Shift Work and Sleep: How to Sleep Better on Night and Rotating Shifts

Quick answer: Shift work disrupts sleep because working nights or rotating hours conflicts with your circadian rhythm, the body clock that signals when to sleep and wake. This can cause trouble sleeping, daytime sleepiness, and a condition called shift work sleep disorder. You can sleep better by keeping a steady sleep schedule, using light strategically, timing caffeine early in your shift, napping before work, and keeping your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.

Millions of people work outside the standard daytime schedule. They keep hospitals, factories, restaurants, and emergency services running through the night. About 16% of US wage and salary workers follow a shift work schedule, including roughly 6% who work evenings and 4% who work nights, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counting all nontraditional hours, close to one in five workers is on something other than a 9-to-5.

These schedules make sleep harder to get. Working nights asks the body to stay awake when it wants to sleep, and to sleep when it wants to be awake. Over time, this can affect health, mood, focus, and safety. 

This guide explains how shift work affects sleep, what shift work sleep disorder is, the health and safety risks, and practical ways to sleep better around your schedule.

What Is Shift Work?

Shift work is any work schedule that falls outside the usual daytime hours of about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It includes several types:

• Evening shifts, roughly 2 p.m. to midnight

• Night shifts, roughly 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

• Early morning shifts, roughly 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

• Rotating shifts, where the hours change from week to week or depending on the business needs.

Some people work a fixed shift with the same hours each day. Others rotate between day, evening, and night shifts on a set schedule. Common jobs with shift work include nurses, doctors, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, security guards, factory and production workers, truck drivers, and food service staff.

How Shift Work Affects Sleep

Your body runs on a circadian rhythm, a roughly 24-hour cycle that controls when you feel sleepy and alert. This clock takes its main cue from light. Daylight tells the body to stay awake. Darkness tells it to release melatonin and get ready for sleep.

Shift work puts your schedule and your body clock out of sync. A night worker is awake in the dark and trying to sleep in daylight, which is the opposite of what the clock expects. As a result, many shift workers feel sleepy at work and have trouble falling or staying asleep at home. Daytime sleep is also usually shorter and lighter than nighttime sleep.

The numbers show how common these problems are. In one study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), night-shift workers had the highest rates of sleep problems. About 62% of night workers reported short sleep duration, meaning less than seven hours, compared with 36% of day workers. Insomnia affected about 19% of night workers, more than double the 8% rate among day workers. 

People with shift work sleep problems often lose one to four hours of sleep a day compared with what they need.

Also Read: Sleep Quantity vs Sleep Quality: Which One Do You Actually Need?

What Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?

Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that affects people who work nontraditional hours. It happens when the mismatch between your work schedule and your body clock becomes bad enough to cause ongoing sleep problems.

Common symptoms include:

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

• Excessive sleepiness during work or waking hours

• Trouble concentrating

• Low energy

• Irritability or low mood

Not everyone who works shifts develops SWSD. Feeling tired after a single night shift is normal and isn't the same as the disorder. SWSD involves sleep problems and daytime sleepiness that last and interfere with daily life. If that sounds like your experience, a healthcare provider can diagnose it and suggest treatment.

Health Effects of Shift Work

Ongoing sleep loss and a disrupted body clock are linked to several long-term health risks. Research connects shift work with:

• Metabolic problems, including a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes

• Heart disease, including higher rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease

• Digestive problems, such as stomach upset and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome

• Mental health conditions, including a higher risk of depression and anxiety

• A weakened immune system, which can mean catching colds and infections more easily 

Some effects differ by group. A NIOSH review of research on women found that shift work is associated with modest increases in menstrual irregularity, reduced fertility, and pregnancy complications such as preterm birth, though the evidence on pregnancy is mixed. Women who work nights, especially while pregnant, may want to discuss their schedule with a healthcare provider. 

Working nights also takes an emotional toll. Disrupted sleep affects mood, motivation, and stress, which is one reason shift workers report higher rates of burnout.

Most of these risks come from long-term patterns, not a few late nights. The strategies later in this guide can help reduce the strain.

Also Read: Stress + Lack of Sleep is Affecting Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health

Shift Work and Safety

Sleep loss affects more than health. It also affects alertness, which raises the risk of mistakes and accidents. Compared with day shifts, the risk of accidents and errors is about 28% higher on night shifts and about 15% higher on evening shifts.

Drowsy driving is a specific danger for shift workers, especially on the commute home after a night shift. Most drowsy-driving crashes happen between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the late afternoon. If you feel sleepy behind the wheel, it's safer to nap before driving, share a ride, or use public transportation.

How to Sleep Better on Night Shifts

You can't fully override your circadian rhythm, but you can work with it to get more and better sleep. These strategies are supported by sleep research.

Keep a consistent sleep schedule

Go to bed and wake up at the same times as much as you can, even on days off when possible. A steady schedule helps your body adjust to your shift pattern. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period, even if you split it into two blocks.

Use light to your advantage

Light is the strongest signal for your body clock, so the timing of light exposure matters.

• Keep your work area bright during your shift to stay alert.

• On the way home after a night shift, wear sunglasses, ideally blue-light blocking, so morning sun doesn't signal your body to wake up.

