Life Talk

'Healthy eating' advice is written for people who sleep at night

Nurse here, three nights a week. Every article about healthy habits says: eat breakfast, no food after 8pm, sleep 7-8 hours, morning walk in sunlight. Great. My 'morning' is 6pm and my lunch is at 2am in a break room with a vending machine.

I'm not complaining about the job. I'm complaining that almost nobody writes advice for the huge number of people who work nights. Hospitals, factories, drivers, security, convenience stores.

What I've figured out myself: a real meal before the shift, something small with protein around 1-2am instead of sweets, and no big meal right before I sleep in the morning. And sunglasses on the way home.

Other shift workers, what actually works for you? I don't trust the generic stuff anymore.