How to adapt to a shifted rhythm?
• Expose yourself to light before starting work, in order to send an awakening signal to the biological clock.
• If possible, practice a physical exercise before taking up the post, always to send a message of awakening to our organism.
• At work, ensure maximum lighting.
• At the end of work, in the morning, protect yourself from the light (with sunglasses for example).
• Back home, take a cool shower to lower your body temperature and help you fall asleep.
• Sleep (without setting the alarm clock), protecting your sleep as much as possible: we make it dark (shutters, blackout curtains, night mask), unplug the phone, we ask the household to be quiet, we put a sign on his door “Do not disturb”. “Do not hesitate to put earplugs”, advises Dr Éric Mullens, a general practitioner specializing in sleep.
• The afternoon, take a nap to complete the morning sleep, less restorative than a night. “Night work exposes you to chronic sleep deprivation, which is a disease. Napping is then a treatment. It’s a great way to prevent and treat sleep debt”, says Dr Éric Mullens. “In case of significant sleep debt, the nap can last from 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes”, adds Dr. Joëlle Adrien.
• On rest days, the ideal would be to keep the same rhythm as during the work period so as not to disturb your internal clock. In fact, however, social and family life oblige, it is rarely possible.
Sleeping well starts on the plate
“Taking meals is a fundamental point of reference for the night worker. It plays the role of social and family synchronizer”, explains Dr Éric Mullens. In practice, care should be taken to follow these few recommendations to best promote the adjustment of his biological clock.
• Keep fixed mealtimes: these are benchmarks for our internal clock, which is already disturbed in terms of sleep.
• Dinner, before taking shift, of a meal a little more substantial than a normal dinner: vegetables (raw or cooked), quality animal proteins (meat or fish), carbohydrates with a low glycemic index for long-lasting energy .
• During the night, watch to hydrate regularly by drinking water.
• Have a snack around 3-4 am, favoring proteins (egg, slice of ham, cheese) which will promote the secretion of dopamine, the neurotransmitter of awakening.
Conversely, we avoid sweets (cakes, sugary cereal bars) which, with their high glycemic index, will quickly raise blood sugar levels and in turn cause hypoglycemia… often synonymous with a crash.
• Avoid having exciting drinks at least 5 hours before bedtime.
• Back home, take a lighter breakfast than usual.
Read also :
Night work: good tips for good sleep
What lack of sleep does to your body