I do shift work and regularly wake up at different times. How should I take my temperature?
Shift work can make temperature taking more challenging, but it can be done!
Take your temperature after your longest, most settled period of sleep, even if this means taking it when you wake in the afternoon or evening. Ideally you want to take your temperature after at least a 3-hour block of sleep. Take your temperatures at the same time as often as you can.
This goes for your days off too. If you go back to a more normal sleep pattern during these days, take your temperature when you wake, as consistently as possible. Note these time differences in the ‘Notes’ section of your paper chart.
If you’re using the online charting system, select ‘Earlier than usual’ or ‘Later than usual’ under ‘Taken’ in the data entry section. You may like to record the exact time you took your temperature in the Notes section under ‘Additional Data’.
