If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep when you work shift work, then it’s highly possible that light – or more specifically too much of it, is a major contributing factor.
Of course it’s a fairly well-known fact that in order for you to sleep better, your bedroom needs to be as dark as physically possible.
In fact even the light from your alarm clock or strong moonlight can affect your ability to fall and stay asleep.
So what can you do to help improve your sleep and thereby reduce your shift work fatigue?
1. Eliminate light from your bedroom – completely. This may include installing blinds, shutters or curtains, but just make sure that they are wide enough to cover gaps around the windows to eliminate any light from sneaking in.
2. Use eye masks or eye shades. Shop around and find ones that black out the light completely and are comfortable to wear. Eye masks that are not too bulky and are made from natural fibres are best as they are less likely to cause irritation whilst you are sleeping.
3. Turn off your light when you go to bed. Might sound silly, but many people actually fall asleep with the light turned on, only to wake up a few hours later feeling groggy and disorientated.
So if you work shift work, getting enough sleep is usually one of the hardest things to overcome. But if you begin to apply the above steps into your bedroom routine, you will start to notice a dramatic difference in your quality and quantity of sleep.
Quite simply, more sleep you acquire – the more energy for you.
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