleep aids are typically a short-term solution as they can result in side effects, such as dizziness. However, taking them temporarily may help your body adjust to your schedule.

Nutrition and Exercise

1. Exercise regularly, engaging in both cardiovascular and strength-training routines. Keeping your body fit boosts your immune system. You'll also handle stress better.

2. Exercise when you wake up, before work, rather than before bedtime. This encourages your body's adherence to a daytime sleep schedule.

3. Maintain a healthy, balanced meal plan. Eating junk food may spike your blood sugar, leaving you fatigued several hours later. Fill your diet with nutritious foods to strengthen your immune system.

References

• MayoClinic.com: Adult Health: Shift Work
• EMS World: Surviving the Night Shift

Resources

• Scrubs: You Can Thrive on the Night Shift