Night Shift Owl: Example plan

Example fatigue-reduction plan

Below are two example plans for a nurse working three consecutive 12-hour night shifts starting at 7:30 PM. The first uses evening light exposure and scheduled sleep times in order to reduce fatigue, sleepiness, and work-related errors. The second uses diet in order to reduce general fatigue and sleepiness. Both interventions can be adapted to suit your lifestyle and have been tested in our previous studies (Olson, et al., 2019; Cyr et al., 2023).

Light exposure intervention

Preview

	Midnight												Noon
	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
Day before
Night shift 1
Night shift 2
Night shift 3
Day after

Plan

Day before

21:45–22:45: Seek light
23:45–09:00: Sleep late

Night shift 1

09:00–12:00: Avoid light
17:30–18:30: Nap if tired
18:30–19:30: Seek light
19:30–07:30: Work

Night shift 2

07:30–08:30: Avoid light
08:30–15:30: Sleep early
17:30–18:30: Nap if tired
18:30–19:30: Seek light
19:30–07:30: Work

Night shift 3

07:30–08:30: Avoid light
08:30–15:30: Sleep early
17:30–18:30: Nap if tired
18:30–19:30: Seek light
19:30–07:30: Work

Day after

08:30–13:30: Sleep early but less
22:45–08:00: Sleep as usual

Guidelines

Seek light
Seek light: Get bright light as late as possible (e.g., in the last 40 minutes before leaving for work). Spend time in sunlight (even if it’s cloudy) or near a bright window. If it's dark out, seek any bright artificial light.; The most effective light would be from a portable light box if you have one. Follow the directions of your particular light box. In our studies, we tested 40 minutes of light exposure in the evening. The light box should be in front of you within arm's reach; you do not need to look directly at it. On work days, get as much light as possible on your way to work in the evening (e.g., do not wear your sunglasses).
Avoid light: Avoid as much light as possible. Wear dark sunglasses on the way home after your night shift, unless driving or biking. Once home, close your curtains and sleep with a sleep mask. (Consider closing your curtains before leaving for work.)
Sleep late: Go to sleep one hour later than usual and sleep in as late as you can the following morning.
Sleep early: Go to sleep as soon as you can after your night shift and sleep for as long as possible.
Sleep early but less: Go to sleep as soon as you can after your night shift but sleep for a shorter duration than usual.
Sleep at usual time: Always wear your sleep mask while sleeping.
Nap: Nap if tired, for as long as you would like.

Diet-based plan

Preview

	Midnight												Noon
	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
Day before
Night shift 1
Night shift 2
Night shift 3
Day after

Plan

Day before

22:45–08:00: Sleep as usual

Night shift 1

17:30–18:30: Eat a complete meal before work
19:30–07:30: Work

Night shift 2

07:30–08:30: Eat a light breakfast
08:30–15:30: Sleep as usual
17:30–18:30: Eat a complete meal before work
19:30–07:30: Work

Night shift 3

07:30–08:30: Eat a light breakfast
08:30–15:30: Sleep as usual
17:30–18:30: Eat a complete meal before work
19:30–07:30: Work

Day after

07:30–08:30: Eat a light breakfast
08:30–15:30: Sleep as usual

Guidelines

Work and eat snacks: Eat light healthy snacks (e.g., fruits, vegetables with hummus, nuts, crackers) throughout the night shift if hungry.
Eat a complete meal: Eat a balanced meal, such as containing protein, healthy fats (e.g., olive oil, nuts), vegetables, and some carbs (e.g., whole grains, brown rice).
Eat a light breakfast: Eat a low-protein breakfast, such as oatmeal, toast, or fruit, before going to sleep.
When meals are not specified, eat as usual when hungry
Sleep at usual time

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