Website design By BotEap.comWe all know that working the night shift can be extremely difficult.

Website design By BotEap.comTrying to keep your eyes open and stay awake when everyone else is tucked into your comfortable bed is certainly a hard thing to do. But have you ever succumbed to falling asleep on the job?

Website design By BotEap.comWell, if so, you probably won’t admit it and I certainly don’t blame you! But what I will tell you is that I have been very close.

Website design By BotEap.comI remember working a few shifts from 8:30 pm to 4:30 am at the international airport and around 1 am I was ready to curl up, turn off the light, and take a nap under my desk. Working the night shift is no fun at all!

Website design By BotEap.comLike most of us, I tend to expire around midnight, so spending the last few hours left overnight can be physically and mentally exhausting. In fact, our brain is least alert between 1am and 6am, so trying to do any task, let alone a complex one, is excruciatingly difficult at that time of night.

Website design By BotEap.comYour level of concentration and memory is also severely compromised when you work the night shift.

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, the harsh reality is that working night shifts is something that cannot be avoided in many occupations.

Website design By BotEap.comSo, aside from stating the obvious, what are some simple things you can do to help reduce the impacts of the night shift?

Website design By BotEap.com1. Try to reduce the night shift as much as possible, no more than 2 shifts in a row.

Website design By BotEap.com2. Have a light snack during your shift and eat something light at the midnight break. 3 am to 4 am is when you’ll feel the most tired, so it’s a good time to have a snack with protein, a small amount of whole grains, and a fruit and/or vegetable.

Website design By BotEap.com3. Just before going to sleep, eat a light snack that is high in carbohydrates and low in protein and fat, as this will help you sleep. For example, a small bowl of cooked oatmeal, toast and jam or cereal and milk.

Website design By BotEap.com4. And finally, limit caffeinated drinks during the night shift, especially in the last half of the shift so you’re ready for bed when you get home.

Website design By BotEap.comThere’s nothing more frustrating than coming home from the night shift and not being able to get those long-lost zeds back!