The Hidden Health Costs of Shift Work – and How to Sleep Like It’s Midnight

Shift workers are the unsung heroes of civilization. 

While the world sleeps, these men and women are hard at work to repair our grids, provide critical health care, deliver packages and goods, fill prescriptions, and respond to emergencies. They are the invisible backbone of our 24/7 economy. 

But there’s a cost to being perpetually “on”... Shift workers face some of the most extreme health challenges of any working population:

• Potentially reduced lifespans 1
• Increased risk of chronic disease including diabetes and heart disease 2
• Cognitive health issues (depression, anxiety)
• Even an elevated risk for cancer 1

Mounting research shows that shift work doesn’t just make it harder to live in a daylight society; it’s a bona fide health risk. 

So why isn't there more help for the ones who help everybody else?

We at UBlockout are changing that by becoming the sponsor of Shift Workers – sharing the strategies, education, and support that will help night shift workers lead vibrant, full lives.

This article breaks down who qualifies as a shift worker, what’s really happening in the brain and body during these altered schedules, and why complete darkness – not supplements, apps, or melatonin – is the most essential tool for establishing healthy sleep patterns.

The term “shift worker” might bring to mind ER nurses or factory workers clocking in at midnight. But the reality is far broader – and applies to more people each year. 

A shift worker is anyone who works outside the typical 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. window, especially during evening, overnight, or rotating hours. This includes:

• Nurses, doctors, and emergency responders
• Pilots and flight crews
• Factory and warehouse employees (e.g., Amazon, Tesla)
• Truck drivers and logistics operators
• Hotel and hospitality workers
• Restaurant and service staff
• Night-shift IT professionals, coders, and call center employees
• Gig workers on late-night schedules
• Even full-time gamers, streamers, and creatives working at night

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 24 million Americans work full-time on evening, night, or rotating shifts. 3 But that figure misses the growing number of contractors, freelancers, and remote workers whose hours slide unpredictably into the night.

What unites all of them isn’t as much when they work – it’s when they sleep. Sleeping during daylight hours disrupts a delicate system that evolved over millennia to support your health:

The circadian rhythm.

Our bodies operate on a 24-hour internal clock known as the circadian rhythm. It governs every aspect of your health, from your hormones and core temperature to your energy and mood.

Light and darkness are the two main factors that keep your circadian clock in sync.

When your brain detects light it suppresses melatonin, the sleep hormone, and ramps up stress hormones like cortisol. This helps you feel energized for the day ahead. Then when it’s dark again, melatonin rises and prepares your body for deep, regenerative sleep.

The Health Toll of Shift Workers

But as any shift worker knows…your circadian rhythm can be flipped on its head when you sleep during sunlight hours. 

This ‘circadian misalignment,’ as it’s called, not only makes you feel dead tired for your shift (and irritatingly awake at bedtime), but it’s a condition so well documented that the World Health Organization classifies night shift work as a ‘probable carcinogen.’ 4

Here are the potential effects of a night shift sleep schedule: 5

What’s not widely known is that many of these effects don’t require decades to emerge. Inflammation, glucose swings, and hormone havoc can begin within days. Even a single instance of bad sleep timing can affect your metabolism and focus.

This is why creating a consistent, total-blackout sleep environment isn’t just a nice-to-have for shift workers – it’s a critical circadian health intervention for anyone living outside the standard daylight schedule. 

Why Partial Fixes Don’t Work

Understandably, shift workers try everything to improve their sleep and energy. Apps, blue light glasses, supplements, blackout curtains, white noise machines. And lots of caffeine.  

These may help some…but they’ll never be able to establish a healthy sleep/wake cycle. 

The problem isn’t just blue light exposure or noisy neighbors. It’s the absence of a full biological signal for ‘night.’ And that signal requires one thing above all else: 

Total darkness. 6

Without it, melatonin stays suppressed, you won’t enter deep sleep, and the brain’s cleanup and repair processes are stunted. 

No supplement can stop the light leaking through a curtain at 2:00 p.m. Coffee’s just a bandaid that actually makes your sleep worse. And most so-called blackout solutions? They don’t deliver. 

Blackout curtains let in significant edge light. Eye masks fall off and do nothing for the light that hits your skin. Makeshift fixes are both ineffective and time consuming. 

There’s really only one way to achieve the same restful sleep as if it were night…

The only way to recreate true biological night – one that your body and brain recognizes – is by eliminating light altogether.

