If you are a night shift worker, you have probably dabbled your way into intermittent fasting.
In case you haven’t, this article is for you.
Over the following few sections, we will discuss how intermittent fasting works on night shifts.
Additionally, we will also share some simple tips that will help you fast better during your shift window.
So, if you want to start getting all the benefits from intermittent fasting for night shifts, here’s everything you need to do!
Can You Do Intermittent Fasting For Night Shift?
As you probably know, intermittent fasting is a form of cyclic fasting which involves not consuming food for a specific period.
The most important thing to know is that it is time restrictive, not food restrictive.
This means that you can choose any schedule to do your fasting depending on your needs.
In this article, we will only discuss the 16 / 8 schedule to keep it simple.
Having said that, it is certainly possible to perform intermittent fasting on a night shift.
Basic Things To Know Before Starting
Because the nature of fasting is extremely flexible, you can also choose a technique that suits your shift and requirements the best.
Contrary to common misconceptions which claim energy loss and weakness, intermittent fasting will actually boost your focus and help you work better during the shift hours.
When you fast according to the correct process, you will effectively counterbalance the negative impact that you often experience while working night shifts.
It will allow you to take control of your systemic composition, help lose fat, and play a crucial role in keeping your lean mass consistent.
Intermittent fasting also helps with insulin resistance which is crucial to prevent certain adverse impacts that you often encounter during the third or last night shift.
At the same time, when you fast consistently, your growth hormone levels will consistently rise, and you will be more youthful and gracious than ever.
Finally, intermittent fasting will also boost your lifespan, and if you perform it during your night shifts, the benefits will continue to be the same.
Related Article: Does Collagen Break A Fast
Night Shift Schedules | Understanding The Implications
Before practicing intermittent fasting at night, it is crucial to understand 3 things.
1. What Is Your Night Shift Schedule?
Typically, you will find 3 common shift types.
- Evening Shift: Working from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.
- Night Shift: Working anywhere between 10:00 P.M. – 4:00 A.M
- Early Morning: Working between 2:00 A.M to 8:00 A.M
Bearing that in mind, depending on whether you are a nurse, a taxi driver, or any other job that has a night shift, the schedule may vary.
2. Is Your Night Shift Schedule Rotating Or Fixed?
The benefit of having a fixed night shift is that you can be consistent with your eating and fasting window.
If you fall into the rotating shift, you will probably need more planning to fulfill the fasting on a daily basis or will have to sacrifice some days since the schedule is so irregular.
3. What Is Your Sleeping Schedule?
This question is probably more important than the other 2.
Why?
When you sleep, you naturally fast since you are not eating, so the easiest way to decide your fasting window is to work around your sleeping hours, not around your working hours.
What do we mean?
Let’s look first at a typical intermittent fasting schedule. This is for someone working between the 8:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M. window.
In this scenario, the person is probably sleeping somewhere between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. This means that this person just added 3 to 4 hours before and after the sleeping window to make the 16-hour fast.
What happens if your sleeping window is right after the night shift?
In this case, we are assuming you are sleeping somewhere between 6 A.M and 2 P.M.
As you may have noticed, we applied the same formula. Just add a few hours before and after the sleeping schedule to achieve the 16-hour fast.
What happens if you decide to stay up all morning and go to sleep at noon?
In this scenario, we are assuming a sleeping schedule between 12 PM and 8 PM
If you notice, in both cases, you can work from 10 PM to 4 AM and achieve your fasting hours. The difference was… your sleeping schedule.
Related Article: Does Metamucil Break A Fast
How To Fast On A Night Shift?
If you want to fast on a night shift, first choose the right eating window.
Have your meal properly and after you start working, try to stay hydrated.
Drink plenty of water while working. This will not just keep you full but also cleanse your digestive system and keep you active throughout the night shift.
Having said that, intermittent fasting and drinking only water may not be the best idea for people who are involved in physically strenuous tasks. So, ensure you eat plenty of nutrient-rich foods during your eating window. This applies to both sets of people, including the ones with a desk jobs. As a rule of thumb, try to consume food only during daylight hours. This will allow your body to sustain a properly natural process.
If the concept itself is extremely new to you, do this twice or thrice a week until you are comfortable with a more proper schedule.
Tips to achieve better results
- Avoid comparing yourself with people and fast at your own pace. You will soon achieve the magical 16-hour number this way.
- Understand your eating habits before starting a schedule. What suits you best? Do you like eating before or after work?
- Socialize with people
- Eat plenty of nutrient-rich food during your eating window
Common mistakes to avoid
Here are a couple of common mistakes to avoid when you are trying intermittent fasting during a night shift:
- Avoid eating junk during your eating window.
- Avoid drinking plenty of tea, coffee, or sugar-based drinks.
- Instead of eating sweet fruits, try eating fruits like cucumbers that come with plenty of water content.
- This will keep you hydrated during the fasting period.
Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting as a concept might appear intimidating at the outset. But that is far from reality. When done correctly, you can easily make it work even if you are operating on a night shift.
Several nurses and medical professionals already do it because of their erratic schedules, and given the many benefits, the process offers, you might as well want to join the bandwagon.
With intermittent fasting, you will gain greater focus, and your energy will be at its highest. Because we also shared some tips for better fasting, you will find it even easier to sustain the entire night shift without procrastinating or feeling down.
The key idea is to do the fasting around your sleeping window hours, not your working hours.
Try following these guidelines and start your fitness journey right away!
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