How to Sleep During the Day
If you work a shift that requires you to be up all night and sleep during the day, there are three things you can do to help make the adjustment so that your body adapts.
First, change your eating habits.
Your body is used to having 3 or so meals within a 12 hour waking period, and 12 hours or so of not eating (while you sleep).
For the first week on the new shift, make yourself eat only at the appropriate times.
In other words, if you normally ate a small breakfast every morning at 7AM, eat a small breakfast at 7PM (assuming you are shifting to the opposite schedule).
Eat breakfast foods, too, not dinner foods.
Psychologically, you will be training your body that it needs to start becoming alert, and the smell of breakfast foods can do that.
Eat the same foods you would at noon during a normal shift at midnight during the night shift...
in the same quantities.
You may not even feel like eating that much in the middle of the night, but you need to do it for a week for your body to adjust.
Avoid eating during the daylight hours, while you try to sleep.
Don't snack, even though it's light out, and you normally would.
Let your body adjust.
Second, darken your room.
Use room darkening curtains or shades to block out the light.
Avoid any natural light coming into whatever room in which you are trying to sleep.
If you need a light, use the same light source you would if it were dark outside.
In other words, if you read yourself to sleep, even though it is light outside, block it out and use the bedside lamp.
Again, you are training your body to believe that it is time for sleep.
You may need to use room darkening curtains in all your rooms, not just your bedroom.
For example, if you get up to use the bathroom, and you see the daylight in the rest of the house, it can throw your body's internal clock off.
Third, use white noise to help you sleep.
Put an air filter or some sort of fan in your room that produces a low volume of white noise.
The gentle noise will help block out daytime noises like traffic, people talking, and other noises that you would only hear during the day.
It is just one more way to help you be relaxed and not distracted.
With these three strategies, you should be able to make the adjustment and start sleeping soundly throughout the day.
First, change your eating habits.
Your body is used to having 3 or so meals within a 12 hour waking period, and 12 hours or so of not eating (while you sleep).
For the first week on the new shift, make yourself eat only at the appropriate times.
In other words, if you normally ate a small breakfast every morning at 7AM, eat a small breakfast at 7PM (assuming you are shifting to the opposite schedule).
Eat breakfast foods, too, not dinner foods.
Psychologically, you will be training your body that it needs to start becoming alert, and the smell of breakfast foods can do that.
Eat the same foods you would at noon during a normal shift at midnight during the night shift...
in the same quantities.
You may not even feel like eating that much in the middle of the night, but you need to do it for a week for your body to adjust.
Avoid eating during the daylight hours, while you try to sleep.
Don't snack, even though it's light out, and you normally would.
Let your body adjust.
Second, darken your room.
Use room darkening curtains or shades to block out the light.
Avoid any natural light coming into whatever room in which you are trying to sleep.
If you need a light, use the same light source you would if it were dark outside.
In other words, if you read yourself to sleep, even though it is light outside, block it out and use the bedside lamp.
Again, you are training your body to believe that it is time for sleep.
You may need to use room darkening curtains in all your rooms, not just your bedroom.
For example, if you get up to use the bathroom, and you see the daylight in the rest of the house, it can throw your body's internal clock off.
Third, use white noise to help you sleep.
Put an air filter or some sort of fan in your room that produces a low volume of white noise.
The gentle noise will help block out daytime noises like traffic, people talking, and other noises that you would only hear during the day.
It is just one more way to help you be relaxed and not distracted.
With these three strategies, you should be able to make the adjustment and start sleeping soundly throughout the day.
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