Help! I’m struggling with my sleep as a shift worker.

10-second takeaway

Our sleep-wake cycles follow a 24-hour rhythm. What happens hormonally and biochemically is interestingly similar from person to person, despite different lifestyles such as shift work, largely to do with external cues such as light exposure. Getting a both a good length and quality of sleep per 24-hour period is essential for humans to function well and may also prevent obesogenic dietary habits from forming, which can have long-term health implications. However, achieving quality, restorative sleep around shift work can be a challenge. This article provides some simple steps to mastering your sleep regardless of what time you need to hit the hay.

Introduction

Over every 24-hour period, the body is driven by an internal biological time clock, located in a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This continuous internal cycle is known as our circadian rhythm; the term is derived from the Latin, circa meaning ‘around/approximately’ and diem meaning ‘a day’.

Our circadian rhythm helps to regulate a wide range of physiological processes over an approximate 24-hour period. For instance, around 4:30 am, our core body temperature reaches its lowest point. If you work night shifts, this might be a time you feel you need to wrap up a little. Similarly, by approximately 10:30 pm, our digestive system begins to slow down, suppressing bowel activity to reduce the likelihood of needing the toilet during the night. These patterns are evolutionary adaptations that continue to shape our bodily functions today.

Hormones also play a key role in our experience of sleep and alertness. Two important hormones involved in our circadian rhythms are cortisol and melatonin. Cortisol, often referred to as the “alertness hormone,” typically rises in the morning to help us wake up. In contrast, melatonin is released as our external environment darkens, signalling to the body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep.

Therefore, while our internal clock sets the rhythm, our external environment can significantly influence how tired or awake we feel. This becomes especially important for shift workers, whose schedules may conflict with their natural biological rhythms. Over time, this disruption can impact overall well-being, particularly through changes in sleep patterns, digestion, and dietary habits, all of which play a crucial role in long-term health.

This article shares some key information on sleep and our circadian rhythms and offers some practical tips for shift workers to take control of their sleep and nutrition, both during and outside of working hours.

What does a good night of sleep look like?

️Quick answer: 7-9+ hours of uninterrupted sleep, regardless of when this falls within the 24 hour period.

The body typically expects rest during the night and to be awake and alert through the day. As the day progresses, natural shifts in hormones (decreased cortisol), environmental changes (an increase in melatonin), the accumulation of a chemical called adenosine in the blood and a drop in body temperature cause us to feel increasingly sleepy toward the evening.

However, for those working outside of this natural rhythm, such as night shift workers, it is still possible to maintain good sleep. Dr. Josh Kovoor, a family doctor specialising in sleep, recommends aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep within every 24-hour cycle, regardless of when those hours fall. He emphasises that consistently getting less than this, despite how you might feel, is usually not enough for the body to fully recover and function optimally.

Why 7-9 hours? This amount typically allows for 5 to 7 full sleep cycles, each lasting around 90-100 minutes. Every cycle includes multiple stages of sleep, each contributing to feeling well-rested and supporting key processes such as immune function, tissue repair, and memory consolidation.

Interesting fact: You may have heard of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, a crucial stage for processing and storing memories. Contrary to popular belief, REM is not a deep sleep phase; in fact, it’s the lightest stage, during which the brain is highly active and we are dreaming. Remarkably, during REM sleep, the entire body is temporarily paralysed (except for the eye muscles and the muscles involved in breathing). This evolutionary mechanism is believed to have developed as a way to protect us, preventing us from physically acting out our dreams and potentially harming ourselves or others.

What is the importance of good sleep?

️Quick answer: To form memories, fight illness, build muscle or repair damage to the body, produce happy hormones and potentially promote harmony in the gut.

Good sleep allows for a myriad of important functions within the body, namely: memory formation, hormone production and secretion, immune function, glymphatic system activation and tissue repair. However, there are other benefits too, such as increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production within the gut. SCFA production is associated with good mental health, along with other benefits. There is emerging evidence that in some individuals, poor sleep can also cause dysbiosis in the intestines (Sun et al., 2023). This simply means that there is an unhealthy imbalance or overgrowth of less healthy bacteria in the gut. While evidence is still emerging as to the cause and link between dysbiosis and sleep deprivation, we do know that dysbiosis is linked to many conditions such as depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and more.

How is insomnia defined and managed?

️Quick answer: Inadequate sleep causing problems managing day-to-day life that has continued for 3 months or more. Short-term insomnia can also be diagnosed.

