Working through the urge to sleep on night shifts

Last week, a study unveiled the damage that can be done on a molecular level by working night shifts. Whilst for many, working the night shift may not be desirable, it is essential – sometimes, increased rates of pay can make the world of difference and it's just something that has to be done. The work needs doing, but there are some helpful (and sometimes candid) hints and tricks in a BBC Magazine article that was released after the aforementioned study findings were released. Starting at the beginning of the shift, the piece suggests switching your brain functions down to the bare minimum. This, we hope, was a joke, as night-shift jobs require as much thought as they do during the day, but the basic point stands – don't burn yourself out at the beginning of the shift, as you've got to last a long, long time. The piece continues with nutritional advice, "Eat the right food - lots of fresh fruit and plenty of water. Yeah, right. This is the reality - its 03:30 and the only source of sustenance is a well-kicked vending machine, whose contents have mysteriously started to look quite attractive." Day or night worker, we all know the bane of this one. However tempting it may be, fresh fruit and healthy snacks are more likely to keep your mind fresh and active, rather than dulling it with comfort food – and don't underestimate the power of a good caffeine boost should you begin to flag. Lastly, the article looks at the coveted nap during your break. Whilst there are many fields of thought that suggest plentiful naps are better than one long nine-hour sleep, uncontrolled napping can go quite wrong when it's 3am and the end of your shift seems ages away. Either you put your head down but can't doze off, causing irritability, or you manage to sleep… right through until clocking off time – not ideal. Perhaps the best suggestion is to try and sleep during the day before as though it were night, but ultimately, our bodies are designed for bed at nightfall, and unfortunately no good habits can fundamentally change our hard-wiring. Working through the urge to sleep on night shifts