Working night shifts

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We understand how challenging shift work can be, especially when managing the transition to and from nights. Scientific research tells us that, unfortunately, night shifts can have a negative impact upon our health, including the way our body regulates weight, which can sometimes lead to weight gain. However, this does not appear to be because night shift workers eat more than those who don’t... 

Your body’s digestive system is circadian. This means that overnight it functions differently to the way it does during the day and, therefore, timing is important. Amongst other alterations, your body’s tolerance to sugar and fat is reduced overnight. However, there are things you can do to mitigate these changes. 

Here are some tips to help you whilst having minimal impact on your Roczen health plan. 

The Basic Principles 

1) Light, moderate protein meals are recommended 

Higher protein foods will keep you fuller for longer and won’t impact your blood glucose levels as much. Aim to eat most of your daily food intake during the daytime around your shifts, where possible. 

2) Prioritise sleep 

Ensure you are getting good quality sleep and enough of it - this is very important. Poor sleep can impair blood glucose levels, regardless of food intake. If you are having problems with sleep, please speak to a Reset Health clinician to see if we can help you. 

It can be difficult to sleep well during the day so try using blackout blinds or an eye mask and ear plugs to allow your body to get more restful sleep. 

3) Listen to your body 

If you are feeling unwell, irritable, tired and you feel it is due to hunger or lack of food - please eat. Keep a record of your eating times and what foods you are having so that we can help you to understand if there are any patterns and ways to improve. 4) Be patient 

It may not always be possible for you to stick to your plan as you do during the day time, it is important not to feel demotivated or upset about this. Accept that your plan might not be possible every night. If your lifestyle includes night shifts, it’s important to find what works for you, so that you can maintain this long term. This may not happen overnight (literally). As with any sustainable lifestyle change, it takes time to build better habits! 

Suggestions for Time Restricted Eating

16:8 Protocol

Option 1:

Main meal 6pm - 8pm

Small, high protein meal 12am - 2am (e.g. lentil soups, homemade four bean salad, homemade chicken salad with non-starchy vegetables, nuts, lean meat, 0% yogurt).

Option 2:

Try to eat your main meal (the largest meal) during the daylight hours, either earlier on in the day before your night shift, or in the morning after your night shift.

When finishing night shifts, return to your preferred eating times as per your Roczen plan.

22:2 Protocol

No change, continue one meal a day. Apply the basic principles.

Final tips

If you are feeling hungry during or after your night shift, consider increasing the size of the meal by:

• Adding more protein (eg. boiled egg, edamame beans, having some yogurt after your meal or a chia seed pudding) or
• Add more vegetables - e.g. broccoli, green beans, can aid satiety.
• Changing the time that you are eating. You may need to try a few different times to work out what is best for you.

Use the fasting tracker on your Roczen App to track how long you are fasting for as it can be more difficult to keep the same routine whilst transitioning to and from night shifts.

If you have any further questions or concerns about your Roczen plan and night shifts, please contact the Roczen team at support.uk@roczen.com