Night Shift Sleep Schedule Planner
Plan a repeatable sleep, nap and wake schedule around night shifts. The planner keeps your requested total sleep duration while showing the timing it used.
Your repeatable schedule
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Your repeatable schedule
— main sleep
- Wake
- —
- Optional nap
- —
- Days worked
- —
Repeat the same anchors on worked days, then adjust based on how you feel.
· Free
Track it in Bedtime Reminder.
Keep sleep schedules, reminders and shift routines together in one private app.
How the night shift sleep schedule is computed
A night shift sleep schedule has a specific timing problem: the main sleep block needs to start after the shift and commute, while a short pre-shift nap can help fit the requested total sleep into the day.
The planner reserves the source's 15-minute average sleep-onset buffer. When the requested sleep is longer than 20 minutes, it places an optional 20-minute power nap before the shift and subtracts those minutes from the main sleep block. Times repeat from the shift start, so an overnight shift is handled without guessing a calendar date.
These are population averages and a planning aid, not a diagnosis or a measurement of your sleep stages. A clinician decides what is appropriate for you.
main sleep minutes = (preferred sleep hours × 60) − optional nap minutes; main sleep starts after shift end + commute; wake = main sleep start + 15-minute onset buffer + main sleep minutes The source describes a 20-minute nap as a power nap and notes that naps after roughly 3 pm, or naps that run too long, tend to interfere with night-time sleep. Sleep inertia typically lasts 15–30 minutes and can last longer.
Night shift sleep schedule FAQ
Why does the main sleep block start after my shift?
This planner follows the stated method: it places the main sleep block after the shift and commute, then adds the average 15-minute sleep-onset buffer.
Is the nap required?
No. The planner labels the 20-minute pre-shift nap as optional. It subtracts those 20 minutes from the main block so the requested total sleep duration stays the same.
Why is the nap 20 minutes?
The source describes 10–20 minutes as a power nap that stays in light sleep, while 30 minutes is often a poor choice because it can produce sleep inertia. The planner uses the upper end of that range.
Does this diagnose a sleep problem?
No. A single schedule is not a diagnosis. Sleep stages are population averages here, and a clinician decides what is appropriate for your situation.
Are my inputs saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and does not need an account or a network connection.