Free tool · early, late & nights
Shift Work Sleep Optimizer
Your roster in, your sleep plan out: when to go to bed, when the alarm rings, when a nap helps, when to seek light and when to wear sunglasses – plus caffeine cut-off and meal times. Built around your commute, kids and family dinner.
- For rotating and permanent nights
- Nap strategy & anchor sleep
- Light, caffeine & meal timing
- Calendar export (ICS) & PDF
- day roster
- 14
- levers: sleep, nap, light, caffeine, food
- 5
- no sign-up
- 0 €
What does your roster look like?
Pick a template or tap the 14 days one by one (early → late → night → off). Adjust shift times below.
Week 1
Week 2
Method
How the optimizer works
- 1
Backwards from the shift
Wake time = shift start minus commute minus getting ready. Sleep onset follows from your sleep need – but never earlier than your chronotype can realistically fall asleep.
- 2
Missing sleep becomes a nap
What's missing at night is scheduled as a nap: short or a full cycle, with distance to the next main sleep.
- 3
Prepare and exit nights
Later to bed and a pre-shift nap before the first night; after the last night only a short sleep and a normal bedtime.
- 4
Family first
Kids in the morning and family dinner are fixed: sleep is placed around them, missing time becomes a nap.
- 5
Light, caffeine, food
Seek and avoid light, caffeine cut-off six hours before sleep, main meals at daytime hours – calculated for each day.
- 6
Checks your roster
Less than 11 hours rest, backward rotation, more than three nights in a row, long drive after nights – the plan tells you.
Built for real rosters
14 freely editable days, your own shift times, templates for rotating and permanent nights.
Your commute counts – including a warning for long drives after nights.
Kids in the morning and family dinner are fixed appointments the sleep plan works around.
Studies & guidance
- Smith, Fogg & Eastman (2009): compromise phase position for permanent night work, Sleep
- Drake et al. (2013): caffeine 0, 3 or 6 hours before bed, J Clin Sleep Med
- Chellappa et al. (2021): daytime-only eating in simulated night work, Science Advances
- Ruggiero & Redeker (2014): napping in night-shift workers – systematic review
- Liira et al. (2014): drugs for sleepiness and sleep disturbances in shift work, Cochrane
- BfR (2024): melatonin food supplements – possible health risks
- DGUV: timing of working hours and shift work – occupational recommendations
FAQ: sleeping on shift work
How do I sleep best after a night shift?
Avoid light on the way home (sunglasses), then get quickly into a dark, cool, quiet bedroom. Have a small meal rather than a big breakfast. If more nights follow, sleep the full length; after the last night only three to four and a half hours, then a normal bedtime.
When should I stop drinking coffee on shift work?
About six hours before your next main sleep. In one study, 400 mg of caffeine six hours before bed cut measured sleep by more than an hour. The optimizer shows your caffeine cut-off for each day.
What is anchor sleep?
A window of about four hours in which you sleep on as many days as possible – whatever the shift. It gives your body clock a fixed reference point. The optimizer finds this window in your plan and shows on how many days it works.
Are naps useful on shift work?
Yes, especially before the first night shift and – if allowed – on breaks. A systematic review found less sleepiness and better performance. Ideally short (up to 30 minutes) or a full cycle of about 90 minutes.
Does melatonin help with shift work?
The effect is small: in a Cochrane review melatonin lengthened day sleep by about 24 minutes, with low-quality evidence. Under EU law, melatonin contributes to reducing the time taken to fall asleep at 1 mg close to bedtime. Germany's BfR advises against uncontrolled long-term use – check with a doctor first and never take it before driving.
Which shift order is healthiest?
Occupational guidance recommends fast forward-rotating systems (early → late → night), no more than three nights in a row, at least 11 hours of rest and an early shift that starts as late as possible. The optimizer checks your roster for this.
Is my data stored?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. You can share the plan via a link and download the calendar file directly.