Intermittent Fasting for Night Shift workers

drlovvorn

Hi all. I am a pediatric hospitalist and ER doc that primarily works night shifts. I usually work 14 night shifts a month in 4-5 day blocks. Between those shifts I will switch back to daywalker hours so I can be a functional father and husband. Does anyone else work nights and do IF?

My goal is to usually fast at least 14 hours (but ideally 16). On nights that I work I sleep from 7am to 2 or 3pm. I then eat my first meal at 5 and try to be done eating by 1am unless it’s busy. On my last shift I usually try to finish eating by 12 am and then I usually sleep from 7am to noon so I can flip back to days. I will then eat from 2-8 or so and then on my day blocks I eat from 12-8. Then when I go back to nights I will eat from 12-10 and then flip back. Usually goes okay but wondering if anyone has other strategies.

pamcakes0804

I’m trying the IF and I work nights too. 7on7off and I’m trying to figure out how to flip back and forth and I hope it won’t mess up with it all

cmriverside

I guess I'd ask why Intermittent Fasting is important to you?

I mean, for weight management it doesn't matter when you eat, just how much.

For other touted biological "benefits" - the jury is still out.

**edit to say** the original post is from 2022, and the person posting it hasn't been back since March of 2022...so...moot point, really.