Like most shift workers, I didn’t just accept it—I tried almost everything I could think of. Sleep teas, magnesium, blackout curtains, white noise, breathing exercises, putting my phone away, and random sleep supplements that promised quick results. Some things helped occasionally, but nothing felt reliable. Before long, I would find myself back in the same cycle of finishing work exhausted, lying awake for hours, and waking up far earlier than I needed to.
Looking back, I realised I was only trying to make myself feel tired. I wasn’t supporting the deeper problem: my body was being asked to sleep during daylight, when its natural sleep-wake signals were telling it to stay awake. That’s why none of those temporary fixes truly stuck.