Night shift workers??

i worked 12 hour shifts for 7 years if you want I can share some of what i did to stay... sane and healthy.. ish

You can eat whenever it works for your life. There's no reason to not eat at midnight, unless eating that late affects your sleep.

Hit your calorie target, however that works for you.

I also worked 12 hour shifts, on nights, for years.

Same here, 12 hour night shifts 3 days on, 4 off. The nights I work, I eat before I leave for work (around 430pm) usually a smoothie and a wrap or salad. If I get hungry I'll snack on some fresh fruit or veggies with hummus around 10, have a meal at 3am, and then I eat another meal just before going to bed around 7 or 8. I don't care what I eat before sleeping, it's always minimal prep though. If I don't eat at that time, I'll be way under my calorie goal for the day and I feel it. As long you don't stuff yourself or eat anything that you know will make you bloated or give you heartburn or the like, I would say eat whatever fills you up. Maybe it's what you are eating before work that is making you feel sluggish and not simply the act of eating? I don't know how I would have the energy to make it through a shift without food first!