Good bye to fatigue: Eleven tips to master the night shift

Empty corridors, residents sleep and colleagues are out of reach. Staying awake during the night shift requires more than a liter of coffee . Body therapist and life coach Michael Sudahl gives eleven tips on how to outsmart fatigue and find a good night’s sleep during the day.

The night becomes the day

Bright workplace lighting works wonders and helps to stay awake. So turn on more light where you are. „The light color is also crucial,“ says Sudahl, who works as a craniosacral therapist. Bluish and thus cold light colors, as they have screens, keep you awake rather than warm light.

Timing for the coffee break

Coffee, with its stimulating caffeine content, is a good way to prepare for a night shift. But watch out: you should drink the pick-me-up one or two hours before the start of work, so that the caffeine shows its effect. For a quiet and restful sleep after the shift, you should consume no more wake-up after two o’clock.

Turning thumbs is not enough

In order to stay awake you should move a lot, so that the cycle is cranked. Jumping jacks, stretching or push-ups in the ready room can invigorate limping limbs. „Protect your legs, if possible, in the open air,“ advises Sudahl. Fresh air supplies your brain with oxygen. That keeps you awake.

Food as an energy supplier

Be careful not to eat heavy or greasy dishes before the night shift. Burgers, pizza or spaghetti bolognese make you look lazy and tired. Light and small meals such as trail mix, salad or fresh fruit are helpful in surviving the night without a rumbling stomach. And they do not fat because they have hardly any calories.

Whoever rested falls asleep

All tasks are done, colleagues are busy and the residents are sleeping. „At idle body and mind relax – and we get tired,“ clarifies Sudahl. Now you should look for tasks. After all, there is always something to do. Continually take care of jobs that have remained over the day or ask colleagues if they need help. So the time goes around faster and you work at the same time on your image. A win-win situation.

Become a biorhythm coach

You should go to sleep later the day before to better sleep. So your body can better adjust to the night shift. Getting up late in the morning compensates for the late night’s sleep. The trick: with this, your body is trained on the new shift and lasts longer during the night.

The dark night

End of the shift, the sun is rising, your feet are flat. But finally in bed, body and head still often do not want to fall asleep. Because: it is against our nature to sleep in brightness. Thank serotonin. The wax hormone is mainly released at dawn. Therapist Sudahl knows a way that influences the messenger production: „Put on sunglasses after the end of the shift, so you do not even get used to the daylight,“ he advises. At home, shut down blinds, close the shutters or provide a blind for darkness. So you get your deserved sleep, even in the summer.

Noises, off

Now it is dark. The last thing you need now are engines that roar through the window, neighbors with a lawn mower, or constant cell phone ringing. Protect yourself against disturbing noises. Earplugs in any color and shape can help you with this. Otherwise, shielding headphones with a soothing Beethoven or Mozart piece help hide sounds. „Even melodious whale songs help you to come down,“ says the life coach from his own practical experience. Just google.

The Tummler

Many can not fall asleep directly after a shift and roll around in bed instead. Counting sheep, solving math problems or trying to fall asleep on command usually does not work. Instead, read a book until the fatigue occurs alone. „Also consciously reminiscing the day and concluding it helps to tame the head cinema,“ explains Sudahl. Remember what went well and what was not so successful – and let the thoughts go.

Make use of being a habit animal

Some go to the bathroom every morning at seven o’clock because the body knows it’s time to get up. The same thing works with falling asleep. „Take rituals for support,“ says the coach. This can be a lukewarm shower or a certain type of tea that you prepare and drink before going to bed. How to signal your body: Now is bedtime. A short meditation helps to get down. „Feel yourself into your body and signal to him that tensions may be allowed and now is time for relaxation, for letting go,“ said the life counselor.

Hands off the phone

At least one, better two hours before going to bed, your phone should be allowed to rest. Because the many messages seem like little bouts of happiness – and they can even make you addicted. In any case, they are more likely to keep us awake. If you want to rest, then banish your smartphone from the bedroom. Incidentally, there are cool alarm clocks with lights that simulate a sunrise. Ideal to start the next night shift.