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) defines insomnia is a condition where, despite adequate hours of sleep, the individual is struggling persistently to get to sleep, are unable to maintain sleep or the sleep is non-restorative (i.e. waking up feeling unable to function well), impacting daily life and wellbeing. If an individual is having impaired sleep but is functioning well in the daytime, they would not be diagnosed with insomnia. Short-term insomnia can be diagnosed if symptoms have been present for less than 3 months. Long-term (chronic) insomnia is characterised by symptoms occurring at least 3 nights per week for over 3 months (NICE, 2025).

What are Z drugs?

️Quick answer: Drugs prescribed to treat insomnia.

These are licensed drugs for the short-term treatment of insomnia (up to 4 weeks only) due to the likelihood of developing a dependence on them to sleep. Z drugs are all administered at once daily before bed and must not be readministered again during that sleep period. Unfortunately, they do come with many side effects, so lifestyle changes are encouraged before these may be prescribed. They cannot be taken during pregnancy or while someone is breastfeeding. They go by the names: Zopiclone, Zolpidem and Eszopiclone.

How does poor sleep affect the diet?

️Quick answer: The amount of time we have to eat increases, leading to increased calorie intake, some hormone changes can impact how hungry or full we feel, and the type of food we crave and eat can change too.

There is a link between poor sleep over time and developing obesity. Some studies have shown that 4 hours in bed or less is related to an increase in the hormone that makes us feel hungry (ghrelin) and a decrease in another hormone that makes us feel full (leptin) (Hoddy et al., 2020). The result of this is a body craving more food without adequate signals to indicate satiation. Other studies (currently only in rats) show that continued exposure to light (such as on shift work) can impact the GLP1 hormone response, causing individuals to feel hungry more often (Liu et al., 2022). The jury is still out on exactly how these hormonal shifts occur between individuals due to poor sleep, but the initial evidence is interesting and may offer insights into the link between obesity and poor sleep.

Nevertheless, the most pertinent case for weight gain due to sleep deprivation is simple: the less time in bed asleep, the longer there is in your waking hours to eat. The result is that a net extra 385kcals+ can be consumed per day (when taking into account the energy expenditure in that timeframe too) (Al Khatib et al., 2016). Over time, the impact of these additional calories becomes significant, especially when viewed in the context of the calorie deficit typically recommended for safe, sustainable weight loss being ~500kcal per day. What may seem like a small increase in energy intake each 24-hour period can compound, contributing to weight gain and metabolic disruption.

Interestingly, there seems to be a shift in the food individuals choose after poor sleep. For example, sleep restriction shows an increase in total calorie intake as well as an increase in saturated fat intake, especially late at night. This might include foods like crisps, chocolate and takeaways. So far, it is unclear why this happens, but the evidence is fairly consistent.

So, how can I master my sleep alongside shift work?

Science-backed tips and tricks:

Tip: Avoid caffeine when you first wake up and do a light bit of exercise.

Why: Throughout the day, a chemical called adenosine gradually accumulates, making us feel increasingly tired. Sleep helps clear adenosine, but some residue often remains upon waking. While caffeine can temporarily block the effects of adenosine, it doesn’t clear it, leading to the infamous energy crash once the caffeine wears off. Light exercise, on the other hand, helps flush out residual adenosine and naturally boosts alertness. That’s why the best time to enjoy your morning coffee is after some movement, not before.

Tip: Reduce blue light exposure a few hours before you plan to sleep.

Why: Blue light causes us to feel alert and impacts melatonin production, which ordinarily builds up before we sleep, making us feel tired. Instead, try turning your phone to night mode (a yellow-tint screen) and, if you can, try to avoid scrolling before bed. It may be easier said than done, but reading a book can work wonders to help you fall into a good sleep.

Tip: Reduce light exposure if you are sleeping during the day. If you are travelling home in the light, wear sunglasses (if it is safe to!) and choose public transport to reduce how alert you need to be.

Why: The bright sunlight impacts melatonin and cortisol production, preventing tiredness and increasing alertness. When you need to sleep in the light, minimising light exposure in the eyes can aid in falling asleep at this time. Similarly, investing in blackout blinds will help to make your body feel more tired.

Tip: Have a hot shower before sleeping.

Why: To sleep, our core body temperature needs to be low. A hot shower causes our body to cool down from our core, priming us for a good sleep.

Tip: Avoid exercise before bed.

