How to sleep: the best tips for falling asleep after a “difficult” night shift
Basic sleep hygiene requires that a person wake up and go to bed at the same time each day; such a simple engagement can really help you fall asleep within minutes of getting into bed. However, training your circadian rhythm is not a possibility if your job requires you to work different hours, especially if it involves late or night work. If you are working a “hard” work schedule, what can you do about it – without quitting your job?
As soon as you finish your shift, Medical News Today strongly recommends that you get ready for bed.
“Do not delay going to bed,” urged the health site. “The longer you wait for bed, the more likely you are to become awake.”
It’s always important to make sure you can get seven to nine hours of sleep a day, no matter what time you go to bed.
If that means finishing your work at 4 a.m., going to bed at 4:30 a.m. and waking up at 12:30 p.m., so be it.
READ MORE: Pfizer recall: “unexpected” side effect after third dose
“Have something to eat and drink before going to bed,” the health site continued.
This is how hunger and thirst pangs don’t wake you up while you are trying to sleep.
Also, although some people may assume that alcohol helps them sleep, it is better to do without the sedative.
Alcohol interferes with good quality sleep, so you are likely to wake up the next day without feeling rested.
DO NOT MISS :
In addition, it is also advisable not to smoke before bedtime, as nicotine is a stimulant, which can make falling asleep more difficult.
“Stay away from activities that make you more alert until the hours leading up to your next shift,” Medical News Today added.
It could be reading a really good book, watching a TV show, or exercising.
Having a bedroom that is suitable for sleeping, regardless of the time of day, can also really help.
A bedroom suitable for sleep will be quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature.
To help you fall asleep, blackout blinds or curtains can be very handy.
To help block out any daytime noise that may be occurring in your household, it’s also a good idea to invest in headphones.
Alternatively, a sound machine – or the hissing of a fan – can also help you fall asleep.
If you’ve been exposed to artificial light, such as from a computer screen, just before finishing your shift, wearing sunglasses can help.
“Research has shown that night workers who were exposed to bright light during their shift and who wore sunglasses on the way home to suppress the light fell asleep faster and slept longer after their shift. shift that people who had not received exposure to bright light, ”Medical News Today elaborated.
Also, keep in mind that caffeine is a stimulant, so you shouldn’t drink it six hours before falling asleep.