How do you sleep after a night shift?

Cut your light exposure on the way home, make the room cool, dark and quiet, settle on a fixed sleep and wake window, and use a guided deep-rest track to come down from the alertness a shift leaves behind. This Burst sequences those steps, drawing on SleepSync's circadian approach and Sleep Health Foundation guidance.

How many hours should you sleep after a night shift?

Aim to protect your usual sleep length and get to bed as soon as you reasonably can after the shift; many shift-work guidelines suggest going to sleep promptly and sleeping as long as you can, with a nap to top up if needed. The Burst sets you up to fall asleep, it does not prescribe a fixed number of hours.

Is it better to sleep right after a night shift?

Many people find it easier to sleep soon after getting home, while their body is still tired, rather than staying up. The Burst is built to be done once you are home and settled so you can move into sleep cleanly.

Night Shift Wind-Down

Quality: Exceptional· 100%Effort: Manageable· 01h 5m

Inspired by SleepSync

You’ve been working when everyone else has been sleeping?

Step off the nightshift and let your body start to go into wind-down mode. A sequence that can help you start to slow down with a few minutes of mindful tidying, a short intention setting window and then a guided deep rest, designed to settle you, not ramp you up.

The runsheet

1
Ten minutes of tidying
Tidying & cleaning (mindful)
Quietly setup your bedroom: blackout curtains across, phone face-down, earplugs or white noise ready. SleepSync's approach calls for a cool (16-20C), dark, quiet space, and a calming uncluttered space will help too.
10 min activitySetup 3 min · Reset 3 min · 16 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing tidying & cleaning (mindful) before intention setting
This works well because any clarity from organising your physical space can help you think more clearly about intentions and priorities.
2
Set your sleep window
Intention setting
Before lying down, decide on your sleep window and wake time, then write or state them out loud. SleepSync recommends that you clearly choose your sleeping window in advance. Knowing the plan can remove an alertness that keeps looping over when you have to wake up.
10 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 12 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing intention setting before yoga nidra
This can work well because intention setting may leave something important closer to the surface, while Yoga Nidra gives the mind and body space to rest afterwards.
3
Deep rest
Yoga Nidra
Lie down and follow a guided Yoga Nidra or NSDR track. A night shift often leaves your body in a mild activated state; guided deep rest is a reliable way to move out of it.
25 min activitySetup 6 min · Reset 6 min · 37 min all-in
Time well spent.
1h 5m spent doing something good for yourself.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityExceptional· 100%

Sequencing100%

Logistics100%

DifficultyManageable· 0

Total activity65m / 149mManageable

Physical activity10m / 29mGentle

Mental focus45m / 119mManageable

Introspection20m / 29mGentle

Creativity0m / 59mGentle

+ 3 more conditionsHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

MedPhysical

HighSelf

MedSocial

MedIntellectual

About this Burst

SleepSync is an evidence-backed shift-work sleep app developed by Sleep Health Systems, a spin-out of Monash University's Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health. Built on circadian biology research, it delivers personalised sleep-timing recommendations around each user's roster, with daily logging and a recovery score. Published trials report an average 30 minutes more daily sleep and improved sleep quality for users.

A reset At home From the researchers Late night Shift work Under 2 hours Wind down for the night Easy start

Common questions

Night Shift Wind-Down1h 5m · free in the app1h 5m · free in the app