Night shift work is a sustained assault on autonomic regulation. The circadian system says 'sleep' while the work demands say 'perform.' Cortisol, melatonin, core body temperature, and dozens of other biological rhythms are desynchronized, creating chronic autonomic stress that manifests as fatigue, insomnia, digestive problems, mood disturbances, and increased cardiovascular risk. Breathing exercises can't fix the circadian disruption, but they can manage the autonomic consequences.
The night shift protocol: (1) Pre-shift activation (5 minutes): power breathing (90 seconds) + box breathing (3.5 minutes) to establish alert wakefulness when the body wants to sleep. (2) Mid-shift reset (at 'lunch' break): 5 minutes of coherence breathing to prevent the cumulative fatigue that peaks at 3-5am. (3) Post-shift wind-down: 10 minutes of 4-7-8 breathing before daytime sleep to override the circadian signal that says 'wake up.' These bookend protocols address the fundamental night-shift challenge: achieving sleep when alert and alertness when sleepy.
For shift transitions (switching between nights and days): the transition day is the hardest. Use activating breathing (power breathing, kapalabhati) to push through the sleepiness when transitioning to day schedule, and heavy parasympathetic breathing (4-7-8, extended exhale) to force sleep onset when transitioning to night schedule. Accept that the first 24-48 hours of any transition will be uncomfortable — the breathing makes it manageable, not pleasant.