Sleep deprivation is no doubt one of the hardest things about being a shift worker. Trying to catch up on lack of sleep can certainly be a very difficult thing to do. In fact let’s not kid ourselves here, it can be darn right impossible on some days!

And this is definitely the case if you work long hours, work a lot of early shifts in a row, or heaven for bid – work the notorious night shift.

So for today’s tip, I’ve decided to include 5 things that you absolutely must avoid 3 hours before bedtime if you are serious about wanting to get a good night’s sleep – no matter what time of the day or night that may be for you!

1. Eating – people are 7 times more likely to experience heartburn if they go to bed within 3 hours of eating, and you really don’t want to be going to bed on a full stomach.

2. Sugar and Caffeine – both keep you awake so avoiding these is a must.

3. Alcohol – Can actually help put you to sleep however it does disturb your sleep pattern. So the sleep that you do end up getting, won’t be the restorative, refreshing sleep that shift workers desperately need.

4. Drinking any liquid – can wake you up from your sleep. You want to avoid having to get up to go to the bathroom whilst you’re trying to sleep.

5. Strenuous exercise – Your body temperature needs to be low in order for you to be able to sleep. And it can certainly take quite a few hours for your body temperature to drop if you’ve had a hard workout at the gym.

So the next time you’re struggling to get to sleep, take a look and see if you’re guilty of doing any of the things above. If so, then now might be time to start changing some of your habits for the sake of your sleep and definitely your health!