Why: The sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is activated with exercise as well as your core body temperature rising, both of which are not supportive of sleep. Instead, focus on some calming activities before bed, such as a warm herbal tea, breathwork, paint-by-numbers, a calming podcast or calm radio (e.g. BBC radio 3 or 4) or reading a book.

Tip: Avoid drinking alcohol before bed.

Why: Alcohol leads to impaired memory formation (as it impacts our dream state), leading to forgetfulness and fragmented sleep.

Tip: Make sure your bedroom is cool (around 16-18ºC) and a calm place.

Why: A cool bedroom helps the body temperature drop naturally, promoting a sleep state. In winter, warming your feet can also help lower your core body temperature, so consider wearing some woolly bed socks during colder seasons. In your bedroom, also consider incense, some fresh air and a clean space to help make you feel relaxed.

Quick-fire sleeping tips:

Use earplugs if it is noisy outside your bedroom.

If you are not asleep within 20 minutes, get up and move rooms for a while. Avoid looking at blue light and try not to worry yourself about the next day and how you’ll feel. Remind yourself that you are resting your body, which is good enough for now.

Use the app Sleepio (free on the NHS) or other sleep apps to support yourself if you are struggling to sleep regularly and could do with some help.

When you are home after a night shift, be conscious about the snacks available in the house for when you are craving something quick. Consider having some dried fruit, nuts, fresh fruit, rice cakes or dark chocolate for tasty, but lower energy snacks (your body doesn’t require anything high energy just before sleeping!)

Bulk cook meals and freeze them in portion sizes (in Tupperware) to take to work. This avoids buying something on the go that might not be so nutrient-dense (healthy). I find that labelling them something like ‘Delicious daal:)’ makes me excited to eat food that I have previously cooked. Consider a subscription to Gousto/Mindful Chef if it is within your budget to make food preparation even easier. If not, there is a library of free recipes on the Gousto website for some inspiration.

Take snacks on night shifts that are lower in sugar (as suggested above) to avoid energy dips worsened by the change in sleep/wake cycles.

Bring layers to stay warm when your body temperature drops at around 4.30 am.

Conclusion

While getting quality sleep as a shift worker can be challenging, it is still achievable. Poor sleep can impact our mental health and quality of life. It is also linked to long-term health issues, including obesity and potentially gut dysbiosis leading to a host of diseases. Good sleep is one that lasts between 7-9 hours, allowing time to cycle through all the sleep stages. Each stage plays a vital role in immune function, tissue repair, and memory formation, amongst other benefits. To support better sleep, especially when working against the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making a few small, intentional lifestyle changes can significantly improve sleep quality and by extension, long-term health. Remember, all of these tips and recommendations can be applied to your patients too!

Here at Nutritank, we provide CPD webinars to help develop your knowledge as HCPs in specific areas such as sleep. I can vouch for how educational and interesting they are! Check them out through our website for as little as £1 per month! Here are our sleep-specific webinars, many of which have informed this article:

Additional resources and apps to support good sleep:

Resources

Apps

Bio

I am Ruby Dalziel (pronounced dee-ell), a student Dietitian at the University of Nottingham. I previously achieved a BSc in Fine Art before pursuing a career in Dietetics at age 25! I have been writing articles related to nutrition for a number of years and particularly enjoy learning about how nutrition can impact sleep, fertility and exercise. I am a triathlete and find the relationship between food and performance very fascinating, especially as I follow a vegetarian diet. Once I graduate as a dietitian, I hope to support women specifically, as I recognise that women are too often under-researched and misdiagnosed within typical healthcare settings.

References:

Nice.org.uk. (2025). Diagnosis | Diagnosis | Insomnia | CKS | NICE. [online] Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/insomnia/diagnosis/diagnosis/ [Accessed 20 Jun. 2025].

Hoddy, K.K., Potts, K.S., Bazzano, L.A. and Kirwan, J.P. (2020). Sleep Extension: A Potential Target for Obesity Treatment. Current Diabetes Reports, [online] 20(12). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-020-01360-6.

Liu, C., Liu, Y., Xin, Y. and Wang, Y. (2022). Circadian secretion rhythm of GLP-1 and its influencing factors. Frontiers in Endocrinology, [online] 13. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.991397.

Sun, J., Fang, D., Wang, Z. and Liu, Y. (2023). Sleep Deprivation and Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Current Understandings and Implications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, [online] 24(11), p.9603. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119603.

Al Khatib, H.K., Harding, S.V., Darzi, J. and Pot, G.K. (2016). The effects of partial sleep deprivation on energy balance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, [online] 71(5), pp.614–624. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.201.

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