Optimising Your Sleep Environment: A Shift Worker’s Guide to Better Rest
Getting enough sleep is essential for your health and well-being, yet as a shift worker, this can feel like a constant uphill battle. While most adults are recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, simply spending that amount of time in bed doesn’t guarantee restorative sleep. Issues like difficulty falling asleep or frequent nighttime awakenings are all too common and can sabotage your sleep quality.
One crucial factor that’s often overlooked? Your sleep environment. Your brain and body don’t switch off when you lie down; they interact with your surroundings during the transition to sleep and throughout the night. A poorly designed sleep environment can reduce your sleep quality and duration, while an optimised one can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Let’s break down five key elements of the sleep environment—temperature, noise, light, bedding, and air quality—and how to set yourself up for sleep success.
1. Temperature
Your body temperature naturally fluctuates over a 24-hour cycle, dropping as you prepare for sleep and reaching its lowest point about six hours into your rest. A room that’s too hot or too cold can disrupt this rhythm, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.
Research shows that sleeping in a room that’s too warm (e.g., 29°C/84F) increases the time it takes to fall asleep and causes more wake-ups during the night. On the flip side, a room that’s too cold (e.g., 13°C/55F) can also interfere with sleep—unless you’re well-insulated with the right bedding.
Pro Tip: Keep your room cool but comfortable. Consider airflow, humidity, and your bedding materials, as these can all affect how your body regulates temperature overnight.
2. Noise
Your brain continues to process sounds even while you sleep, which is why noise can disrupt your rest. Intermittent sounds, like traffic or loud neighbours, are more likely to wake you than continuous background noise like a fan or white noise.
Pro Tip: Create a quiet sleep environment by using earplugs, soundproofing your room, or playing white noise to mask disruptive sounds.
3. Light
Light exposure plays a significant role in regulating your body’s internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. Even small amounts of light can pass through your eyelids and disrupt your sleep. Research shows that light as dim as a streetlamp can cause more nighttime awakenings.
Pro Tip: Keep your bedroom dark. Use blackout curtains, cover electronic lights, and consider wearing an eye mask to block out all sources of light.
NOTE: If you can see your hand in front of your face while in bed, your room is too light.
4. Bedding
Your mattress, pillow, and blankets matter more than you might think. Bedding that’s too firm or soft or retains heat can lead to discomfort, stiffness, or sweating, disrupting your sleep. While the “perfect” mattress or pillow is subjective, it’s essential to find options that suit your body size, sleep position, and temperature preferences.
Pro Tip: Choose bedding materials that enhance comfort and support your thermoregulation. If you’re curious about weighted blankets, know that the evidence is still mixed, but they might be worth a try if you enjoy that feeling.
5. Air Quality
Ever wake up feeling groggy and stuffy? Poor air quality could be the culprit. Without proper ventilation, carbon dioxide can build up in your room while you sleep, which may lower your sleep quality. Other factors like dust, smoke, or outdoor pollutants can also affect your breathing at night.
Pro Tip: Keep your room well-ventilated, change your sheets regularly, and avoid introducing pollutants like candles or incense into your sleep space.
How to Optimise Your Sleep Environment
Improving your sleep environment doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Use these steps as a guide:
Identify: What’s disrupting your sleep? Too much light? Noise? Stuffy air?
Eliminate: Remove the source of disruption where possible. For example, block out sunlight with blackout curtains.
Reduce: If elimination isn’t an option, minimise its impact. For instance, use an eye mask if blackout curtains aren’t feasible.
Evaluate: Once you’ve addressed one factor, reassess your sleep quality. Keep in mind that solving one issue might highlight another—like an uncomfortable eye mask causing more problems than the light itself.
Final Thoughts
A well-designed sleep environment is essential for shift workers who need to make every moment of rest count. While research on this topic is still growing, we know that temperature, noise, light, bedding, and air quality all play significant roles. By identifying and addressing the factors affecting your sleep, you can create a sanctuary that promotes restorative rest and supports your demanding lifestyle.
Better sleep starts with small, intentional changes. What’s the first step you’ll take to improve your sleep environment tonight?
About Roger Sutherland
As a coach and advocate for shift workers, my goal is to provide practical, evidence-based strategies that empower individuals to thrive in their roles. By understanding and addressing the challenges of shift work sleep disorder, shift workers can achieve better health outcomes and lead more fulfilling lives both on and off the job.
Note:
I also run Nutrition, Health & Wellbeing Seminars for shift working environments.
