Shift Work Sleep Tips: How to Rest When Your Schedule Isn’t Normal

If you work nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts, you already know good sleep hits different. Problem is, shift work can make it tricky to get enough.

That’s because your schedule is basically arguing with biology. Your body runs on a circadian rhythm — an internal clock designed to sleep at night and stay alert during the day. When you work against that rhythm, sleep can feel shorter, lighter, and way easier to interrupt. 

And because sleep is a big part of mental health (mood, stress tolerance, emotional regulation…all of it), disrupted sleep can crank up irritability, anxiety, and burnout. 

At Pogo, we talk a lot about sleep because it’s one of the most overlooked tools for protecting your mental health, especially for shift workers in Pottawatomie County.

Here’s the good news: even if you can’t control your schedule, you can control your sleep strategy. Here are some tips to try next time you’re hitting the hay.

Why Shift Work Disrupts Sleep

Your circadian rhythm is influenced by cues like light exposure and routine. There lies the problem. When you work overnight or rotate shifts, you’re often awake when your body expects sleep.

For some people, this turns into Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD), a condition where people who work hours outside the “regular” 9-5 workday experience issues with going to sleep, staying asleep, and being excessively sleepy when you need to be awake. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 20% of the full-time U.S. workforce does some form of shift work, and SWSD may affect 10%–40% of people working nontraditional shifts.

Shift Work and Mental Health

Sleep loss leads to more than exhaustion. It can make you more reactive, less tolerant of stress, and more likely to develop depression or anxiety.

For shift workers, not getting enough healthy sleep can mean:

• Higher anxiety

• Mood swings

• Increased irritability

• Difficulty concentrating

• Emotional exhaustion

When your sleep is inconsistent, your nervous system doesn’t fully reset. Protecting sleep is mental health infrastructure.

Shift Work Sleep Tips

You may not be able to change your schedule. But you can absolutely support your sleep quality. Here’s how.

1. Control Your Light Exposure (It Matters More Than You Think)

Light is the strongest signal for your body’s natural clock. Finding ways to limit and control your exposure to it can be the difference between a good night’s sleep and restless rest.

If you work night shift:

• Use bright light during your shift to stay alert

• Wear sunglasses on your drive home (yes, really)

• Keep your bedroom dark during daytime sleep

• Use blackout curtains or eye masks to block light

Darkness tells your brain it’s time to produce melatonin — even if it’s 10 a.m.

2. Create a Consistent Sleep Window

Research shows irregular sleep timing increases circadian misalignment and fatigue, especially for rotating shift workers. Even if you’re getting “enough” hours, unpredictable timing can worsen mood and alertness.

Predictability helps your body adapt. Instead of chasing perfect sleep, create an anchor window — a block of sleep you protect no matter what shift you’re on. For example, always sleep from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. after night shifts or protect 4–5 consistent hours daily, then add a nap before your next shift. 

Harvard Health recommends keeping your sleep and wake times as regular as possible — even on days off — to reduce the constant “jet lag” effect of shift work. And if you know a switch is coming, gradually shifting your bedtime/wake time 1–2 hours per day ahead of the change can help you adjust.

3. Keep Your Room Cool and Quiet

Daytime sleep is lighter and easier to disrupt, so it’s critical to set up your environment for success. 

Support it by:

• Keeping your room between 60–68°F

• Making the room as dark as possible

• Using white noise or a fan

• Wearing earplugs and an eyemask

• Silencing your phone

• Posting a “Do Not Disturb” note on the door

4. Be Strategic With Caffeine

Caffeine can be helpful during night shifts, but timing matters. 

Sleep Foundation recommends having caffeine at the beginning of your shift, using it in moderation, and avoiding it within 3–4 hours of when you plan to sleep. Caffeine can stay in your system for 6+ hours and delay sleep onset.

And when you’re off shift? Skip it close to bedtime.

5. Eat Light Before Sleep

If you’re hungry after your shift, choose something light and easy to digest, like yogurt, oatmeal, a banana with peanut butter, or a protein bar. Heavy meals before bed can disrupt sleep. 

Also, avoid alcohol as a sleep aid. It may make you drowsy, but it fragments sleep later.

6. Protect the Transition Home

After a night shift, your body is somehow wired and tired at the same time.

Create a wind-down buffer by: 

• Avoiding stimulating conversations

• Dimming lights immediately when you get home

• Keeping your routine simple and repeatable

• Alerting your household to your sleep schedule

Think: shower, snack, pajamas, dark room. Train your brain that this sequence means sleep.

7. Nap With Intention

Naps can reduce sleep debt and boost alertness — if you keep them strategic.

Short naps (10-20 minutes) before a shift or on your break can boost alertness without causing deep-sleep grogginess. While longer naps may reduce sleep debt when you’re off the clock, avoid napping for too long, especially close your main sleep window or your shift.

Also: sleep inertia is real. That post-nap grogginess can last 15–30 minutes (and sometimes longer), so don’t schedule “drive home on the highway at 80 mph” as your immediate follow-up activity. 

8. Communicate With Your Household

Shift workers often struggle because the world operates on daytime norms. Let your family, roommates, or neighbors know your sleep window. 

You could put your shift calendar on the fridge or send a text to your family or roommates. 

Post it. Share it. Protect it. Your sleep deserves respect.

What About Rotating Shifts?

Rotating shifts are especially tough because your body never fully adapts.

UCLA Health notes that random rotation is particularly hard on the body and that planning ahead (gradually shifting sleep time before a schedule change) can help. 

If you rotate:

• Try to rotate forward (day → evening → night), which is easier for the body

• Maintain one consistent sleep anchor

• Prioritize dark, cool sleep environments

Small stability helps in unstable schedules.

Signs You Might Need Extra Support

Your work schedule is hard. There’s no denying that. If you’re experiencing the following, it might be a good idea to talk with a healthcare provider.

• Chronic insomnia or trouble staying asleep

• Excessive sleepiness during shifts (especially if it's impacting your safety)

• Mood changes that feel unmanageable

• Falling asleep unintentionally

Experts at the Cleveland Clinic note providers often diagnose Shift Work Sleep Disorder when symptoms persist for at least three months, and they may use a sleep diary (often two weeks of notes) and sometimes additional testing to rule out other causes. 

Need a Quick Reference?

If you’re a shift worker and want these tips in one place, download Pogo’s free Shift Work Sleep Tips PDF here.

Make it your lock screen. Stick it on your fridge. Put it up in the break room. Protecting your sleep is protecting your mental health.

The Bottom Line for Shift Workers

Shift work and sleep disruption are common, but burnout doesn’t have to be. Protecting your light exposure, caffeine intake, and sleep window protects your mental health.

You don’t have to sleep at 10 p.m. to build better sleep habits. If you’re in Pottawatomie County, the Pottawatomie County Sleep Challenge can help you pick up a few new healthy habits to add to your sleep routine. Prioritize your health and sign up here.