Is it genuinely achievable to efficiently plan meals while being employed on night shifts?
Alicja Kowalska
2026-03-17
3 min. read
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Maintaining an appropriate diet poses a challenge for individuals who typically consume breakfast during dinnertime. As the number of people working night shifts increases, the question frequently arises as to how to manage a healthy diet under such conditions.
The impact of night shift work on mental health
One can get used to night shift work, although there is evidence to suggest that after a certain amount of time, the body can adapt to work at night, for some people it may be very difficult. Canadian researchers investigated the duration of sleep, the level of light, and the quality of melatonin in a small group of police officers who were able to adapt to night shift work. Normally, melatonin is released into the body in the evening, when a person begins to feel tired and prepares for sleep. However, in the case of adaptation to night work, the hormone begins to be released in the morning hours. The research results show that police officers who were able to adapt to night shift work and whose melatonin levels in the body increased in the morning hours felt more satisfied and reacted more quickly. However, only 40% of those studied achieved full adaptation.
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Even those who can adapt to night work may experience effects if the situation lasts for a long time. There are also other factors that are not directly related to the body's adaptation to night work. It is difficult to maintain regularity in the diet if you work on night shifts. The body's regeneration requires the intake of meals at regular intervals. However, night work can disrupt these rhythms. Unfortunately, there are also free days during which people working on night shifts feel like the majority of society - they are active during the day. It may also happen that someone works in the system of night shift - free - day shift - free - night shift. In this case, it is difficult to maintain regular meal times. Working on night shifts can lead to less time for physical activity.
Further harmful impacts of night shift work
Night shift work can also lead to further harmful health impacts. A study found that a single night shift was enough to cause an increase in blood pressure. Furthermore, research at the University of Surrey found that individuals who worked night shifts for five weeks and slept during the day had disrupted glucose regulation in their bodies and experienced metabolic changes, which could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and lead to obesity in the long term.
Correct nutrition for night shift workers
To effectively combine night work with proper nutrition, the following recommendations can be applied: – meals should be consumed as frequently as during the day, or about every 3–4 hours; the last meal should be eaten no later than an hour before bedtime; – if sleep during the day lasts less than 7 hours, the daily calorie balance should be reduced; – heavy-duty foods should be avoided during the night shift; – meat and fish should be best consumed during the day, as digestion slows down at night and animal protein should be consumed in smaller amounts; – meals should not be skipped at night.
