Meet the Team
Lauren McGill
Creative Director
I work at the intersection of healthcare and storytelling. As a medical writer, I help healthcare experts publish content so they stand out as thought leaders.
Sierra Jensen
Content Creator
Sierra Jensen is a junior writer with a passion for creating meaningful content. When she’s not writing you’ll usually find her reading, cooking or travelling.
Emma Farley, MD CCFP
Medical Editor
Emma is a medical professional with over five years of clinical experience in Family Medicine. She specializes in medical editing with a passion for plain language, clarity of message, and health literacy.
Lauren's Story
I learned how to sleep well, eat right, and stay fit while working nights. And you can too!
Shift work doesn’t just affect schedules. It also affects workers’ health. Shift workers are more likely to eat irregularly and unhealthily, sacrifice sleep, and find it hard to fit in exercise. The World Health Organization has actually linked regular shift work with serious illnesses and even labelled it as a probable carcinogen due to circadian disruption. Shift workers are also more at risk of weight gain and heart disease than those who work during the day. Yikes.
No wonder you might want a little advice on how to combat the negative effects of the night shift. You’ve come to the right place!
My first experience working rotating shifts was at a hospital in my early twenties. I loved my job as a clerk and didn’t particularly mind working nights, but when life changed I was quite content to leave the night shift behind. It gave me insights into the life of shift workers and their particular challenges but I definitely didn’t plan on re-joining their ranks.
Then life took another turn. When I applied for a posted position at the local hospital, it didn’t give any indication which department was hiring. In discussing my application with a friend, I laid down my criteria: “I’ll work in any department of the hospital, except the Emergency Room. I’ll do ICU, I’ll do the chemo unit, but I will not go back to rotating shifts in a chaotic environment.”
The next day, the hospital called with an interview offer. The catch? The only position available was in the ER. Night shifts were mandatory. And thus began my journey back to working nights and sleeping days.
The goal of this site is to share everything I learned about how to succeed on rotating shift work. Regardless of why you’ve ended up grinding away on the night shift, the challenges you face must be managed with common sense strategies:
- Master the art of clean eating.
- Set a solid sleep routine.
- Find time for fitness.
You’ll also find loads of advice on other aspects of working the night shift- like keeping a social schedule, packing a work bag, and driving home safely. The best approach is to build a solid routine for night shift work and stick with it. This will let you create a healthy lifestyle that is enjoyable and distinctive from day workers. The goal is to stay healthy, alert and feel your best at work and at home.
So now, fellow night owls, it’s onward to the night shift!
Lauren xo
Note: There are some people who simply cannot function on the night shift. They have tried everything and they cannot make it work. Sometimes it’s a physiological reason- like hormonal issues or circadian rhythm issues. Sometimes it’s a scheduling conflict re: family responsibilities, etc. The point of the information on this website isn’t to convince anyone to stay on the night shift who is suffering from it. Instead, this site is designed for people who are looking for ideas on how to make night shifts work better for them. It’s an individual thing so do what works for you and always consult with a health professional for medical advice.