Night Shift Routine: Sleep Schedules for 12-Hour and 8-Hour Shifts
A night shift routine with sleep schedule examples for 12-hour and 8-hour shifts, days off, meals, exercise and steps to protect your health.
You finish work when other people start. You sleep in daylight while the street is loud. On your days off, your body does not know which schedule to follow.
Night work is against the normal body clock. A routine cannot remove that fact, but it can decrease the effects. This guide tells:
- How night work is changing
- Sleep schedule examples for 12-hour and 8-hour shifts
- What to do on days off
- When to eat and exercise
- How to protect your health and ask for help
How night work is changing
- More services operate all night. Hospitals, delivery, data centers and global support work 24 hours each day.
- Scheduling software sets many shifts. Some employers change shifts with short notice. Ask for your schedule as early as possible.
- Sleep trackers give more data. Use the trend over weeks. Do not worry about the score of one night.
The two routines that matter most
Each night shift has two transitions: from work to sleep, and from sleep to work. Make each transition a fixed routine.
After the shift
- Wear sunglasses on the way home. Morning light tells your body that the day starts.
- Take a shower.
- Put your phone on the charger, away from the bed.
- Make the room dark. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask.
- Set the same sleep alarm for each work day.
After you wake up
- Drink a glass of water.
- Eat a real meal.
- Check the time and the place of your next shift.
- Pack food for the shift.
Night shift sleep schedule examples
12-hour night shift, 7 PM to 7 AM
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 7 AM | Shift ends. Wear sunglasses on the way home. |
| 8 AM | Routine after the shift: shower, phone away, dark room |
| 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM | Main sleep, 7 hours |
| 3:30 PM | Routine after you wake up: water, a meal, check the shift, pack food |
| 4 PM to 6 PM | Personal time: exercise, family, errands |
| 6:15 PM | Leave for work |
8-hour night shift, 11 PM to 7 AM
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 7 AM | Shift ends. Wear sunglasses on the way home. |
| 8 AM to 3 PM | Main sleep, 7 hours |
| 3 PM | Routine after you wake up |
| 3:30 PM to 9 PM | Personal time, exercise and the main meal with family |
| 9:30 PM | Optional nap of 20 to 30 minutes |
| 10:15 PM | Leave for work |
Sleep as soon as possible after the shift, in one main block. Keep the same sleep time on each work day.
During the shift
- Use bright light at the start of the shift, if your workplace permits it.
- Drink coffee or other caffeine only in the first half of the shift. Caffeine late in the shift makes sleep shorter.
- Eat small, light meals during the night.
- Do the most difficult tasks early. Alertness is usually lowest between 3 AM and 5 AM.
Night shift sleep schedule on days off
On days off, many night workers change back to a day schedule. Then the first night shift of the next week is very difficult.
Use “anchor sleep.” Keep part of your sleep at the same time on all days. Example for a worker who sleeps from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM on work days:
- After the last shift, sleep a short time, for example from 8 AM to noon.
- On days off, sleep from about 3 AM to 11 AM. The hours from 8:30 AM to 11 AM are the same as on work days.
- Before the first shift of the week, take a nap of 1 to 2 hours in the afternoon.
Is this your first series of night shifts? Then move your sleep 1 to 2 hours later on each day before the first shift.
When to eat and exercise
- Eat the main meal before the shift, at the same time each work day.
- Do not eat a large meal in the hour before sleep.
- Drink water during the shift. Do not use sugar drinks to stay awake.
- Exercise after you wake up, before the shift. Exercise directly after the shift can make sleep more difficult.
Health and safety
Long-term night work is linked to sleep problems and to other health risks. A good routine decreases these risks. It does not remove them.
- Do not drive when you are very sleepy. Take a short nap first, or use other transport.
- Get regular health checks. Tell your doctor that you work nights.
- Know the signs of shift work sleep disorder. Examples: insomnia on most days, strong sleepiness at work and no improvement on days off. If you have these signs, speak to a doctor.
Isolation and family time
Night workers sleep when family and friends are awake. Many night workers feel isolated or feel that they miss family life.
- Plan one fixed time each week with family or friends, for example a meal before your shift.
- Tell the people at home your sleep hours. Put a sign on the bedroom door.
- Find other night workers. They understand the schedule and the problems.
- Low mood or constant fatigue can continue for more than two weeks. If this occurs, speak to a doctor.
How to ask for help
- Ask your employer for a regular rotation. A fixed series of nights is easier than a random mix of day and night shifts.
- Ask for the schedule early. Example: “Can I see my shifts four weeks in advance?”
- Ask the people at home for quiet hours. Example: “I sleep from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Can we keep the house quiet then?”
Tasks for the first week
- Write your sleep time and wake time for work days.
- Buy blackout curtains or a sleep mask and sunglasses for the drive home.
- Write your routine after the shift and your routine after you wake up.
- Plan your sleep for days off with anchor sleep.
- Tell the people at home your sleep hours.
Plan the shift day
For night workers, one workday crosses midnight. Many planners put the second half on the wrong day. Play This Life lets you set the hour when your day starts, so a full shift stays on one day. It can also keep your routines after the shift and after you wake up. For late evenings that are not shift work, read the daily routine for night owls.