Your body is wired to sleep at night. Eating heavily in the early hours can make you sluggish, cause heartburn and disturb the sleep that follows your watch.
Before the watch
Have a normal balanced meal a couple of hours before you start, including protein and some slow-release carbohydrate.
During the watch
- Keep it light: fruit, yoghurt, a small sandwich, nuts or soup.
- Drink water regularly; dehydration feels like tiredness.
- Use caffeine strategically early in the watch, not near the end.
- Avoid large portions of fried or sugary food, which can cause energy crashes.
After the watch
If you are hungry, have a small snack rather than a full meal before sleeping. Avoid caffeine for several hours before you plan to sleep.
SeafarerFit provides educational information, health calculators, screening tools and medical-examination preparation resources. It does not provide diagnosis, treatment, medical certification or official determination of fitness for sea service.
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