Four on, four off sounds simple until you try to book a dentist.
A 4 on 4 off roster means four shifts in a row, then four days off, on repeat. The cycle is eight days long, so your days off land on different weekdays every time. Shifts are often 12 hours. On 12-hour shifts that's 48 hours every eight days, or an average of 42 hours a week.
How a 4 on 4 off roster works
Two versions are common.
- Days only, or nights only. Four shifts, four off. An eight-day cycle.
- Days then nights. Four days, four off, four nights, four off. A 16-day cycle, often used where the work runs around the clock.
Here's the days-then-nights version laid out.
| Days of the cycle | What you're doing |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Day shifts |
| 5 to 8 | Days off |
| 9 to 12 | Night shifts |
| 13 to 16 | Days off, starting with the recovery day after your last night |
Because eight days doesn't fit into a seven-day week, the pattern drifts. You'll work some weekends and get others off. Over a few months it evens out.
Every workplace runs it a little differently. Check your own roster, award or agreement for the details.
The good bits and the hard bits
The good bit is obvious. Four days off in a row, every eight days. That's a lot of time that's yours.
The hard bit is the four on. Twelve hours is long, and by the fourth shift you're running on what's left. On a days-then-nights roster, the switch is the toughest part. You finish your last day shift, and four days later you're starting at night.
How to sleep on a 4 on 4 off roster
The Sleep Health Foundation's advice for shift workers fits this roster well.
- Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep in every 24. On a 12-hour day that doesn't leave room for much else, so protect it.
- Keep a similar sleep schedule for each shift type. One bedtime for your day block, another for your night block.
- Nap before the first night. The Foundation says a longer nap of about 90 minutes can reduce sleep debt. Avoid long naps in the 4 to 6 hours before your main sleep.
- Coming off nights, the Foundation suggests a short sleep in the morning, then going to bed earlier than usual that night.
For the nights themselves, our guide to staying awake on night shift goes deeper.
Make your days off actually off
Four days off disappear fast if you spend two of them catching up. A few things help.
- Put the roster on a shared calendar. Colour in the days, nights and days off so your household can see it at a glance.
- Do the admin on your first full day off. Bills, appointments and the big shop. Then it's done.
- Batch cook before the next block. A 12-hour day leaves no time to cook.
- Put the regular stuff on repeat. Anything you buy every few weeks can usually be set to deliver on its own.
Caffeine on a 12-hour roster
Caffeine helps you stay alert, and a 12-hour day is when plenty of people reach for it. Timing is the catch. The Sleep Health Foundation says caffeine's effects can last several hours, often longer than you'd think. The can you have at hour ten of a day shift can still be with you at bedtime.
Our guide to how long caffeine lasts has cut-off times by roster. On day shifts, the dip usually lands well before that. Here's why the afternoon slump hits on a long shift.
Where TILT fits
Hour nine of a 12-hour day is where the back half bites. TILT is built for it. You stay locked in to the end of the shift, with no sugar crash at knock-off.
It's also one more thing you can put on repeat. A slab every 4 weeks means the cans are home before the next block starts.
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FAQ
How does a 4 on 4 off roster work?
You work four shifts in a row, then have four days off, on repeat. The cycle is eight days long, so your days off fall on different weekdays each time. Some sites run it as four days, four off, four nights, four off: a 16-day cycle.
How many hours a week is a 4 on 4 off roster?
On 12-hour shifts, it's 48 hours every eight days. That averages out to 42 hours a week.
Is 4 on 4 off a good roster?
It depends what you value. You get four days off in a row every eight days, but the shifts are long, and on a days-then-nights version the switch to nights is hard.
How do you sleep on a 4 on 4 off roster?
The Sleep Health Foundation suggests 7 to 9 hours of sleep in every 24 and a similar sleep schedule for each shift type. Coming off nights, it suggests a short morning sleep and an earlier bedtime that night.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you're regularly struggling with sleep or fatigue from shift work, talk to your GP.
Built for the shift. See TILT.
For the label readers: 105.6mg of natural caffeine and 198mg of L-theanine in a 330ml can, 3.7g of sugar and 18 calories. No artificial colours or preservatives. Every ingredient and milligram is printed on the can. Contains caffeine. Not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women, or individuals sensitive to caffeine. Consume no more than 1 can per day.