Card 1 — The Goal
🌑 The Daylight Seal: Blackout curtains plus a $10 draft stopper under the door, room at 18-19°C, phone on Do Not Disturb until your alarm. Sealing light AND interruptions can buy you 60-90 extra minutes of day sleep.
Sleep While the World Is Awake: 5 Rules for Night Shift Survival
Card 2 — Step 1
🍳 The 3-Meal Reset: 'Breakfast' within 45 minutes of waking — even if that's 5 PM. Biggest meal 3 hours before shift, and a 250-300 calorie protein snack at the midpoint. This schedule is the fix for the 3 a.m. crash.
Card 3 — Step 2
👥 The Social Window: Pick a fixed 2-hour window on days off — say 6-8 PM — and defend it: 'This is my awake window, let's hang then.' Without it, night shifters drift into a 28-hour cycle and lose everyone.
Card 4 — Step 3
☕ The Caffeine Curfew: Cap it at 200 mg before midnight, ZERO after 2 a.m. For the late-shift slump, use a 10-minute bright-light break instead — alertness now without wrecking the sleep you need at 9 a.m.
Card 5 — The Cheat Sheet
🔄 The Transition Day Trick: First day off: sleep only 4-5 hours after your final shift, then take a 90-minute nap at 3 PM. It drags your body clock back to normal without the all-nighter method that ruins your whole weekend.