What should I do for shift work?

For shift work, keep your schedule as consistent as possible and use light and meal timing to support your body clock.

• 1. Same schedule: If possible, stay on the same shift for at least 14 days, including weekends. Frequent swing-shift changes can disrupt health, learning, and well-being. 1
• 2. Light timing: Get as much safe light as you can when you need to be alert, and dim or avoid bright light when you’re winding down to sleep. For a shift ending around 2 a.m., avoid bright light on the way home; the best timing depends on your internal clock, not just the time on the clock. 2 3
• 3. Diet and alcohol: Favor a Mediterranean-style diet and limit alcohol; shift workers may use alcohol to cope, and reducing eating hours was associated with lower alcohol intake in the firefighter study. 4
• 4. Meal timing: Try to eat within the same 10-hour window each day, allowing some flexibility. 5
• 5. Health risks: Shift work can disrupt cortisol timing, learning, dopamine, and well-being, and it can make blood-sugar management more difficult. 6 7