Wake Up and Get Some Sleep: Improve the Quality of Your Sleep and Life as a Shift Worker

There are often rewards that come with working the non-daytime shift.   More pay for the same work, time off during the day to spend with kids, the ability to avoid crowds by shopping when most people are at work.   But night shift work also has some drawbacks.   The number one drawback is not getting enough sleep which can make you tired, grumpy, less productive, and more prone to accidents.   A lack of adequate sleep can also lead to health problems.   Shift workers average 5 hours of sleep per day.   The average adult should get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per day.

Keep in mind:

Drowsiness and driving don’t mix
Drowsiness and drinking don’t mix.
Be aware of any medications that could cause drowsiness.

Make sleep a priority!  Put up noise cancelling and room darkening curtains.   Adjust your thermostat to 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit when you head to bed.   Set a regular sleep schedule.   Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Silence your phone so your sleep is uninterrupted.   Let friends and family know your sleep schedule so that they can be quiet when necessary.

Key Points:

  • 1An effect of shift work is driving late at night. This causes drivers to be drowsy and accidents to happen.
  • 2It is recommended for shift workers to set a time during the day to get the recommended amount of sleep.
  • 3It is recommended not to drink while drowsy because this heightens the effects of both.


Regularly getting less than seven or eight hours of sleep in a 24-hour period really can lead to chronic problem sleepiness and cause irritability, crankiness and depression.
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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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