Shift work and sleep. 

How to build healthy sleep habits.  

Published February 2025  

Expert contributor Professor Delwyn Bartlett, health psychologist and insomnia specialist, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

Words by Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

Shift work can be great for penalty rates and flexible schedules, but it’s no secret it can also play havoc on your sleep. Whether you work long night shifts or rotating day shifts, irregular sleep patterns can leave you exhausted, and they can muck up your physical and mental health.

“Shift work becomes much harder after a while and many people want to stop, but they often don’t have a choice because of family or financial commitments,” says Professor Delwyn Bartlett, health psychologist and insomnia specialist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and a conjoint professor at Macquarie University.

While night shifts tend to get all the attention, Professor Bartlett explains that alternating morning and afternoon shifts can be just as hard on your sleep habits and your body.

“You may only have eight hours between leaving work and when you’re due back on, so that doesn’t leave much time for sleep,” she says. “And if you’ve had a busy shift, your brain might still be buzzing, and you could have trouble falling asleep.”

So, what can shift workers do to improve their sleep and overall health? Here’s what you need to know.

Sleep deprivation. What is it, do you have it?

Sleep deprivation doesn’t just impact shift workers – around one-third of Aussies don’t get enough sleep. Whether you’re a shift worker or you’ve been feeling a little tired for a while now, understanding the symptoms of sleep deprivation can help. These include:

• feeling tired throughout the day
• yawning often
• falling asleep when you don’t mean to (like when you’re watching TV)
• needing to take naps
• sleeping long hours on days off
• irritability
• feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, paranoid or experiencing suicidal thoughts
• lack of motivation
• difficulty concentrating
• memory problems
• slower reflexes, bad balance and coordination
• loss of interest in sex 
• craving takeaway and processed foods and caffeine.

Around 10% of shift workers may also have a condition known as ‘shift work sleep disorder’, says Prof Bartlett. 

Symptoms include:

• being unable to get to sleep or stay asleep when you want or need to
• being overly sleepy during work hours
• noticing an impact on your work, personal and family life.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, or you’re worried about feeling unusually tired, Prof Bartlett says you should speak to your GP for advice. 

How shift work can impact sleep and health

Shift work can upset circadian rhythms – your ‘internal biological clock’ that regulates a number of factors, including sleepiness. 

“Not getting enough sleep can have a huge effect on mood, particularly depression and anxiety, as well as on social skills and relationships,” explains Prof Bartlett. “And having lots of short sleeps like many shift workers do can affect attention and alertness, which can increase the chance of workplace accidents.”

Being awake and on the go for 17 hours is the same as having a blood alcohol level greater than 0.05, she adds.

Research shows not getting enough sleep over long periods of time can sometimes lead to health problems, like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, kidney disease and stroke.

However, says Prof Bartlett, while this may seem scary, making small changes to your sleep habits can help reduce your risk.

7 healthy sleep habits for shift workers

When you’re a shift worker, you may not have a say in your work roster, but you can form some simple habits to improve your sleep quality. 

The usual healthy sleep advice, including going to sleep at the same time each night and avoiding bright light at night from electronic devices, isn’t relevant for most shift workers. Instead, Prof Bartlett says shift workers need to lower their expectations around sleep and be kind to themselves.

Here are Prof Bartlett's recommendations for shift workers:

1. Take time out. “Taking a few minutes to stretch and do breathing exercises like these throughout your shift helps. Night shift work isn’t easy, and it does disrupt your sleep, so giving yourself some self-soothing time is essential to manage it.”
2. Wear dark sunglasses. “When you’re driving home from work, especially in the summertime, wearing dark glasses can hide your eyes from sunlight and help get your body ready to go to sleep.”
3. Go to bed as soon as you can. “You might have commitments like dropping the kids off at daycare or a game of footy after your shift but try to get to sleep as soon as possible. If you’re feeling wired, take some time to sit quietly and let go of what happened on and after your shift.”
4. Create a good sleep environment. “Switch your phone off, turn on a fan for background noise, which will help to reduce some of the daytime noise, and make your room as dark and cool as possible.” 
5. Limit caffeine and drink more water. “It might be tempting to load up on coffee and energy drinks to get through your night shift, but you may find it harder to get to sleep when you get home. Drinking water or electrolytes regularly throughout your shift will help you fight tiredness.”
6. Eat a healthy diet. “We tend to reach for fatty and sugary foods when we’re tired, but that doesn’t help us feel better in the long run. Try to eat a healthy diet [including fruits and vegies, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats and dairy products or substitutes], which will give you energy and help improve your mood. A healthy gut has also been linked to better sleep.”
7. Exercise regularly. “You might love hitting the gym straight after your night shift, but this can actually raise your body temperature and make it harder to fall sleep. You’re better off exercising when you first wake up if you can manage to fit it in before your shift.”

When to see a doctor about sleep issues 

If your lack of sleep is having an impact on your physical or mental health, work or relationships, you should see your GP as soon as you can. 

They may suggest lifestyle changes or medication or refer you to a sleep specialist.

If you’re feeling anxious, depressed or having suicidal thoughts, call Lifeline for immediate assistance on 13 11 14. If it’s an emergency, call 000.

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