Unless you’re a night owl, working a graveyard shift can be very challenging.
Having to remain awake throughout the night disrupts your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which can lead to health problems.
Fortunately, there are night shift productivity tools you can use to remain productive and get some proper sleep afterwards. These tools range from time-tracking software to help you keep track of your progress, to sleep apps to help you catch up on your zzz’s.
What are these must-have night shift productivity tools? Here are just a handful of them:
Time-Tracking Software
A must-have for any remote worker is their time-tracking software. However, these are especially vital at night when fatigue can cause you to lose focus on your work.
These enable you to monitor your work hours, tasks, and breaks, giving you an accurate record you can present to your employer. It also helps promote self-discipline, as the temptation to procrastinate is often worse at night.
Examples of these apps include Clockify, ClockShark, and Deputy. In Remote Staff’s case, we’ve partnered with Teramind to provide our remote contractors and clients with reliable time-tracking software.
Project Management Apps
Another of the most vital night shift productivity tools you should have on your computer/laptop is a project management app.
These apps allow you to plan, organize, and track current and future tasks and projects, streamlining your work. They also feature document-sharing and communication tools, enhancing collaboration with fellow night shift co-workers and helping you stay organized even at night.
Popular project management apps include Monday.com, Trello, and Microsoft Project.
Blue-Light Glasses/Filters
We all know that staring at our computer’s/laptop’s screen for extended periods can damage our eyes. The blue light they emit can also ruin our body’s circadian rhythm since it hinders your body’s ability to produce melatonin, which regulates our sleep cycles.
Thus, blue-light glasses or filters on your computer/laptop are among the most useful night shift productivity tools. These help reduce eye fatigue, protect your eyes from dryness, and improve sleep quality after your graveyard shift.
Fortunately, most operating systems and smartphones have the option to switch on blue-light filters. Even Google Chrome has an extension that lets you adjust your computer’s gamma value and reduce blue light.
Sleep Apps
Are you having trouble sleeping after your night shift? If so, try using sleep apps.
These apps chart your sleep patterns, like how long you sleep and how much you move around in bed using your phone’s sensors. Additionally, some apps play soothing music or stories that can help you fall asleep. They also have alarms to help you wake up later in the afternoon.
Popular sleep apps include Calm, Sleepa, Sleep Reset, and Medito. Note that some sleep apps require a subscription fee, so check before downloading.
Time Zone Converters
The most common reason Filipino remote workers work night shifts is to match their foreign client’s business hours. This is especially true if their client is from the US or Europe, since their time zone is often many hours behind the Philippines.
One tool that can help you better communicate with your client is a time zone converter. These remote working tools allow you to find the time difference between several time zones and cities worldwide. They also allow you to schedule meetings better, coordinate tasks, and communicate effectively with your client.
Commonly-used time converters include Time and Date, World Time Buddy, and Dateful.
Automation Tools
If you’re constantly swamped by many mundane or repetitive tasks during your night shift, consider using automation tools.
As their name suggests, automation tools perform repetitive tasks, processes, or workflows with minimal human intervention. These tasks include data entry and processing, file and email management, social media posting, customer support, etc.
These tools allow you to focus on more vital tasks at night, boost your productivity, and help you reduce errors when you’re already tired from your night shift.
Staying Up Late for Work?
Shifting to the night shift can be a challenge. But with the right tools, such as the night shift productivity tools mentioned above, it can get easier.
On the other hand, if you actually prefer online jobs on a night shift schedule, head to Remote Staff. Our jobs list has a wide range of positions for US-based clients, so you won’t run out of options.
Good luck!
