How to maintain your health while working during the night shift

sachi416hopper (25)in #health • 6 years ago

I work in food industry as a QA Tech, and one of the negative aspects of my job is rotation of shifts (day, afternoon, night).

It is important to note that night shift requires some routine adjustments in your life. This can be your daily food intake, sleeping patterns, and social life.

I have worked in night shift on and off, and I have found the current schedule suites me the best. I hope that you get some helpful ideas for a better transition towards night shift

My night shift is between 10PM-6AM. Therefore,

8:30-9:00 PM = I usually eat my dinner with family. I also drink some coffee or tea before leaving for work. Dinner usually consists of Rice, a meat, and a green dish. I also eat some fruits after the dinner.

12 AM = I make some green tea at work to help re-energize myself. Also, I don’t pick any harsh caffeine’s’ to drink because later during the day my body becomes dehydrated, and it won’t help me fall asleep

3 AM = I pack a light lunch. Portioned rice, vegetables and some protein. After my lunch I tend to eat some fruits or yogurt

4:00-5:00 AM: This is the time I re-fill my green tea cup in order to keep myself hydrated and alert

6:30 AM: By the time I get home I don’t get too hungry. If I am, I tend to eat a very light snack such as a small bowl of cereal with milk, a cup of milk, or a banana

7:30 AM: When the light tends to seep in from the outside, I tend to get restless. Therefore, after I take a shower, and depending on my mood if I am able to sleep on not, I take a sleep eezzz sleeping pill to better facilitate my sleep.

2:30-3:30 PM = This is the time I usually wake up to drink my milk tea with sugar.

4:00 PM = I do a quick 30 or 40 minutes’ workout prior to eating my breakfast. This helps me to re-energize my body

5:00 PM: I make a bowl of oat meal with my favorite fruits, combined with milk and brown sugar

8:30-9:00 PM = REPEAT

Other important factors to keep in mind:

1.Don’t forget to drink a lot of water to keep yourself fresh and hydrated. Stay AWAY from strong caffeinated products

2.Don’t forget to drink a multi-vitamin supplement. Also, Vitamin D supplement is highly recommended due to lack of sun exposure when working at night

3.Ensure that your room is completely blocked out of light. Your sleeping can be improved by using a sleeping mask, and earplugs.

4.Exercising is crucial factor. I tend to work out right after waking up because it gives me a positive boost of energy. By the time I get home, I am already tired, and ready to sleep. I try to avoid exercising right before I go to sleep due to the adrenaline rush.

5.I tend to get cravings for high carb, and fatty foods during the night. In order to prevent my unwanted cravings I always pack a light snack (protein bar, yogurt).