A hospital corridor at dawn, quiet and softly lit, with a nurse seen from behind walking away at the end of a night shift
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
doodleschedule

WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS

Rotate forward,
rest well.

MORNING then afternoon, then night

  • Rotate forward
  • Keep shifts to 12 hours
  • Two nights' sleep to switch
  • Rotas built round the body clock

Not every rota is equally tiring.

The Health and Safety Executive says there is no single best shift system, but some designs are clearly harder on the body clock than others. Its guidance sets out what makes a schedule easier to live with.

Updated

Check a rota

THE SHORT ANSWER

Design the rota
for the body clock.

HSE's Managing shift work guidance (HSG256)
lists good practice for schedule design.

DIRECTION

Morning, afternoon, night

Where possible, rotate shifts forwards, from mornings to afternoons to nights, rather than backwards.

Check a rota

LENGTH

12 hours at most

Limit shifts to 12 hours including overtime, and nights or safety-critical work to 8 hours.

See the numbers

RECOVERY

Sleep to switch

When switching between days and nights, allow a minimum of 2 nights' full sleep. Daytime sleep is usually lighter and shorter.

Tips for workers

A QUICK ROTA CHECK

How tiring is
this pattern?

Pick a feature of a shift pattern to see what HSE guidance says about it. The bar shows how strongly the guidance warns against it.

Rota check

Choose a pattern
Rotating every 2 to 3 daysRecommended

Fast rotation barely disturbs the body clock and sleep loss can be quickly recovered. HSE recommends it for rotating shifts.

Rotating forwardsPreferred

There is limited evidence the body clock adapts more quickly to morning, then afternoon, then night shifts. Make sure the rest time between shifts is still adequate.

Rotating every 3 to 4 weeksNext best

If fast rotation is not possible, slow rotation over at least 3 weeks is the next best option, though there is still a risk of sleep loss.

Rotating every week or fortnightAvoid

The most disruptive pattern: the body clock starts to adapt, then has to reset when the shift changes. HSE says to avoid it where possible.

Permanent night shiftsAvoid if possible

Only a limited number of workers adapt successfully to night work. HSE advises avoiding permanent nights where possible.

Source: Health and Safety Executive, Managing shift work: Health and safety guidance (HSG256), Tables 3, 4 and 11.

Based on HSE's Managing shift work (HSG256). General information about rota design, not legal advice.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Millions on shifts,
a clear upper limit.

One figure on how common shift work is,
one on how long a shift should run.

≈ 14%

Share of the UK working population on shifts

HSE's guidance puts it at around 14% of the working population, about 3.6 million people, doing shift work most of the time. Its fatigue page says more than 3.5 million.

SHIFT WORKERS · HSE HSG256

12 hours

Recommended maximum shift, overtime included

Alertness and performance can deteriorate significantly over long shifts. For nights and demanding or safety-critical work, HSE suggests 8 hours.

SHIFT LENGTH · HSE HSG256

HSE says the incidence of accidents and injuries has been found to be higher on night shifts, after a run of shifts, when shifts are long and when breaks are inadequate.

FOUR HABITS TO TRY

Making a shift
pattern easier.

A dim bedroom in daytime with blackout blinds drawn and a thin line of sunlight at the edge, a made bed waiting
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

HSE's hints for shift workers focus on protecting sleep, especially the lighter, shorter sleep that comes in the daytime.

  1. Nap before the first night

    HSE suggests a short sleep before your first night shift, and a short sleep then an earlier bedtime when coming off nights.

  2. Make the room dark and quiet

    Use heavy curtains, blackout blinds or eye shades, and ask family and neighbours to keep noise down while you sleep.

  3. Eat light on shift

    Regular light meals and snacks are less likely to cause drowsiness than one heavy meal.

  4. Think about the drive home

    Driving after a long or night shift can be risky. Consider public transport, share driving, and stop for a short nap if you feel sleepy.

NIGHTS IN A ROW

Fewer in a row,
more rest between.

A paper shift rota pinned to a staffroom noticeboard, its coloured blocks for morning, afternoon and night shifts slightly out of focus
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

HSE suggests limiting consecutive working days to 5 to 7 in general. For long shifts over 8 hours, night shifts and early starts, it may be better to set a limit of 2 to 3 in a row.

It also suggests avoiding early starts before 7am where they are not strictly needed, avoiding split shifts, and building regular free weekends into the schedule. HSE says there is no single shift system that suits everyone.

Questions

Questions people ask

Which way should shifts rotate?

Forwards where possible: mornings, then afternoons, then nights. HSE says there is limited evidence the body clock adapts more quickly to this direction, which may help reduce sleep loss and fatigue.

How long should a shift be?

HSE's guidance is to limit shifts to a maximum of 12 hours including overtime, and to limit night shifts or demanding, monotonous or safety-critical work to 8 hours.

Why are weekly rotating shifts a problem?

HSE calls them the most disruptive schedule, because the body clock starts to adapt and then has to reset itself when the shift changes. It recommends avoiding them where possible.

Who counts as a night worker?

GOV.UK says staff who regularly work at least 3 hours during the night period are night workers. The night period is 11pm to 6am unless a different 7-hour period including midnight to 5am is agreed in writing.

How much sleep do shift workers need?

HSE says most adults need 7 to 8 hours a day, though this may decrease with age. If you cannot get it, resting is still beneficial.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. HSE: Managing shift work, Health and safety guidance HSG256 (PDF)
  2. HSE: Fatigue
  3. HSE: Hints and tips for shift-workers
  4. GOV.UK: Night working hours

ABOUT THIS NAME

Interested in leasing doodleschedule.com?

doodleschedule.com is part of the DoodleSale portfolio. It isn't in an auction right now, but you can ask about leasing it.

Ask about this name