Switching from night to day shifts in nursing, radiology and similar roles requiring late hours is a dream come true for many medical professionals. However, if you are making the transfer from the night shift to the sought-after day shift, it’s time to make an adjustment to your schedule, habits and much more.
Moving to the day shift can throw off many major biological functions when making such a drastic change to your schedule. You might suffer physical and emotional problems as a result. You’ll likely see changes in your blood pressure, appetite and sleep cycle.
Working night shifts forces your body to run opposite to its normal rhythm and a return to the day shift requires your body to adapt to the normal rhythms again. You want to make sure you are prepared for the changes that are about to happen. To help you out, we have compiled 10 tips to guide healthcare professionals in making the jump from the night shift to the day shift.
Why is Switching from Night Shift to Day Shift So Hard?
If you’ve worked your last night shift and have already switched to day shifts, then you’re likely experiencing some struggles. But why is your body fighting this transition so much? It’s because your circadian rhythm is out of whack and isn’t quite sure how to switch from night shifts to day shifts. Your circadian rhythm is your internal body clock, it runs on a 24-hour cycle and tells your body to sleep at certain times based on environmental cues like light exposure, physical activity and meal times.
A “normal” internal clock tells you to go to bed when it’s dark out and get up when it’s light out. But if you’ve been working the night shift for a while, you’ve trained your internal clock to adjust your sleep cycles and ignore external cues (i.e., daylight). Now, you have to reverse that training to realign your body clock with external cues—a process known as entrainment.
You might be thinking, “I was able to adjust from the day shift to the night shift. So, why is going from night shift to day shift so much harder?” Well, it’s because adapting to a night shift requires staying up later, but switching to a day shift requires going to sleep earlier. And it’s much easier to force yourself to stay awake than to sleep on command.
While the former can be accomplished with a little caffeine and willpower, unfortunately, retraining your clock to adjust to a normal routine again by forcing yourself to sleep at night is a bit trickier. But don’t worry. Below, we’ll go over how to switch back to days after night shift life to make the transition as smooth as possible.
10 Tips for Switching from Night Shift to Day Shift
Adjust Your Meal Schedule
Part of this change will involve learning how to switch from night shift to day shift meal times. Reset your sleep-wake cycle by refraining from eating for 12-16 hours before you want to be fully awake. When you begin eating again, your internal clock will reset as if it is starting a new day.
Create a Bedtime Routine
Address your new sleep schedule. Create an evening routine that prepares you for bed instead of getting ready for work. Adults require an average of 8-8.5 hours of sleep each night. Establish comfortable and quiet activities that your brain associates with going to sleep, such as brushing teeth, reading, deep breathing or listening to relaxing music.
Enjoy a Healthy Breakfast
Prepare breakfasts that kick-start your day. Many people have trouble eating first thing in the morning, but it is beneficial to put this meal in place when you are adapting to your day shift. A study found that eating breakfast decreases the risk of having a stroke. The more days per week participants had breakfast, the lower their risk for having a stroke. Include foods that provide sustained energy, such as oatmeal with fruit or whole-grain bread with peanut butter.
Drink Caffeine (in Moderation)
Drink a cup of coffee or tea to ward off drowsiness. Caffeinated drinks can provide a temporary lift, but don’t overdo it. It’s suggested to only consume three to five eight-ounce cups daily, or up to 400 milligram/day caffeine. Also, refrain from consuming drinks with caffeine at least five hours before going to bed.
Fill Your Calendar
Get back into the world of the daytime worker. Begin planning activities in the evenings. Participate in activities during the day when possible. Buy a calendar and write down dates, times and commitments to monitor your progress in adapting to the day shift. During the day, schedule health checkups or other appointments you put off when you were sleeping during daytime hours.
Schedule Social Activities
Call friends and family you haven’t seen in a while and schedule a time to meet. Evening shift work often gets in the way of social activities, which can lead to evening shift workers losing contact with friends and acquaintances. You might find yourself fading pretty early after a full day’s work, but your body adjusts over time. Looking forward to catching up with friends after work could make switching from night shift to day shift life a little easier.
Stay Hydrated
Switching from night to day shifts is going to come with some fatigue. And while it’s okay—and even helpful—to consume caffeine in moderation to fight it, beverages like coffee and energy drinks can also dehydrate you. Be sure to drink lots of water when making the transition. Staying hydrated can also help you stay alert and support your overall health.
Try Early Morning Exercise
If you’re feeling alert at night and a bit tired in the mornings, one of the best things you can do is squeeze in a morning workout. Morning exercise can boost energy levels throughout the day, and improve sleep at night. If you enjoy engaging in physical activity but struggled to find a gym open late previously, then one of the perks of switching from night shift to day shift could be finally joining a gym!
Get Natural Light
When you first started night shifts, your main dilemma was how to switch a sleep schedule from night to day. Your solution likely involved blackout curtains and eye masks because the key then was to avoid natural light. Now that you’re working the day shift, you’ll want to do the opposite. Consider installing automatic blinds that you can schedule to open once the sun rises. Or, you can simply sleep with your curtains open, so natural light easily creeps in in the morning. Daylight signals to your body that it’s time to wake up, and is one of the most effective ways to realign your circadian rhythm.
Go Easy on Yourself
Try not to get frustrated if adjusting to your new sleep schedule takes time. Nobody knows precisely how to change a sleep schedule from night shift to day shift hours. What works for some former night shift workers might not work for others. Plus, the transition takes time. Think about it light jet lag; you typically need one day to adjust for every hour of time difference. Now, you’re adjusting to more than just a few hours’ difference—you’re probably making a full 12-hour adjustment. So be gentle with yourself.
Have you made the shift from working nights to day shifts? What tips and tricks helped you adjust to your new schedule? Share your insight on how to transition form night shift to day shift life with us in the comments below!
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