When it comes to a man’s professional life, a lot of men end up working during the night time due to their work profile. These can be doctors, nurses, call centre workers, miners and many more. While they get used to their job profile of working during the night, the truth is that night shifts can lead to several health issues, metabolic problems, heart disease, gastrointestinal difficulties, obesity as well as certain cancers.
Men who work during the day are much more healthy than those men who work during the night. They go through loss of sleep as well as are prone to diseases such as diabetes. While it is important for man to work hard, whether it is during the day or at night, it is also important for him to keep himself healthy.
If you are one of those men who works during the night time and are fighting hard to keep yourself healthy we might have a few tips for you.
Do Not Ignore Sleep
Whether you work at a call centre or are a busy doctor, you need your sleep as well. So as soon as you are done with your work and reach home make sure that you are able to get a sound sleep of at least 7 to 9 hours every day. We are sure that you must have a lot of household chores to do, however, your sleep is also of a high priority and should not be ignored.
Getting proper sleep will keep you healthy, while your bedroom is covered with dark curtains in order to have a peaceful sleep. Apart from that, you can try to have a power nap before going to work in order to get things done better.
Eat a Balanced Diet
As you are working during the night, you might experiment with your diet and consume junk food as well as sodas which are quite unhealthy for you, especially as you are working in the night shift. The truth is that men who work during the night time need to have a proper healthy diet which should be full of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, greens as well as dairy products.
Apart from that, these men should keep on eating a small quantity of food during regular intervals to keep themselves energised throughout the day. A bit of Vitamin D through sun exposure would also help them a lot.
Consuming Caffeine
Men who work night shifts need caffeine to make sure that they don’t end up falling asleep in the middle of their shift so coffee as well as tea can be lifesavers for them. However, you need to make sure that you are not consuming too much caffeine to avoid crashing in the middle of your night shift.
Have coffee or tea in moderation during your night shift. Apart from that, it has been recommended that a man must stop consuming caffeine after 2 PM or 3 PM or they would not be able to fall asleep when they get back home. When it comes to consuming caffeine during work, moderation is the key for you.
Hydration
Often when a man who is working night shifts, forgets all about drinking water as well as other fluids and staying hydrated. However, staying hydrated is quite essential in order to stay awake as well as energised during a night shift. Along with that, hydration also assists in making sure that your bodily functions are working properly as we depend on water a lot to ensure that our systems are running or not.
Make a Routine
When a man is working night shifts it becomes hard for him to set up a routine for himself and work his day around it as his work schedule is not exactly similar to his counterparts. However, in order to live a healthy lifestyle any man needs to set up a routine and work according to it so that his day is not a mess.
Make sure that you make a practical as well as realistic routine for yourself which you can abide by. You should plan a good time of sleeping as well as waking up. By setting up a routine you will be able to take out time to spend with your family and even for your hobbies.
Avoid Alcohol
You might love to drink that red wine or your favourite whiskey, however, as you are working night shifts it would be better if you avoid drinking alcohol while you work during the night time. It is true that drinking alcohol in the beginning makes you fall asleep faster, but later on alcohol will only disrupt your sleep.
Apart from that, alcohol will impact your REM sleep too and you won’t be able to feel refreshed when you wake up. If you end up drinking too much, a painful hangover will welcome you as well which might not even let you work properly during your night shift.
Don’t forget Self Care
As you work during the night time, you might not be prioritising self care, like showering, washing your face as well as meditation on a regular basis, especially if you have not set up a routine. Ignoring self care can deeply impact your mental health and you can go through depression as well as anxiety.
It is quite important that you prioritise self care and practise yoga, meditation as well as take showers every day while washing your face as well. It plays a huge role in your mental health and works as a therapy while saving you from mental disorders.
Limit Screen Time
If you are someone who is working with a screen during his night shift, it is certainly essential for you to limit your screen time before you go to bed. Even if you do not use a computer at work, you must not use your smartphone or smart TV before you go to sleep.
The fact is that these tech devices have a blue light which has a negative impact on your melatonin as well as your hormone levels. Scrolling through your Instagram or staring at the television would not let you have a restful sleep and you would not feel refreshed when you wake up.
Sleep Friendly Bedroom
Once you are done with your night shift and are feeling tired as well as sleepy, you might want to hit the bed as soon as possible, however you might not be able to fall asleep. The reason behind this is that you don’t have a sleep friendly bedroom. You might have the sunlight coming in from the windows or your bed might not feel comfortable to sleep in.
In order to have your beauty sleep after a whole night of work, you must design a sleep friendly bedroom. Make sure that the curtains or blinds have completely blocked out the sunlight coming inside the bedroom. Along with that, ensure that your pillows and mattress feel comfortable to sleep in. An easy tip is to use satin pillowcases for a restful sleep.
Take Breaks
Even if you are a workaholic who works a night shift, it is very important for you to take breaks in between to move around, taking small walks as well as stretching a bit. This helps you in staying awake during a night shift and keeps you energised as well. It will keep your blood flowing properly as well, so make sure that you are moving around after every hour or so and stretching your legs during your night shift.
Conclusion
Working a night shift can easily stress out a man as your whole routine goes upside down in the beginning. However, you soon get used to it as the time passes. But while working these night shifts, men often forget about themselves as well as their health.
While working a night shift men can often suffer through disorders such as nausea, insomnia as well as headaches which can often worsen later on. The above given tips can help you in preventing such health disorders while working a night shift.
Apart from that, just because you are working a night shift, it does not mean that you do not take out time for yourself and your family. Remember, your personal time is as important as your professional life. While you are getting paid to work during the night time, you do not just have to put the food on the table but also spend some quality time with your kids and your partner.
Along with that, do take out enough time for your hobbies such as reading, writing, gardening or anything else that you like to do. You and your mental health matter as well.