Working night shifts and trying to stay healthy may seem like a complicated balancing act. Granted that shift work comes with its own set of challenges- regulating sleep timings, non- availability of healthy foods, skipped exercise, sedentary work, weight gain etc.

But with some prior planning, you can still eat healthy and manage your work schedule so that you make time for exercise and do not skip out on your session. Skipping meals should be avoided as much as possible, this can lead to lowered metabolism. It could also lead to ‘starvation eating” or ‘binge eating’ later on in the day.

Another challenge commonly faced, is while integrating from one shift to another. Rotational shifts, if not managed properly could lead to an upset sleep cycle and skipped meals again. To deal with this, it is always better to make a transition according to a 12-hour clock. Start with the morning shift, then when you change move on to the swing/ afternoon shift and later on to the night shift. This pattern helps you to gradually ease into each shift and makes the change smooth.

Here we share ideal meal timings for 3 common shifts. The timings can be changed by + or –30 minutes depending on shift pattern and travel timings etc. This includes ideal timings for meals, snacks and exercise, so that it becomes a non-negotiable part of your day.

Early Morning Shift: 7am to 3pm

• On waking up- 1 small fruit/ A cup of milk

NOTE: (don’t leave to work on an empty stomach, have this within 30 minutes of waking up to activate your metabolism and give you energy)

• Breakfast - 8am

NOTE: Don’t delay this meal beyond 8 am and don't skip it! (pack a compact breakfast that you can take with you to the office- overnight oats is a huge time saver)

• Mid-morning- a light snack/ green tea at 10 am
• Lunch- 12 or 12:30 pm
• Tea - 3 pm- a green tea or a regular tea with less than 1 tsp. of sugar
• Evening snack - 4:30 pm- choose a healthy balance of carbs and protein
• Exercise- 5:30 to 6:30 pm
• Dinner- 7 pm
• Bedtime- 8:30-9 pm
• Wake up- 5 am

NOTE: Sleep early and along with your alarm clock, you may also want to keep the curtains slightly open. This enables natural light to enter, so you are able to wake up easily. A dark room increases melatonin levels which causes you to fall asleep.

Swing Shift: 2/3 pm to 11 pm

• Wake up by 8 am
• Early Morning- a small fruit/ nuts/ milk before exercise
• Exercise: 8:30- 9:30 am
• Breakfast by 10 am
• Lunch- by 2 pm

NOTE: Make sure you eat this at home as much as possible, avoid eating lunch in office/ outside)

• Tea Time- 4 pm- a cup of green tea
• Evening Snacks- 5 pm
• Dinner- 8 pm

NOTE: Pack a compact dinner that you can carry with you to office, so you do not end up eating anything unhealthy from office/ outside)

• Bedtime- a cup of skimmed milk with a pinch of turmeric/ chamomile tea- 12 or 12:30 am

Night Shift: 7 pm to 3 am

• Sleep from 4 am- 12 pm

· NOTE: This needs to be continuous sleep, do not wake up to eat/ do anything else in between

• Breakfast- 12:30 pm (home cooked meal)
• Exercise- 2:30 to 3:30 pm
•  Lunch- 4 pm- NOTE: Opt for a home cooked meal
• Tea- 6 pm
• Evening snacks (these should be healthy- fruit/ makhana/ nuts)- 7 pm
• Dinner- 10 pm

NOTE: Keep your meal balanced and light. (pack a home cooked meal that you can carry with you, try not to eat anything unhealthy at office/ restaurants)

• Snack- green tea/ roasted channa etc. - 1 am (try and avoid drinking too many cups of coffee/ regular tea)
• Before leaving office- a small fruit/ a small cup of muesli with low fat milk- 3 am
• Bedtime- 4 am- a cup of chamomile tea/ turmeric milk

Integrating these healthy changes whole working on shifts will help you achieve a work- life balance. It is important to get this right, if shift work is not managed well, it can take a toll on your health.

References

What to eat if you’re a shift worker (2018). Retrieved from https://jeanhailes.org.au/news/foods-for-shift-workers

Articles, H., & Eating, H. (2018). Healthy Diet Tips for People Working Night Shifts. Retrieved from https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/healthy-diet-tips-for-people-working-night-shifts-4779/post

Shift work challenges | Healthy Weight Guide. (2018). Retrieved from http://healthyweight.health.gov.au/wps/portal/Home/keep-in-check/managing%20the%20challenges/shift-work-challenges/!ut/p/a0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOI9jFxdDY1MDD3dzbycDTzNLfwsfP0MjYJNTfULsh0VAUgJjsw!/

The Best Diet for Working Night Shifts. (2018). Retrieved from https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/diet-working-night-shifts-2169.html

Tips for Healthy Eating and Exercising When Working Shifts. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/shift-work/content/tips-healthy-eating-and-exercising-when-working-shifts