NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours

Childcare

If you and your partner work opposite shifts to minimize childcare expenses, try to protect at least your core sleep times by having a babysitter. For example, you can protect a morning sleep block of time after night shifts by having a babysitter, even on days off.

Look into on-site childcare options with extended hours if provided by your employer. Consider a babysitting cooperative or exchanging babysitting help for other services you can provide.

One study reported that as fatigue scores for mothers went up, risk for injury to preschool children also went up.¹² The study showed that associated factors were fewer routines for the child and, in turn, less sleep and less supervised time for these children.