Shift Work Sleep Disorder and How To Fix Poor Sleep Quality

What is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?

Shift work disorder (SWSD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that happens when your work schedule forces you to be awake during hours when your body expects to sleep. Around 20% of the full-time workforce in the United States works some form of nontraditional shift, and studies show that 10% to 40% of these workers develop shift work sleep disorder.

Doctors diagnose SWSD when sleep problems persist for at least three months and are directly tied to a work schedule that overlaps with typical sleep hours. They often ask patients to keep a sleep journal for at least two weeks, tracking when they fall asleep and wake up, how many times they wake during sleep, how rested they feel, and factors that might affect sleep, like caffeine use or noise disturbances.

SWSD is not the same as being tired from working long hours or adjusting to a new schedule. Many people experience difficulty when they first start shift work, but this typically resolves within a few weeks as the body adapts. SWSD is a persistent difficulty that doesn't improve over time.

It's also not regular insomnia. People with insomnia struggle to sleep at night when their body naturally wants to rest. People with SWSD struggle because they're trying to sleep when their biology is actively signaling wakefulness.

Symptoms of Shift Work Sleep Disorder

SWSD creates two main problems: insomnia when you try to sleep, and hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) when you need to stay awake.

Beyond sleep problems, SWSD creates other effects:

• Difficulty concentrating and remembering things
• Frequent headaches
• Lack of energy
• Decreased alertness while working
• Poor mood and irritability

If you're a shift worker experiencing these symptoms persistently, especially if they've lasted more than three months, talk to a healthcare provider.

What Causes Shift Work Sleep Disorder

SWSD results from a mismatch between your internal body clock and your external environment, which affects both the timing and duration of sleep.

How Your Internal Clock Works

Normally, light acts as the primary trigger for your internal clock during a 24-hour day. Two hormones play particularly important roles:

Melatonin: Your pineal gland releases the highest levels of melatonin during the night (darkness) and minimal amounts during the day (light). This hormone makes you feel sleepy and prepares your body for rest.

Cortisol: Your adrenal glands produce and release cortisol. Under regular circumstances, you have lower cortisol levels in the evening when you sleep and peak levels in the morning right before you wake. Cortisol promotes alertness and energy.

Why Shift Work Disrupts This System

For people who work nontraditional shifts, these cues don't align with their actual waking and sleeping hours. Night shift workers frequently sleep during daylight, precisely when their body's signals to wake up and stay awake are strongest. As a result, daytime sleep tends to be short and frequently disrupted.

People who work overnight are often sleepy and drowsy while working because their melatonin levels are usually highest during nighttime hours. Their body is producing the exact hormone that makes them sleepy while they're trying to stay alert and perform their job.

This creates a cycle: poor daytime sleep leads to increased sleepiness during work, which leads to reliance on caffeine and stimulants, which can further disrupt the next sleep period.

[CTA_INSERT]

Treatments for Shift Work Sleep Disorder

While there's no cure for SWSD, some treatments can help manage the main issues: circadian misalignment, sleepiness during work, and sleep disturbances during rest periods.

1. Changes to Your Work Routine

If possible, discuss schedule changes or work adaptations with your employer:

• Limit consecutive night shifts. Workers on night shifts should aim for five or fewer consecutive shifts, with days off in between. Those working 12-hour shifts should limit work to four shifts in a row.
• Take adequate recovery time. After a string of night shifts, take more than 48 hours off if possible.
• Avoid frequent rotations. It's easier to adapt to working the same shift for a longer period than to constantly rotate.
• Avoid prolonged shifts and excessive overtime. These extend the time your body spends fighting against its natural rhythm.
• Minimize commute time. Long commutes take away from available sleep time.
• Plan strategic naps. A nap before or during your night shift can improve alertness.
• Use caffeine strategically. Consume moderate amounts during your shift to help you stay alert, but stop in the later portions so it doesn't disrupt your sleep when you get home.
• Block morning light. Wear sunglasses if you're driving home after a night shift or need to go outside during daylight. This prevents the wake-up signal from reaching your brain right before you need to sleep.

2. Fixing Your Sleep Routine at Home

Most shift workers sleep one to four hours fewer than non-shift workers. Getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep every day should be a priority.

• Keep a regular sleep schedule. Try to maintain consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends and days off from work.
• Create a sleep-friendly environment. Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Use blackout curtains, white noise machines, or fans.
• Set boundaries with household members. Ask family and friends to help create a peaceful setting during your sleep time. Request that they use headphones for TV or music, avoid noisy activities like vacuuming, and respect your sleep schedule.
• Use a "Do Not Disturb" sign. Put one on your front door so delivery people and friends won't knock or ring the doorbell.
• Practice good sleep hygiene. Follow consistent bedtime rituals and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine close to sleep time.

3. Bright Light Therapy

Bright light therapy involves exposure to a specific type of light to help your body adjust to your schedule. You use this light at a specific time, usually at the beginning of your shift. The light is available as a lightbox, desk lamp, or light goggles, similar to the lights used to treat seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy is especially helpful for night shift workers, but your healthcare provider will tell you when and for how long to use it.

4. Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin supplements may help you adapt better to a shift work schedule. However, timing matters significantly, and taking melatonin at the wrong time can worsen circadian misalignment rather than improve it. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking melatonin.

5. Sleep Medications

Your healthcare provider may prescribe sleeping pills to help you sleep at the appropriate times. These can help in the short term, but long-term use can lead to dependency and may have unpleasant or dangerous side effects.

6. Wake-Promoting Medications

Wake-promoting agents improve alertness and help maintain wakefulness. The FDA currently approves two medications for shift work sleep disorder: modafinil (Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvigil). While these may help with performance issues associated with sleepiness, they're not a replacement for adequate sleep. They also have side effects and may be habit-forming.

How Kimba Helps Better Sleep and Recovery

Kimba is the first scent-based personal limbic therapy system that supports your nervous system during sleep. You place the Kimba diffuser by your bed and connect it to your wearable device—Oura, WHOOP, Garmin, Fitbit, or Apple Watch. While you sleep, Kimba monitors your biometric data in real time.

When your data shows signs of stress or lighter sleep, Kimba releases precisely timed pulses of scent. These formulations work with your limbic system, the brain network that regulates stress response and emotional state. Scent reaches this part of your brain directly, which is why certain smells can shift how you feel almost instantly.

For shift workers dealing with circadian misalignment, Kimba provides support when your body shows signs of activation during sleep. It does not fix the underlying biological conflict of working against your internal clock, but it can help reduce some of the disruption that conflict creates.

Some people notice improvements within the first week of use, while others see changes after a few weeks. Results vary depending on your schedule, sleep environment, and overall health.

Ready to experience how real-time support can change the way you recover?

Get early access to Kimba and discover what it can do for your nights.

‍