Maintaining good sleep hygiene is one of the major ways of keeping a healthy body. In fact, the lack of thereof can cause a wide variety of health issues, from low energy and overall tiredness to lack of motivation, mood swings, or even depression. While nine-to-five jobs give you the perfect opportunity to follow a regular sleeping cycle, maintaining a healthy sleep when working shifts may not be that easy.
About a quarter of Americans are considered to be working in irregular patterns – evenings or nights. This, obviously, affects their lives, and sleeping is no exception. But it does not have to be this way. In fact, there are many strategies that you can use to enjoy a good night’s sleep, including taking short naps, improving your diet, setting up a more consistent sleep schedule, as well as learning to switch between sleep patterns.
In other words, shift work does not necessarily have to have a negative impact on your well-being. Instead, by following some of the tips mentioned below, you can enjoy some good sleep without going crazy. Read on to learn all about it!
Try Relaxing Oils and Solutions
For starters, you could start using aromatherapy to make falling asleep and staying asleep more manageable. Lavender or vanilla essential oils have calming properties, meaning that they can be of help if you are having trouble sleeping. Other than that, Delta 8 THC products are becoming more and more popular among people who want to improve their sleep. You can find more Delta 8 THC products here. With the help of such products, you should be able to get a night of deep, healthy sleep with ease.
Get a Personalized Sleep Schedule
Next, it is important that you follow a regular sleeping pattern, preferably one that is similar to one that you would have at a nine-to-five job. That way, you will be able to maintain a stable routine and stay healthy.
When planning on when you are going to be sleeping, you should start taking sleep cycles into account. One sleep cycle lasts about ninety minutes, meaning that instead of counting hours, you should count in ninety-minute intervals and get as many such intervals in as possible, as waking up in the middle of one such cycle is likely to make you feel groggy.
Try a Short Nap During Lunch Break
When it comes to working shifts, naps are an effective way to ensure that you get enough sleep. Research has shown that a nap should last from ten to twenty minutes. A longer nap is likely to make you feel exhausted and make it harder for you to fall asleep at bedtime. So, by taking a short nap, you can recharge your batteries without worrying about ruining your circadian rhythm.
Your naps should be regular, too. This means that if you take a nap during lunchtime, you should be consistent and keep on doing it every day. This way, you will have a strong nap trigger at lunchtime, which will help you fall asleep faster and make you feel more energized once you wake up.
Improve Your Diet
When talking about improving one’s sleep hygiene, diet is an important factor to consider. Even though it takes a few weeks to see results, you can change your diet and be able to rest better at night.
For starters, make sure that you eat regular meals throughout the day and avoid eating heavy foods before bedtime. Additionally, make sure that you are not eating too many carbohydrates or fats, as they can cause indigestion and heartburn, which are both sleep-disrupting issues. Apart from that, you should avoid drinking excessive amounts of coffee and alcohol at all costs! Both of them can cause sleep issues and lead to insomnia.
Implement Sleeping Tricks
Last but not least, listening to white noise, which can mask unwanted sounds and help you get better sleep, can be a great way to make falling asleep and staying asleep easier. Another option would be to install warm dim lights in your bedroom, which can reduce stress and make you feel calmer.
It is also important to keep your room temperature comfortable. In addition, it should not be too bright. If you are cold, add an extra blanket, and if it is too bright, consider installing some lampshades or blackout curtains.
In Conclusion
Working shifts does not have to be bad for your sleep. In fact, if you try to maintain a regular sleeping pattern, you will eventually get used to sleeping less and being able to wake up early without losing your sanity. From taking short naps to listening to white noise, there are many ways to make your sleeping cycle more regular and healthy. However, it is important to remember that every person is different, so it is best to experiment and find a routine that works for you!
