To sleep after a night shift, keep daylight out of your eyes on the way home, go to bed soon after you get in, and make your bedroom as dark, quiet and cool as you can. Pick a sleep window that suits your shifts and stick to it, skip caffeine for a few hours before bed, and have a light snack rather than a big meal. If you only manage four hours, a short nap later in the day can top you up.
Sleeping in the day is hard for a simple reason: your body is built to be awake when it is light. The Health and Safety Executive points out that daytime sleep tends to be lighter and shorter than night-time sleep, and it is more easily broken by warmth and noise. So the trick is not to force sleep, but to make your surroundings feel as much like night as possible.
Whether you are a nurse, a care worker, a security guard or on the warehouse floor, the plan below walks you through the hours after your shift ends.
Your Hour-by-Hour Plan After a Night Shift
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Last hour of your shift
Ease Off the Caffeine
Coffee and energy drinks late in a shift can keep you wide awake when you finally lie down. The Sleep Charity suggests stopping caffeine five to six hours before you plan to sleep.
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The journey home
Block the Morning Light
Bright morning daylight tells your brain it is time to wake up. Sunglasses on the walk or bus home help to keep it out. Take them off if you are driving, and if you feel very tired, think about a lift, a taxi or public transport instead.
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Getting in
Keep It Short and Calm
Skip the TV and the long scroll on your phone. Have a light snack, such as toast or yoghurt, rather than a heavy, fatty meal, and do not drink too much so you are not woken by needing the toilet.
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Bedtime
Go to Bed Soon After You Arrive
Many night workers find it easiest to sleep straight after coming home, while they are still tired. Once you find a time that works, try to keep to it on every working day.
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Waking up
Wake Up Gently
A light that slowly gets brighter can feel kinder than a loud alarm. Get up, open the curtains and get some daylight before your next shift.
Turn Your Bedroom Into Night-Time
This part makes the biggest difference. The HSE guidance for shift workers recommends heavy curtains, blackout blinds or eye shades for darkness, and earplugs or background sound for noise. Here is how to put that into practice.
Dark
Blackout blinds behind your curtains, plus tape or a draught excluder over any gap at the top. A sleep mask covers whatever light still sneaks in.
Quiet
Earplugs, a fan or soft background sound can cover traffic, deliveries and the school run outside.
Cool
Bedrooms warm up during the day. Open a window before bed or use a fan, and choose lighter bedding.
Undisturbed
Turn your phone to silent, put a note on the front door and ask the people you live with to keep the noise down.
If you have never slept in a mask before, it can feel odd for the first few days. Our eye mask tips cover fit, strap tension and getting used to it.
Lying Awake After Nights? Try This
Lying awake for ages makes it worse. If you have been in bed for a long time and sleep is not coming, get up, sit somewhere dim and do something calm for a while, then try again. A short, steady routine before bed also helps your body learn that it is time to switch off, even at ten in the morning. You can borrow from our evening routine ideas; most of them work just as well in the day.
Alcohol is worth avoiding too. The HSE notes that it lowers the quality of sleep, even if it helps you nod off.
Only Sleeping Four Hours After Nights?
Night workers mention this problem a lot. If you wake after four or five hours and cannot get back to sleep, you do not have to lie there. Many people split their rest into two parts.
Main sleep: straight after you get home, for as long as you can manage.
Top-up nap: a second, shorter sleep in the afternoon or early evening, before you leave for work.
Ahead of a run of nights: The Sleep Charity advice for shift workers suggests a nap of around 90 minutes at home before a night shift.
Switching Back to Days on Your Days Off
After your last night shift, the Sleep Charity suggests a short morning nap, ideally before midday, and then going to bed as close to your normal time as you can. That way you are not lying awake all night. The HSE gives similar advice: have a short sleep, then go to bed earlier that night. Use your days off to catch up on rest too.
A Bedtime Cue for Daytime Sleep
Some people like a simple step that tells them the day is over, even when it is the middle of the morning. If bedtime sleep patches are part of your routine, you can apply one before your daytime sleep, just as you would at night. Only grown-ups should use them, and they are a wellness item rather than anything medical. Anyone expecting, nursing, on regular medication or managing a long-term health issue should ask a GP or pharmacist about them first.
When to speak to your GP
Shift work is tough on sleep, but if you are struggling most days, feel unsafe driving or find tiredness is affecting your mood or health, talk to your GP or your workplace occupational health team.
Night Shift Sleep Questions
How many hours should I sleep after a night shift?
Aim for the same total as you would at night. If one block is not possible, a main sleep plus a shorter nap still counts.
Should I sleep straight after a night shift or stay up?
Most people find it easier to sleep as soon as they get home, while they are still tired. The HSE suggests trying different bedtimes to see what suits you, then sticking to it.
Why do I wake up after only a few hours?
Daylight, noise and a warm room are the usual reasons. Your body clock also pushes you towards being awake in the daytime, which is why a dark, quiet bedroom matters so much.
Is it OK to nap at work on a break?
That depends on your employer's rules. A short sleep before your first night shift at home is the safer, more common option.
Do sunglasses really help on the way home?
The Sleep Charity recommends them because morning daylight helps keep you alert. Just take them off if you are driving.
Make Daytime Feel Like Night
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Silk Mask DetailsThese are everyday sleep tips for people who work nights, and they do not replace advice from a doctor. If poor sleep is affecting your health or safety, please speak to your GP.