Experts Develop Sleep Guidelines Uniquely Designed For Shift Workers

Updated August 30, 2023

Fact-Checked

The Sleep Foundation editorial team is dedicated to providing content that meets the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias.

The Sleep Foundation fact-checking guidelines are as follows:

We only cite reputable sources when researching our guides and articles. These include peer-reviewed journals, government reports, academic and medical associations, and interviews with credentialed medical experts and practitioners.
All scientific data and information must be backed up by at least one reputable source. Each guide and article includes a comprehensive bibliography with full citations and links to the original sources.
Some guides and articles feature links to other relevant Sleep Foundation pages. These internal links are intended to improve ease of navigation across the site, and are never used as original sources for scientific data or information.
A member of our medical expert team provides a final review of the content and sources cited for every guide, article, and product review concerning medical- and health-related topics. Inaccurate or unverifiable information will be removed prior to publication.
Plagiarism is never tolerated. Writers and editors caught stealing content or improperly citing sources are immediately terminated, and we will work to rectify the situation with the original publisher(s)
Although Sleep Foundation maintains affiliate partnerships with brands and e-commerce portals, these relationships never have any bearing on our product reviews or recommendations. Read our full Advertising Disclosure for more information.

People who work outside the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. often face unique challenges when trying to sleep. Despite this, many guidelines on healthy sleep habits are designed for those who work during the day.

A new study Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source tackled this issue by asking experts to weigh in on sleep habits for shift workers. To help them improve their sleep, researchers gathered a panel of over 50 international experts in sleep, shift work, and occupational health. Together, they created a list of 18 recommendations based on the latest science for healthier sleep hygiene.

In the United States, around 17% of workers Trusted Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making. View Source clock into their jobs at night or have a rotating or irregular shift. While some can adapt their sleep schedules to shift work, most report feeling tired Trusted Source UpToDate More than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes. UpToDate delivers evidence-based clinical decision support that is clear, actionable, and rich with real-world insights. View Source during waking hours. For as many as one-third of shift workers, difficulty sleeping leads to insomnia and trouble staying alert.

Many of the risks of shift work can be traced back to a mismatch between a person’s environment and their body’s internal clock. This misalignment contributes to an increased risk of accidents in the workplace, difficulty sleeping, and even health issues like obesity, diabetes, and problems with thinking and memory Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .

Got a hot tip? Pitch us your story idea, share your expertise with SleepFoundation.org, or let us know about your sleep experiences right here.

While several of the group’s new guidelines are also relevant for daytime workers—like maintaining a consistent bedtime routine, optimizing the sleep environment, and being aware of the effects of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol—others are uniquely designed for shift workers. These new guidelines suggest several ways that shift workers can improve their sleep:

Make sleep a priority. Reschedule daytime activities and tell your family and friends about your sleep schedule
Get enough sleep every day, either all at once or by taking naps
Create a dedicated sleep schedule for each type of shift you work
Avoid tasks that can be risky if you are still groggy right after waking up
Block out daylight with window coverings or an eye mask
Talk to a doctor about how medicines may affect your sleep
Be careful about eating or drinking near bedtime
Make a plan for when it’s difficult to sleep and talk to a doctor if sleep problems persist
On days off, try taking a short nap in the morning and getting into bed earlier than usual

For the millions of shift workers who struggle to feel rested, these new guidelines offer practical steps for improving sleep and reducing the risks of sleep loss. They also underline the importance of personalized sleep strategies for those clocking in while the rest of the world clocks out.

Written By

Rob Newsom, Staff Writer

Rob writes about the intersection of sleep and mental health and previously worked at the National Cancer Institute.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References
4 Sources

Shriane, A. E., Rigney, G., Ferguson, S. A., Bin, Y. S., & Vincent, G. E. (2023). Healthy Sleep Practices for Shift Workers: Consensus Sleep Hygiene Guidelines using a Delphi Methodology. Sleep, zsad182. Advance online publication.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37429599/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019, September 24). Workers by shift usually worked and selected characteristics, averages for the period 2017-2018. U.S. Department of Labor.
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t07.htm
Cheng, P., & Drake, C. L. (2022). Sleep-wake disturbances in shift workers. UpToDate., Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/sleep-wake-disturbances-in-shift-workers
Khan, D., Edgell, H., Rotondi, M., & Tamim, H. (2023). The association between shift work exposure and cognitive impairment among middle-aged and older adults: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). PloS one, 18(8), e0289718.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37610977/