Night-shift worker memory tips

by Cris
(Quezon City, Philippines)

It says here in your tips for better memory to have enough sleep at night. I'm awake at night because I work on a graveyard shift, can you suggest ways to still improve memory that would suit my work schedule? Thanks a lot!

Doug's Reply: Dr. Tackles (see below) makes a good point. Working the graveyard shift is not good for the body or mind.

Until you can get on a better schedule, you can still take steps to improve your memory. The tips discussed on this website don't have to be used at a certain time of day.

For instance, you can improve your diet, take brain vitamins, and . You can meditate. You can play free online brain games.

Because of your shift work you may feel more tired during wake times compared to other people. So you should really emphasize getting good sleep when you do sleep.

Remove all distractions from your sleep environment. Consider removing the television from your bedroom; Turn off the ringer on your phone; install light-blocking shades on your windows. Consider wearing a sleep mask to block out the remaining light. Turn on a white-noise mood machine while you sleep to create random background noise. Clear your mind and practice mindfulness breathing to relax your body and mind as soon as you lay down in bed.

When I was younger I worked the graveyard shift briefly. Being awake when everyone is sleeping and sleeping when others are awake creates all sorts of problems.

Good luck with the job. In the meantime, click the links on the left side of my site to learn more about the memory improvement habits and techniques you may want to add to your routine.

Regards,
Douglas
Memory-Improvement-Tips.com