Attention: night shifters!
Listen.... we know working night shift makes a fitness journey 1000000x times harder. Coach Sydney can't talk firsthand about that since she worked as a night shift nurse for a year. Here are some tips that helped balance the night shift life with the health & fitness lifestyle.
Quick Nutrition Tips
- Pack protein: This will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and give you a steady supply of energy. Examples: greek yogurt, pre-made protein drinks, jerky/meat sticks, protein bars, hard-boiled eggs, string cheese
- Pre-cut fruits and veggies for a quick snack. Examples: strawberries, grapes, baby carrots, mini peppers, cucumbers, celery. Add a low-cal dipping sauce with the veggies like Bolthouse Farms ranch.
- Aim for a regular meal schedule as best as you can! Just think of your meal timing as if your night was a regular day (meals at 5/6 pm, 1/2 am, and 8/9 am + snacks in between)
- If you are unable to eat a full meal on your lunch break (#nightshiftnausea), pack a high protein, higher carb snack for your break and aim to eat a snack every 2-3 hours.
- Hydration is super important. Keep your water bottle with you as best as you can! Set a timer on your watch/phone or use a water reminder app to keep your intake up!
48 Hour Rule
- Because you may be awake longer before your first shift and you're sleeping and eating schedules aren't 100% normal, trying 48-hour macros may be helpful.
- This works great for when you have a really long day when you are awake, followed by a day where you are awake for only a few hours.
- How does this work? Just double your macros and aim to hit those numbers within 48 hours!
- Let's say you generally wake up at 8 am on the day of your first shift (and then you take a nap in the afternoon). Start your 48 hours on day 1 and ended it when you get off shift on day 3!
- When it comes to macros and caloric intake, what matters is if your average daily intake is at goal.
Sleep
- Have a bedtime routine that works for YOU. Whether this is winding down with a book or your favorite TV show, taking a bath or doing your skincare routine, or snuggling with your dogs, use this time as a way to get settled for sleep.
- Be mindful of caffeine intake overnight as it can affect your sleep during the day. Try to limit caffeine to the first half of your "day" and stop drinking caffeine after 3 am.
- Create an optional environment for sleep! Purchase a set of blackout curtains, an eye mask, and grab some earplugs. You can invest in a white noise machine or find a white noise playlist on Spotify or YouTube for free!
- Some people can't sleep for 7-8 hours straight during the day and have to split up their sleep. While this isn't optimal, it's better than no sleep! Aim to sleep for 3-4 hours then have a few hours awake before taking another nap before work. Try to be productive during those wake hours, such as preparing food or running errands.
Do you work a weird schedule that makes it easy to put fitness & nutrition on the back burner? Maybe you need help creating a plan and a schedule that works with your schedule and something to make you be more successful. Apply to work with our team and we'll create a plan based on YOU.
