Every night shift sleep article assumes you can sleep from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a silent, blacked-out room. Cute. Somebody still has to get the kids to school, answer the dentist, and be awake for pickup.

Here’s what actually works when you have kids.

Protect an anchor sleep

Pick a 4-hour block you sleep in every day, work day or off day. For a lot of night shift moms that’s something like 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on work days, shifted to the early morning hours on off days. Keeping a piece of your sleep in the same spot helps your body clock stop guessing.

A sample work-night day

• 7:30 a.m. Home. Sunglasses on the drive. Light snack, no caffeine.
• 8:00 a.m. Blackout curtains, white noise, phone on do not disturb with favorites allowed (school, partner).
• 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Main sleep.
• 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Pickup, snack, homework start.
• 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. A short nap if you can get one before the next shift.

Flipping back for off days

Don’t try to flip fully. After your last night, sleep a short 3 to 4 hours in the morning, get up, get daylight, and go to bed a little early that night. You’ll be human by day two.

Things that help more than you’d think

• Caffeine only in the first half of the shift.
• A tiny protein-heavy meal before sleep instead of a big one.
• A “mom is sleeping” sign on the door, and a rule for what counts as an emergency.
• Writing the week’s sleep blocks on the same calendar as the kids’ schedule, so everyone can see them.

If you’re nodding off driving home, pull over. If sleep problems don’t let up, talk to your doctor.