Sleeping during the day after a night shift in camp

Night shift means you go to bed when half the camp is getting up. Hallways are loud, the sun is out and lunchtime traffic is going by your door. Here’s how workers make daytime sleep work in a camp room, and what the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) says about it. This is general information, not medical advice. If sleep is a real problem, talk to your doctor.

Set up the room

CCOHS’s shift-work guidance says a shift worker should have “a comfortable, dark, quiet place to sleep during the day” and suggests good blinds on windows and phones set to “do not disturb” (CCOHS - Shift Work, accessed 2026-09-28). In a camp room, that translates to a few simple things:

Cover the window. Camp blinds don’t always block everything. Workers bring a sleep mask or a blackout cover for the window. Check your camp’s rules before you tape or attach anything.
Cut the noise. Earplugs and a small fan or white-noise app are the usual answer. CCOHS doesn’t mention earplugs, so this is worker practice, not their advice.
Silence the phone. Put it on do not disturb so family texts don’t wake you.
Ask about your room. If you’re on nights, ask camp services whether there is a quieter wing or a way to be placed away from the day crew. Some camps may do this. Don’t assume yours does.

Keep a routine

CCOHS suggests sleeping on a set schedule to make daytime sleep easier, and making time for quiet relaxation before bed. Some workers eat, shower and go to bed at about the same point after every shift. Tell the people around you when you sleep. Then they’re more likely to keep it down.

Meals fit into the routine, so find out early when the dining room and lunchroom are open and plan your eating around your sleep, not the other way round. You can check the current week’s menu at Albian Village on our camp menu page. Put it on your phone’s home screen with the camp menu app page so it opens quickly on camp WiFi. No app store.

Turning around at the end of a hitch

Switching back from nights to days is its own problem, and some people find it harder. CCOHS’s general sleep advice includes limiting commitments later in the day to allow for napping. We can’t tell you what will work for your body. Plan the first day home with as little booked as you can.

When to say something

If noise near your room keeps waking you, tell camp services. Give them your room number and your shift. It’s a routine request. If you’re wiped out and a shift feels unsafe, tell your supervisor. Fatigue raises the risk of injury, according to CCOHS.

After the shift

If you ever want to know what is regulated in your province for an evening off, our comparison page by province looks at licensing, Interac support and responsible-gambling tools. Off-shift only, on your own device, never on company networks or equipment. 18+ in Alberta. Please play responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not income.

FAQ

How do I sleep in the daytime at camp? Make the room dark and quiet, silence your phone, and keep a set sleep schedule, as CCOHS recommends. Earplugs, a mask or white noise are what many workers add.

Can I ask to be moved to a quieter room? You can ask camp services. Whether they can do it depends on the camp and how full it is.

Is it normal to feel wrecked after switching to nights? Many workers say so. If it’s affecting your safety or health, talk to your supervisor and your doctor.