Shift work can effect people’s lives greatly as most people on night shifts don’t get an appropriate amount of sleep. Shift work isn’t easy because it involves working against your body’s natural rhythm. You need to be active and alert at night when your body is designed to sleep – but you need to sleep in the day when you’re wired to be awake. Many shift works also then end up driving home at times when their body clock is telling them that they need to sleep. Years of research on night shift workers has shown that they are six times more likely to be in a road accident than other workers.
Night shift workers usually get on average one or two hours less sleep per 24 hours compared to say workers. To avoid fatigue, shift workers need to get as close to eight hours sleep as possible. Losing those one or two hours sleep a day for four days can make you as sleep deprived as missing one whole night of sleep. This level of fatigue also increases the risk of ‘micro sleep – when you fall asleep for a few brief seconds (we’ve all been guilty of this at some point!) but this can be especially dangerous if you’re driving or operating machinery.
Tips for better sleep on night shifts:
– Use heavy curtains or black out blinds to reduce the light level in your bedroom during the day as this can disturb your sleep
– Make sure the temperature in the bedroom isn’t too warm
– Try to make your bedroom as soundproof as possible – close your door and wear earplugs
– Ensure that nothing is set to ‘go off’ when you’re asleep such as the washing machine, dishwasher, phone etc.
– Avoid smoking. Research suggests that smokers have less restful sleep as nicotine acts as a stimulant.
– Think about what you eat and drink before you do go to sleep. Drinks containing caffeine such as tea and coffee can keep you awake. Alcohol also feels like it makes you sleepy to start off with but the effects often wake you up sooner than you would like. Eating too large a meal before you sleep can also keep you awake.
– Depending on the person, you may need time to unwind between work and bed times. Some night shift workers prefer to go straight to bed while others find it’s better to stay awake for a while before drifting off to sleep.
We hope that these tips can help with your sleeping pattern to ensure that no matter your working hours, you can always ensure that you get an excellent night’s sleep.
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Get Laid Beds manufacture every single one of their bed frames in a handmade to order fashion. Based in the heart of the United Kingdom, beds are dispatched daily to cover the whole of the United Kingdom. Please enquire further about international deliveries.
