It’s pretty simple. The best sleep schedule is the one that works for you! Everyone’s sleep needs and circumstances are different. The main thing is to get enough sleep.
Sometimes I read articles on how to sleep while working nights that dogmatically dictate a certain sleep schedule. But, realistically, the same thing just doesn’t work everyone. And if you’re new to shift work or have been struggling to get adequate sleep, you might need to try a few different sleeping patterns to see which is best for you.
You need to figure out what works for your body and circumstances and then stick to it consistently. This will let your body adjust and help you build some routine into your life. It will also help you sleep during the day more easily by training your body when it should be asleep vs. awake.
How to build your sleep schedule
Take the time to plot out exactly what hours you need to sleep, either digitally or on paper. Mapping out your sleep plan will help you find potential flaws in your well-intentioned ideas. When plotting out your sleep schedule, consider:
- Your scheduled shifts (8 hrs? 12 hrs? start time? end time?)
- Your individual sleep requirements (7 hrs of shut eye? 9 hrs or more?)
- Your family responsibilities (children to be dropped off/picked up?)
- Social engagements (PTA meetings, dinner dates, etc.)
- Other commitments (soccer practice, doctor’s appointments, etc.)
Sample sleep plans
Want to see the schedules of some of my co-workers? These different sleeping schedules show you that successful daytime sleeping doesn’t need to look exactly one way to be effective.
The fitness buff
Some of my athletic co-workers follow this schedule:
- Leave work as the sun rises, eating breakfast before they go
- Work out at the gym & shower
- Hit the sheets by 10 a.m.
- Sleep til about 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.
- Eat dinner
- Head into work
These folks admit that this only works for them if they go directly to the gym. Stopping at home is deadly for as it inevitably leads to crawling between the sheets and never making it back out.
The school sleeper
Many of my co-workers are parents. Here’s how they work their sleep schedule:
- Leave work
- Get home in time for the breakfast parade and lunch-making lineup
- Pop kids on the bus and/or deliver them to school
- Head straight to bed
- Sleep until school is over
- Do homework and eat dinner with the kids
- Give bedtime kisses
- Head into work
If you need more sleep than this schedule allows, it may be possible to arrange after-school daycare or babysitting.
The split sleeper
I have other co-workers who cannot stay asleep for one long spell during the day. These folks do the following:
- Leave work
- Eat breakfast
- Head straight to bed
- Sleep for a 3+ hour nap
- Have lunch / putter around / do some housekeeping
- Sleep for another 3+ hour nap
- Drive to work
- Eat dinner in the staff room and head into their night shift
My schedule
Here’s what works for me:
- I have a small breakfast near the end of my shift.
- I head straight to bed after work and sleep for several hours.
- I invariably snap awake at 1 p.m. so I drink a tall glass of water and pad around my apartment for a few minutes.
- I get back in bed, do some reading and head back to sleep until late afternoon.
- I eat dinner, grab a large coffee, and drop off my dog before heading into work. (I try to get to work 15 mins before shift start to settle in and relieve my coworker early.)
Could any of those sleep plans work for you? Do you already have a sleep schedule that works for you? Please share below so we can learn from each other!
