If you're someone who works night shifts, you know how challenging it can be to maintain a healthy sleep schedule and keep up with self-care. In this blog post, we'll be discussing 5 practical self-care tips that can help you improve your quality of life while working those long 12-hour night shifts. By implementing these strategies, you can take control of your physical and mental well-being, manage your sleep cycle, and improve your overall health. So, whether you're a nurse, a security guard, or any other professional working the night shift, this post is for you!

It took me a long time to design my perfect get-ready-routine, but I’ve learned through trial and error what makes me feel good and what doesn’t. I encourage and of you newbies, or any healthcare worker to pull any steps I’ve laid out that may smooth out those pre-work hours. As your shifts roll on, pay attention to what things have the most lasting positive effect on your work and dump anything that doesn’t.

While I love spontaneity as much as the next person, I am very much a creature of habit. This is especially true during the hours before I show up for a 12-hour shift and the hours after. Here’s a step-by-step rundown of what I do before each shift.

On days like today, when I've screwed up my sleep schedule heading into three consecutive overnights, the game becomes one of minimizing damage.

I felt like the night, in some small way, belonged to me and how dare they trample it with their daytime voices and fresh coffee smells.

Where the hell do I even begin to talk about my twisted love affair with night time?