Page 13 - April 2022 Track N Times

DEPARTMENT FOCUS

Sleep Continued

Tips to sleep better and better adapt to shiftwork:

• Keep consistent sleep and wake times, even on days off.
• It takes 24 hours for every hour when shifting your sleep cycle. Plan accordingly to reduce fatigue and risk. Head
to sleep as soon as possible after getting in from the night shift. Wear sunglasses on the ride to the hotel to re-
duce blue light.
• Maintain a relaxing sleep environment. Use white-noise machines or apps, sleep masks, blackout curtains and
keep the room cool. You need to drop your core temperature by 2-3 degrees to initiate sleep. 60-67 degrees
Fahrenheit is considered ideal by researchers. Splashing water on your face can also help to lower core temper-
ature.
• Practice good sleep hygiene. Rituals and routines can help your body understand when to initiate sleep.
• Keep away from artificial sources of blue light such as computer and phone screens before bed time.
• Schedule yourself enough opportunity to sleep. Give yourself 8 hours of opportunity even if you don’t sleep the
whole 8.
• When switching back to days after the night shift, it is best to get most of your sleep the following night. Sleep
just a couple of hours shortly after night shift to shake off sleepiness. Then stay awake all day and go to sleep at
your regular bedtime at night.
• Avoid alcohol to fall asleep. Alcohol has been shown to block REM sleep and provide poor sleep quality. Block-
ing REM sleep will cause a deficit that will eventually begin to self-correct during waking hours. This occurs nor-
mally with advanced alcoholics where they hallucinate (dream) due to lack of REM sleep.
• Exercise for about 20 minutes. The timing of exercise can help a person rotate from one shift to another. Try
exercise before going on shift. Early morning exercise is good for day shift, afternoon exercise is good for even-
ing shift, and early evening exercise is good for night shift. Don’t overdo it. You don’t want to be too physically
exhausted for your shift.
• Meditation. A racing mind can interfere with relaxation. Learn to tame your thoughts with meditation, music,
reading, taking a shower or watching some TV.
• Avoid over-the-counter sleep medications unless directed by a doctor. Melatonin is the most popular. Melatonin
only tells the brain it is time to sleep. It does not put you to sleep. There is no drug on the market that can nat-
urally initiate the sleep process. Most other supplements directed at getting a better night sleep have side effects
that far outweigh any benefit derived from their use.
• Plan your caffeine intake. Too much too late in your shift can lessen your ability to sleep. Caffeine peaks about
15-20 minutes after consumption and will take hours to leave your system. (3–5-hour half-life).
• Nicotine is another stimulant that can make rest more difficult. On average, it takes a smoker 30 minutes longer
to fall asleep. It also worsens conditions such as sleep-apnea. Put some distance between your nicotine con-
sumption and your bed time.

Page 11 APRIL 2022