Some professions require you to work while the rest of the world is asleep. And of course, that means you’ll be trying to sleep as everyone else is hustling and bustling through their days.
If you have to work the night shift, here are a few things to consider when trying to get the most restful sleep:
- Try to make your room as dark as possible. Your body reads light as “awake time,” so you need to make it dark so your body is ready and willing to fall (and stay) asleep. If you work the night hours regularly, it might be worth investing in heavy shades or blackout curtains.
- Create a comfortable place to sleep. Replacing an old pillow or mattress pad can make all the difference in getting truly restful sleep.
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Regardless of when you’re sleeping, it’s essential that you log enough hours so you wake up feeling rested.
- Run errands and do chores on your days off. Once you’re out and about in the sunshine, it’ll be hard to convince your brain and body that it’s time to go to bed.
- Don’t try to catch up on sleep on your days off. In reality, you can’t catch up on lost sleep, and oversleeping on your day off can make sleeping problems even worse.