That’s what the UBlockout Ultimate Blackout Shade was made to do.

Engineered to fully block ambient and direct light, UBlockout shades transform any sleep space into the ‘night’ your body needs to wind down and truly rest. No glow, no bleed through. You can’t even see the hand in front of your face. And the installation is a breeze.

Whether you sleep at 2 a.m. or 2 p.m., your body finally gets the signal that it’s time to restore.

Customers across shift-based professions – nurses, first responders, overnight coders – report the same thing:

• easier to fall and stay asleep
• more stable moods 
• and deeper rest 

Many say it’s the only solution that worked after years of poor results with generic blackout curtains.

One customer put it this way:

“Perfect black. Incredible. True blackout. After failing with three other blinds companies, UBlockout was the first one to work. Easy installation. The room is now a pitch black cave.”

— Jacob R., Verified Buyer

Even though it might seem impossible, shift workers can retrain their circadian rhythms so that they can be fully asleep during daylight hours and fully awake at nighttime. Here’s how: 

Blackout Your Environment Completely

Install UBlockout shades (or another solution that guarantees total darkness). This is non-negotiable. If you can still see your hand in front of your face, your melatonin is compromised and you’ll be running on fumes for your next night shift. 

UBlockout’s system installs in minutes and is renter-friendly. Need support? They also offer professional installation nationwide.

Shop now

Get Bright Light Exposure When You Wake Up

Your circadian system really is like a clock. Once you get bright light exposure after waking, your body has a “wakefulness window” of approximately 16 hours. After that, your brain and organs will start naturally ramping down for sleep.

So it’s important that you get bright light exposure within 15 minutes of waking up. This will keep you from feeling groggy during your day, and it’ll help you fall asleep faster at bedtime.

Conversely, avoid all sources of blue light within two hours of going to sleep. TVs, computer screens, and even phones can snap your circadian system back to wakefulness mode. 

Avoid Stimulants and Meals Close to Sleep

Caffeine, alcohol, and late meals can disrupt a shift worker’s already-fragile sleep cycles. So try to cut off food and alcohol 3–4 hours before bed. As for coffee and caffeine, most sleep experts recommend stopping within four hours of waking due to caffeine’s 12-hour half life. 7

We know that can be tough when you’re feeling sluggish at work. But even trace amounts of caffeine can prevent you from falling and staying asleep – even with blackout shades. 

Treat Sleep as Non-Negotiable

The world acts like sleep is a luxury, but it’s not. It’s a preventive medicine that’s entirely necessary for your health, happiness, and work performance. Especially as a shift worker.  

No other animal on earth willingly deprives itself of sleep. So next time you have the choice to keep watching your favorite show or to go to bed on time…try not to even consider it as an option. Protect your sleep! 

Conclusion

As a shift or night worker, you already give so much to your job. Your health doesn’t have to give up your health. 

With the right tools and the right environment, you can create a sleep schedule that works with your biology, not against it. And that starts with the one signal your brain still listens to, no matter what the clock says:  Total darkness.

Shift work is hard enough. UBlockout makes sleeping easy.

Shop now

References

1. Gu, Fangyi et al. Total and Cause-Specific Mortality of U.S. Nurses Working Rotating Night Shifts. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 48, Issue 3, 241 - 252, March 2015
2. Cheng, Wan-Ju et al. “Night shift work and the risk of metabolic syndrome: Findings from an 8-year hospital cohort.” PloS one vol. 16,12 e0261349. 13 Dec. 2021, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0261349
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules — 2017–2018. Data from the American Time Use Survey. U.S. Department of Labor, Sept. 24, 2019
4. Erren, Thomas C et al. “Shift work and cancer: the evidence and the challenge.” Deutsches Arzteblatt international vol. 107,38 (2010): 657-62. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2010.0657
5. Silva, Isabel, and Daniela Costa. “Consequences of Shift Work and Night Work: A Literature Review.” Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 11,10 1410. 12 May. 2023, doi:10.3390/healthcare11101410
6. Masters, Alina et al. “Melatonin, the Hormone of Darkness: From Sleep Promotion to Ebola Treatment.” Brain disorders & therapy vol. 4,1 (2014): 1000151. doi:10.4172/2168-975X.1000151
7. Carissa L Gardiner, Jonathon Weakley, et al. “Dose and timing effects of caffeine on subsequent sleep: a randomized clinical crossover trial.” Sleep, Volume 48, Issue 4, April 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae230