Health care staff who often work long shifts are highly susceptible to sleep disorders and their inherent dangers and health complications.
Adult and Pediatric Sleep Specialist Dr. Rizwana Sultana said that for people who are working scheduled, rotating shifts several days and nights a week, alignment for their sleep schedule is particularly difficult.
Here, Sultana offers sleep schedule tips for shift workers. Originally written for the latest edition of the Dispatch, a newsletter created for our EMS partners, with EMS professionals in mind, the tips are universal enough to apply for anyone keeping a nontraditional schedule.
- If you leave work in the daylight, put on dark sunglasses to block out the light.
- Take a relaxing bath or shower when you get home.
- Try stretching and breathing exercises or meditate in a dark room.
- Focus on relaxing each part of your body. Start with, “I’m relaxing my forehead.” Work your way down your body. This helps transition your brain from active to relaxed and ready to sleep.
- Remove interruptions, like the cell phone or other screens or devices.
- Stop drinking caffeinated beverages halfway into your shift.
- Set your alarm, and do not check the time if you wake up. If you do, remain unaware of the time, just breathe deeply, focus on relaxing your body, and go back to sleep.
- If you must sleep during the day when others are awake, play sounds or music that cancel the noise outside.
For more on this subject, read the full story in the latest issue of the EMS Dispatch newsletter here.