1. Cluster night shifts together.
It’s helpful to cluster your shifts together and stick to a night work sleep schedule even on your off days. That way, your body can get used to one schedule and is not always in adaptation mode. One study found that nurses who worked rotating shifts—a group of night shift followed by day shift—reported lower job satisfaction, reduced quality and quantity of sleep, and more frequent fatigue. They were also higher risk for developing psychological and cardiovascular symptoms. ((Paola Ferri et al., “The impact of shift work on the psychological and physical health of nurses in a general hospital: a comparison between rotating night shifts and day shifts, Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Sept. 14, 2016))
However, this may not be practical for everyone. If you want to return to a more normal schedule after your last overnight shift of the week, try going to sleep in the morning—but get up in the early afternoon and stay active until a more normal bedtime. Take power naps during the next couple days. Then on your last free evening, stay up as late as possible, sleep in, and maybe even take a long nap before your first shift. ((Megan Krischke, “5 Easy Ways to Prepare for Night-Shift Nursing,” Onward Healthcare))
2. Stick to a routine.
Consider using a time-management strategy to create a schedule for other aspects of your daily life. You can plan out the best time for self-care activities like exercising, yoga, meditation, and napping, as well as household tasks such as cooking and cleaning.