I work the night shift, so my sleep time is usually the opposite of what people who work normally do. I stay up all night and sleep all day. When I get off work it’s 5am so there’s barely any morning light and it would still equate to night. But I live 3 trips away from the office, so I’m always up to date with sunrise times. I always try to get off immediately at 5am to avoid daylight as it hurts your eyes when it happens. Still, some days I catch the sun’s rays somehow.
There is nothing wrong with being caught in the sunlight. I am not a vampire who burns when sunlight touches my skin. But I am certainly a vampire in many ways. My eyes hurt in bright light in the morning after work and my biological clock resets for the day.
Learn more about the biological clock: According to scientific research, the body’s signal to sleep is associated with the brain’s ability to detect light and dark. When it’s night, the brain detects darkness, so it automatically signals the hormone glands to release sleep hormones and bombard the body with them. When daylight arrives, the brain can also detect daylight to signal the body to wake up. This is the normal sleeping function of the body.
What if you’re like me who works the night shift? Well, the biological clock mechanism changes. At first, you will be fighting the usual feelings of sleepiness and you will be told that it is very difficult to fight them when you are still adjusting to them. You can drink yourself with caffeine, loud music, or stronger willpower to stay awake during work hours. Have you ever noticed why at the end of each shift, when daylight comes, you feel rejuvenated and the urge to fall asleep disappears? Well, it is the work of the brain that detects light and thus also illuminates the body.
Now the real problem is not staying up all night to work, the real problem is sleeping during the day. Daytime sleep is incomparable to normal nighttime sleep. It is so because in a tropical country where we live, the Philippines, the daylight is literally wide and unbearable. The sun is very proud and that is why it shines all day spreading its heat to the earth. So expect plenty of sleeping environments like in the oven. Your room will be nothing more than a little room from hell. Another unpleasant thing about sleeping during the day is the noise of people going about their daily routines. If you live in a highly populated area like the squat zone, you are very lucky to enjoy the eternal annoyance of people buzzing through your walls. Good luck with deep and peaceful sleep.
If you suffer from insomnia at any time you sleep, there is help. I have tried some mods to write my environment to make it conductive to sleep. Here are some:
1. Cover windows with dark-colored curtains or fabrics. Blocking out the light from the window will create an illusion of darkness that signals to the brain that it is dark and it is time to sleep.
2. Make your bedroom a sleeping haven. This means that you have to eliminate anything that might distract you. Remove television, computers, iPads, etc. Anything that can stimulate your brain or entertain you. Make your bedroom designated for sleeping only.
3. Eat a light meal before bed. Eat carbohydrates like cookies and drink milk. These two foods combined release serotonin into the blood that can cause drowsiness and sleep. Being hungry while you sleep will wake you up in the middle of sleep because your body craves to eat.
4. Sleep at the same time every day. Get in the habit of conditioning your mind to sleep at the same time every day so your body knows when to tell the system to be off. Conditioning your mind means that you have to make the effort to really tone your thoughts. The mind is a very powerful thing.
5. When you’re in bed, stop thinking about what to do when you wake up. Do not think about the future and do not worry about anything else in your life. Think DREAM. Just that thought and nothing more.
6. If you’re still awake 20 minutes after you go to bed, get up and read a book, write down your thoughts, or do something extremely boring until you fall asleep again.
7. Take a warm bath. The rise in temperature will relax you and make you feel like going back to bed.
8. If you have very noisy neighbors, talk to them first and explain your case to them. I used to suffer from the screaming of my neighbor’s children all day. Until one day I talked to his parents and also to the children to play somewhere else because I’m sleeping during the day. Well guess what, it really works! Try it!
9. Turn on the electric fan or better yet your air conditioner. It will be annoying when the heat rises on you while you sleep. You will be disturbed in the middle of your sleep.
10. If all else fails and you can’t modify your place, it’s about time you found a quiet place to stay. If you have the luxury and freedom, move to another place where you can have the tranquility and peace that you deserve. Move somewhere rural in the city and enjoy the serenity it offers. Of course, you would have to consider rent and other independent living expenses. But hey! Don’t despair, the night shift pays a lot so you may want to consider this option if it gives you more rest! Right?
Despite taking all these steps above to achieve a satisfying sleep, then it’s time to change jobs. You may not be around for the night shift schedule. It’s not for everyone and you certainly don’t want to keep fighting your natural rhythm if you can’t adjust to it in time. You may want to consider switching back to a day job.
Well, as for me, I have tried everything mentioned above. Luckily it works for me. I hope it works for you too. The body is capable of adapting to many more things than you could ever imagine. More importantly, you should always listen to it and follow its natural course. If it doesn’t work for you, no matter how you try to adapt, then don’t sacrifice your health for it. What is it to be rich if you cannot enjoy your wealth due to poor health? But of course, if you take good care of yourself and take good care of yourself, you will reap a long-lasting happy and healthy life.
=) Stay happy.