Nisha works for a famous call center in Gurgaon. Her job comes with impressive pay structures and perks. She also gets to constantly meet new people of her age. All in all, Nisha loves her job. But her parents are very worried about Nisha. She doesn’t seem to be catching any sleep at all. After a day’s (night’s in this case) work, Nisha gets home and tries to align her day with that of her family. She also has to make time for going out with friends every evening. And she just cannot live without spending an hour or two, chatting on the net. So when does she sleep?

Of all the life style habits and changes that affect sleep, shift work is the most debilitating. The change in sleeping patterns caused due to shift work is called shift lag. People involved in shift work are expected to frequently change their sleeping habits and adjusting to the new settings. This leads to sleeping disorders and insomnia. Poor sleeping habits are linked to diabetes, depression, obesity, strokes and poor health in general.

Why the sleep problems:

Since we are not owls, our bodies are not naturally designed to work nights. Shift work almost always messes with sleep patterns. However, with a little forward planning we can adjust in no time.

On average, the human body needs approximately 5 - 9 hours sleep every 24 hours. Doctors recommend 8 hours. It doesn't really matter whether you hit the sack during the day or night. What matters is that you establish a routine. This means going to bed at the same time, and waking up at a set time too. The waking at the same time is more important. Get a pattern going, and your body clock will soon be setting itself.

Ensuring A Proper Restful Shut–Eye

1. Come to work after having a good day’s (not night’s here) sleep and rest. The key is to convert your day into your night and vice versa. This means that the day is for recharging your batteries.

2. Do not hit the sack immediately after getting home. Do you see any daytime people sleeping as soon as they reach home from work? Everyone needs time to unwind, and some time to spend with your family, before you go to sleep.

3. Do not consume stimulants like caffeine/nicotine to help you stay awake during work. They will almost certainly interfere with your sleeping patterns at after work. If you absolutely must have some tea or coffee, try to avoid during the last 2-3 hours of your work.

4. Your day is now your night, so you have to try and catch proper sleep during the day. Drown the noises, shut out the light. Use black drapes, sleep mask, earplugs, or whatever you require as a sleeping aid. Don’t feel ridiculous about using these during daytime. You deserve proper sleep and rest.

5. Don’t use any over the counter drugs or sleeping pills to induce sleep. These may affect your work and are also habit-forming.

6. Create a sleeping ritual for yourself. Having some ritualistic activities like listening to soft music or reading (a really boring) book tell your brain that its sleeping time.

7. When trying to stay awake at work, use fresh air or a short brisk walk in the hallway as your stimulant. You won’t feel sleepy at all after a brisk walk or after climbing down 5 flights of stairs. Plus you lose some calories.