How to sleep after a night shift

Go to bed as soon as you get home, in a room as dark and quiet as you can make it, and sleep as long as you can. NIOSH’s training for shift-working nurses points out that the more sleep you get before 2 p.m., the better rested you will be, and that a nap before your next shift can add to your total sleep. This is general information; if you regularly struggle, talk to a doctor.

Updated October 2026

Before you leave work

• Use light on purpose. NIOSH suggests spending as much time as you can in bright light during the first half of a night shift to stay alert, then reducing bright light in the second half so it is easier to sleep at home.
• Shield your eyes on the way home, safely. NIOSH describes wearing blue-light-blocking or very dark sunglasses from leaving work until you are in your dark bedroom. It also warns that if you are very sleepy, sunglasses can block light’s alerting effect and make drowsy driving more dangerous, so it advises using them only if someone else drives.
• Don’t drive drowsy. If you are very sleepy, NIOSH suggests asking someone to drive you, taking a taxi or public transport, sharing a ride, finding a room to sleep near work, or taking caffeine and then a short nap before the drive.

Make the room work for daytime sleep

• Very dark. NIOSH’s test is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your eyes, or wear an eye mask. Use blackout shades or heavy lined drapes, block light around the edges and under the door, and use a dim red nightlight for trips to the bathroom.
• Quiet. Block noise with earplugs or a machine, such as a fan or a white-noise machine. Set your phone’s do-not-disturb so only emergency contacts can get through, and turn off non-essential alerts.
• Cool and comfortable. NIOSH suggests a cool room with covers added for warmth, and turning the clock face away so you don’t keep checking the time.
• Help from home. Ask the people you live with not to disturb you while you sleep.

Timing your sleep

1. Go straight to bed when you get home. If you will be hungry, NIOSH suggests a small meal with protein and a carbohydrate, such as cereal and milk, first. Save chores and errands for later; early morning is prime sleep time after a night.
2. Sleep as long as possible. Night workers usually get less sleep, and poorer-quality sleep, than day workers, so NIOSH advises spending as much time in bed as you can.
3. Nap before the next shift if you can. A nap before a night shift, which NIOSH calls a prophylactic nap, can last a few hours; in the studies NIOSH cites, naps of 1.5 to 3 hours in the afternoon or evening before a night shift improved alertness during it.

Short naps and grogginess

Grogginess after waking, called sleep inertia, typically lasts 30 to 60 minutes. NIOSH notes that waking after about 20 minutes, or about 90 minutes, rather than around the one-hour mark, may leave you less groggy, and that caffeine taken just before a short nap takes about 30 minutes to work, so it can help as you wake. Allow time for grogginess to pass before driving or other critical tasks.

Days off and switching back

Flipping fully back to night sleep on days off can feel like constant jet lag. NIOSH describes a compromise that scientists have suggested: on work days, sleep as soon as you get home (say, from 8 a.m.); on days off, stay up until 3 or 4 a.m. and sleep until noon or 1 p.m. That way some hours, such as 8 a.m. to noon, are sleep time every day.

NIOSH also warns against staying up all day before your first night shift, or all day after your last one, because you end up awake for too many hours.

How much sleep, and when to get help

CDC recommends 7 or more hours of sleep a day for adults aged 18 to 60. It advises talking to your healthcare provider if you regularly have problems sleeping or notice signs of a sleep disorder, such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy or sleep apnea. Ask a doctor before trying sleep medicines or supplements.

Sound can help mask daytime noise; see white, pink and brown noise explained.

General information, not medical advice. If you regularly struggle to sleep or stay alert, talk to a doctor. Shiftfolk is an app from intellidip and is not affiliated with CDC or NIOSH.