![]() A short afternoon or evening nap of around 90 minutes at home before a night shift however can be helpful in boosting energy levels especially if you’re transitioning from a day to a night shift.Īfter a final night shift, aim for a short morning nap (1-2 hours), ideally before midday then get up and try to keep to as ‘normal’ day as possible. If napping is adopted, appropriate facilities should be provided with scheduled breaks of ideally around 40 minutes to allow workers sufficient time to have a short nap, refresh themselves and regain alertness before resuming work. Napping should not adopted in work environments where important decisions, especially safety-critical decisions, could be clouded by sleepiness. Napping should be well supervised and only be used as a strategy in organisations where there is a high risk of involuntary sleeping, such as driving and night-time vigilance tasks. Be cautious of wearing sunglasses however if you are driving! If possible wear sunglasses on the way home from work – daylight will encourage your brain to feel awake and reduce your chance of getting good quality sleep. Delay your journey and have a power nap if you feel sleepy. If you must drive, you may find exercising briefly before your journey helps you to feel more alert. Shift work clock drivers#The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) recognises that drivers who work shifts as being a high-risk group for fatigue related car accidents, especially at the end of a night shift or a long shift. There are also breathing exercises that can be practised which are great for relaxing and reducing stress levels.Ĭonsider using public transport or taxis after working a night shift. Rather than using electronic devices, try yoga, meditation or reading. ![]() It’s still important to wind down properly before sleep no matter what time you go to bed. ![]() Swap a large, heavy meal for a something lighter and resist the temptation to eat fatty, processed foods. Try not to rely on caffeinated drinks to keep you awake during the night as it will make it more difficult to fall asleep later, and if possible, avoid caffeine consumption five to six hours before going to sleep. Use ear plugs to muffle external noise and talk to your partner, family or housemates about keeping any internal noise to a minimum.Ĭonsider what you’re eating and drinking. Invest in black out curtains or blinds to block out light and if needs be, use an eye mask too. ![]() It needs to be cool, quiet, dark and make sure you’re sleeping on a comfortable bed. Make sure the sleeping environment is as conducive to rest as possible. The combination of shift work and added stress is a double whammy and strategies are needed to help with relaxation and to handle changing sleep patterns or to get the most out of broken sleep. It can cause chronic sleep deprivation which has serious implication on health, productivity and safety.īecause of the different sleep times, bedtime routines should be taken from environmental cues rather than timings. ![]() Some shift workers may work a week of nights, others may have mixed rotating shifts, making it difficult to get into any kind of routine. Unfortunately shift workers have the hardest time when it comes to achieving a good night’s sleep. ![]()
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