Night shifts, alternating shifts or split shifts; a lot of people don't have 9 to 5 jobs, but they still want to eat healthy and responsibly. And that can still be quite difficult with such irregular working hours. These tips will help.
It all has to do with taking your biological clock into account.
Biological rhythm
A biological rhythm or clock is internally regulated in everyone, but it is also influenced by outside light. So you can imagine that working night shifts can mess up sleep and wake rhythms quite a bit. People who work night shifts are therefore more likely to have sleep problems: sleep is shorter, less deep and fatigue plays a role.
Sleeping and eating
Such a biological clock affects not only sleep, but also metabolism and digestion. Since the body is set up to sleep at night and eat during the day, there will be less hunger at night. There are also a host of other factors at play, such as the often high intake of coffee during a night shift and the lesser availability of healthy choices.
Tips for working shifts
In order to stick to your personal nutrition plan as much as possible during night or alternating shifts, we have listed a few tips:
- In terms of eating rhythm, stay on a "normal" day and night schedule as much as possible. This means eating breakfast around 7 a.m. in the morning and dinner around 7 p.m. in the evening.
- Continue to eat a variety of foods, take home-prepared meals to work.
- Take healthy snacks such as snack vegetables with you so you are not tempted by unhealthy snacks.
- Drinking enough is incredibly important. Bring a bottle of water that you can refill. Limit the number of cups of coffee, especially toward the end of your shift (and thus the beginning of your bedtime).
- It's also best to avoid alcohol to ensure a good night's sleep later.
- During your lunch break, take time to eat in peace. Make sure you are away from your workplace and can eat your lunch with attention.
- Make sure you get enough physical activity in addition to your work by exercising, for example.
Photo: Christin Hume via Unsplash
