Sleep Strategies for Shift Workers
By Jennifer Mooney, LMHC
“How did you sleep last night?”
Does that question make you sigh, grumble, or even cringe? We’ve discussed the importance of good sleep in past blog posts, like Sleep … It just can’t be overrated and Sleep - Just How Important Is It? Those posts covered many of the fundamental strategies for improving sleep. A more recent blog post focused more specifically on Sleep & ADHD: Restorative Rest for Improved Productivity.
Good sleep is a pillar of health, and it’s a topic worth revisiting!
Perhaps instead of sleeping last night, you were working an overnight shift. Or maybe last night was your first night off as you prepare to transition from a string of night shifts to a day shift. With many different types of work schedules including fixed shifts, rotating shifts, compressed workweeks, on-call shifts, and weekend shifts, work can add significantly to the challenge of getting good sleep.
Recent research has aimed to develop sleep guidelines that are tailored for shift workers. While further investigation is needed to determine the effectiveness of these approaches, shift workers may find some of the following strategies helpful:
- Customized sleep schedule: Since a single, unchanging sleep/wake schedule is often unrealistic for shift workers, aim for consistency within each schedule type. For example, establish a "bedtime A" for day shifts, "bedtime B" for overnights, and "bedtime C" for days off. This approach helps your body find a rhythm, even with varying work hours.
- Strategic transitions: Plan your transitions between different shift types and to/from days off. For instance, when moving from night shift to days off, consider a shorter sleep in the morning, then wake up, get some natural light, and go to bed earlier in the evening.
- Leveraging naps: While traditional sleep advice often discourages napping, it can be a valuable tool for shift workers. Depending on the length of the nap, it could help with alertness (short power naps) or reducing accumulated sleep debt (longer naps). The key is strategic timing to avoid interfering with your main sleep period.
- Managing light exposure: Light is a powerful cue for your body. While morning sunlight can be beneficial when you're waking up for a day shift, bright light should be limited as you approach your target bedtime. If you're coming off a night shift, wearing sunglasses on your way home could help you prepare to ease into your main sleep.
- Mindful caffeine use: While moderate amounts of caffeine may be helpful for alertness before or early in your shift, it could disrupt your sleep if continued later in your shift as you approach your planned bedtime.
Finding your optimal sleep strategy as a shift worker may take time, patience, and commitment. It's a process of exploration to understand what works best for your unique body, schedule, and lifestyle. If you find yourself struggling with sleep concerns that are connected to anxiety, depression, stress, or ADHD, engaging in therapy at Behavioral Health Partners may help. Behavioral Health Partners is brought to you by Well-U, offering eligible individuals mental health services for stress, anxiety, depression, and ADHD. To schedule an intake appointment, give us a call at (585) 276-6900.
References:
Shriane, A. E., Rigney, G., Ferguson, S. A., Bin, Y. S., & Vincent, G. E. (2023). Healthy sleep practices for shift workers: Consensus sleep hygiene guidelines using a Delphi methodology. Sleep, 46(12), Article zsad182. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad182
Torquati, L., Mielke, G. I., Brown, W. J., Burton, N. W., & Kolbe-Alexander, T. L. (2019). Shift work and poor mental health: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. American Journal of Public Health, 109(11), e13–e20. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305278
What is shift work disorder? (2020, November). Retrieved from https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/shift-work/
Global Administrator | 5/1/2026
