6 tips for a good night's sleep for the night shift

First, it's a good idea to take a foot bath before going to bed

If you work late night shifts, it is recommended to take a foot bath 30 minutes ~ 1 hour and 30 minutes before going to bed before going to bed. If you work night shifts, you'll often go to bed in the morning when your body temperature rises. Foot baths help us sleep by lowering our body temperature.

Second, the schedule is clockwise

It is generally recommended to schedule shifts in a clockwise direction (daytime-evening-night shift) rather than counterclockwise (night-evening-daytime). This is because our body's sleep rhythm is longer than 24 hours, so it's easy to go to bed an hour or two later than usual, but it's hard to go to bed early.

Third, you can use coffee

If you need to work early in the morning, you can take advantage of caffeine. If you're not too sensitive to caffeine, you can generally get the effects of caffeine for about 4~5 hours, so it's ideal to drink 1~2 cups of coffee after starting your night shift. Caffeine nap, which wakes you up refreshed after taking a short nap of 15~20 minutes while the caffeine is absorbed by your body, is also fine.

However, the disadvantage is that caffeine is easily tolerated. It is said that if you consume it frequently, the amount you need will gradually increase, and in the process, various side effects related to caffeine will occur, such as gastrointestinal upset. Therefore, it is better to have a pause in between.

Fourth, melatonin-based sleep-inducing drugs do not develop tolerance

Melatonin*-based sleep inducers are suitable for insomnia caused by night shifts. People who work night shifts often fall asleep at a time when the body does not secrete melatonin, and melatonin-based sleep inducers can induce quality sleep by replenishing this hormone in the body. Since melatonin is a substance present in our body, it also has the advantage of not developing dependence or tolerance when taken through medications.

Melatonin preparations should be taken 2 hours before bedtime, and it is recommended to take them for at least 4 weeks, as they are effective in correcting sleep rhythms rather than inducing sleep immediately.

Fifth, be careful about binge-sleeping on weekends

For those who are sleep-deprived due to night shifts, they may supplement their extra sleep during the holidays. However, if this pattern continues, it can change the rhythm of life and make it difficult to maintain sleep quality.

If you want to binge sleep on the weekend, I recommend sleeping at the same time every week. It can make up for the lack of sleep while keeping the overall sleep rhythm undisturbed.

Sixth, it's also a good idea to eat cold tomatoes before bed

Cold vegetables, such as tomatoes, give you a slight feeling of fullness and help you sleep better by lowering your body temperature.

However, it is not recommended to consume too much of these foods. If your stomach is full of food when you are lying down, it can easily regurgitate food and irritate your airways, leading to snoring or sleep apnea.