• Keep your bedroom as dark as possible for daytime sleep, using blackout curtains or an eye mask.

Time caffeine carefully

A coffee at the start of your shift can help you stay alert. Stop caffeine at least 4 to 6 hours before you plan to sleep, since it stays in your body long enough to make falling asleep harder.

Nap before your shift

A nap of about 1.5 to 3 hours before a night shift can improve your alertness at work. If your workplace allows it, a short nap of 10 to 20 minutes during a break can ease sleepiness without leaving you groggy.

Set up your bedroom for daytime sleep

• Keep the room cool, around 60 to 67°F (15 to 19°C).

• Block out light with blackout curtains or an eye mask.

• Use earplugs, a fan, or a white noise machine to cover daytime noise.

• Silence your phone unless you need to be reachable.

Wind down before sleep

Go to bed soon after your shift rather than staying up. A short routine, like a warm shower and dim lights, signals your body that it's time to sleep. Avoid drinking alcohol to fall asleep, since it lowers sleep quality later in the night.

How to Sleep on Rotating and Third Shifts

Rotating shifts are especially hard on sleep because the body never settles into one schedule. A few things make them easier.

1. Rotate forward when possible. Your body clock adjusts more easily when shifts rotate forward, from day to evening to night, than when they rotate backward. If you have any say in scheduling, forward rotation is gentler.

2. Pay attention to how often you rotate. For many people, changing shifts every five to seven days is the hardest. Rotating faster, every two to three days, or slower, can cause fewer problems, since the body spends more time in one schedule.

3. Allow recovery time. Try to have enough hours off between shifts for a full sleep period, ideally at least 11 hours.

For a third or overnight shift, protecting your daytime sleep is the priority. Treat it like nighttime sleep: a dark, cool, quiet room, your phone off, and a clear boundary with family or housemates so you aren't interrupted.

Also Read: This Common Habit Makes Insomnia Worse

When to See a Doctor

Occasional rough sleep comes with shift work, but ongoing problems are worth medical attention. Consider seeing a healthcare provider if you:

• Regularly can't fall asleep or stay asleep despite trying the strategies above

• Feel excessively sleepy during work or daily activities

• Fall asleep unintentionally

• Notice if your mood, focus, or safety is affected

A healthcare provider can check for shift work sleep disorder and other sleep conditions, and discuss treatments such as light therapy, planned sleep and nap schedules, or short-term medication.

Sleep better around your schedule

If you work nights or rotating shifts and want natural support for winding down, Sip2Sleep® is a melatonin-free, liquid sleep aid made with Montmorency tart cherry and Venetron® to help you relax into restful sleep, without next-day grogginess.

About the author

Dr. Ruchir P. Patel, MD, FACP, is the Medical Director of the Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona and the founder of Sip2Sleep. He is triple board-certified in sleep medicine, obesity medicine, and internal medicine. Dr. Patel is a multi-year Phoenix Magazine Top Doctor and holds the Inspire Excellence designation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I sleep when I work the night shift? 

Night shifts conflict with your circadian rhythm, the body clock that uses light and dark to tell you when to sleep. Being awake at night and sleeping during the day work against that signal, which makes it harder to fall and stay asleep. Keeping your room dark, timing light and caffeine, and holding a steady schedule can help.

How many hours of sleep do shift workers need? 

The same as everyone else, about 7 to 9 hours in each 24-hour period. Many shift workers fall short, so splitting sleep into two blocks can help when one long stretch isn't possible.

Is shift work bad for your health? 

Long-term shift work is linked to higher risks of metabolic, heart, digestive, and mental health problems, mostly through sleep loss and circadian disruption. It also raises the risk of accidents from drowsiness. Good sleep habits and regular check-ins with a provider help reduce the strain.

Which rotating shift schedule is easiest on sleep? 

Schedules that rotate forward, from day to evening to night, are generally easier than ones that rotate backward. Rotating every two to three days, or less often, also tends to cause fewer sleep problems than rotating every five to seven days.

References

1. Redeker NS, Caruso CC, Hashmi SD, Mullington JM, Grandner M, Morgenthaler TI. Workplace Interventions to Promote Sleep Health and an Alert, Healthy Workforce. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019 Apr 15;15(4):649-657. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.7734. PMID: 30952228; PMCID: PMC6457507. 

2. Jehan S, Zizi F, Pandi-Perumal SR, Myers AK, Auguste E, Jean-Louis G, McFarlane SI. Shift Work and Sleep: Medical Implications and Management. Sleep Med Disord. 2017;1(2):00008. Epub 2017 Oct 6. PMID: 29517053; PMCID: PMC5836745. 

3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019, September 24). Job flexibilities and work schedules summary (Economic News Release, USDL-19-1691). U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/flex2.nr0.htm

4. Calvert, G. (2016, October 5). Shift work and sleep. NIOSH Science Bulletin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2016/shift-work.html

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2020, March 31). Diseases and shift work (continued): Reproductive outcomes (NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours, Module 3, Page 21). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod3/21.html

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2020, March 31). Module 7. Napping, an important fatigue countermeasure (NIOSH training for nurses on shift work and long work hours, Module 7, Page 1). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod7/01.html