Working the Night Shift? Exercise Might Help You Adjust

And, no, you can't buy back sleep hours on the weekend.

DON'T LET YOUR DIET GO DOWN THE TOILET

"Working nights is unnatural, stressful, and makes you prone to weight gain," says fitness blogger Jo on Cranky Fitness, adding a joke:

"What's the difference between a night nurse and an elephant? About ten pounds."

Because many of you are working solo and can't leave your post, it's tough to keep a healthy diet. And even if you do get a break, what's open? You can't exactly drive to your nearest Whole Foods at 2 A.M. Instead of joining the Taco Bell "fourth meal" crowd in the wee hours of the night, pack a cooler filled with healthy foods. Dipping into smart meals and snacks every few hours will keep your metabolism and energy up. Fast food won't.

RED BULL IS NOT A CUREALL

Go easy on the caffeine, night workers. If you use caffeine to fuel yourself through your shift, you're going to have a tough ridiculous time getting to sleep when you get home. This I know from experience. Not only that, but you're likely to crash toward the end of your shift. What works for me: having one caffeinated drink at the start or during my shift, then switching to decaf and using other tried-and-trusted tricks to stay awake (running around, crunching an apple, cranking the A/C... or AC/DC).

RESET YOUR BEDTIME

While our unique circadian rhythms are a product of nature, they also take cues from outside factors. That means you can alter your sleep clock to an extent. Three ways:

ONE: Trick your body into thinking it's daytime/nighttime. Indoor light has a similar effect to sunlight, so keep the lights bright when it's your awake time. And when it's time to go to bed, make sure your room is pitch black (or get a comfortable eye mask. Since I started sleeping with one, I fall asleep in seconds instead of hours).

TWO: Be consistent in your sleep patterns and daily habits. In a fun article called "The Truth Behind Night Owls and Morning People," Brie Cadman recommends going to bed at the same time every night (or morning). "This will not only help you sleep better," says Brie, "it can help shift your clock to an earlier (or later) bedtime."

Don't resort to "catching up sleep" on the weekends. A) it doesn't work, and B) it will mess up your schedule and derail your whole effort to get on the night shift schedule.

THREE: Avoid eating, drinking or exercising before bed. All will keep you wide awake. Caffeine and alcohol consumed before bed can also cause you to wake up mid-slumber. Peel your eyes away from the TV and computer an hour before bed, too-the light emanated from screens has been shown to have the same effect on your brain as natural light, telling it that it's time to wake up.

Regular workouts and a healthy diet are especially important for shift workers. Treat your body right so you can withstand the challenge... until you find a job that corresponds with your body clock!