Rest between shifts calculator
Updated October 8, 2026 · 2 min read · free calculator
Enter each shift's start date, start time and end time, and the calculator lists the hours off between every pair of shifts in order. It marks gaps under 11 hours as quick returns and flags gaps under 8 hours and overlaps separately.
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An end time earlier than the start means the shift ends the next day.
Time off between shifts
- Mon, Nov 2 23:00 to Tue, Nov 3 07:008 h: quick return (under 11 hours)
- Tue, Nov 3 15:00 to Wed, Nov 4 23:0032 h
- Thu, Nov 5 07:00 to Thu, Nov 5 15:008 h: quick return (under 11 hours)
An end time earlier than the start time means the shift ends the next day, so 23:00 to 07:00 is an overnight shift. Shifts are sorted by start time before the gaps are counted.
Reading the result
The starting example is an evening, a day, a night and an evening shift.
| From | To | Time off | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 23:00, after 15:00 to 23:00 | Tue 07:00 | 8 h | Quick return |
| Tue 15:00, after 07:00 to 15:00 | Wed 23:00 | 32 h | No mark |
| Thu 07:00, after the night | Thu 15:00 | 8 h | Quick return |
Both 8-hour gaps are types of quick return that a 2016 systematic review described: evening into day, and night into evening. The third type is day into night.
Hours off include the drive home, meals and the drive back, so the time you can sleep is shorter than the gap.
Where the 11-hour and 8-hour lines come from
- 11 hours: the EU Working Time Directive gives every worker at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest per 24-hour period (Article 3). The 2016 review used the same line, defining a quick return as 11 hours or less between two shifts.
- 8 hours: ACGME's requirements say residents should have 8 hours off between scheduled clinical work and education periods. In a laboratory crossover trial, 8 hours off between an evening and a day shift cut total sleep by about an hour compared with 16 hours off between day shifts.
- Shift length: for emergency medicine residents on ED rotations, ACGME requires a break at least as long as the scheduled shift, so 10 hours off after a 10-hour shift.
My hours runs the same check across your whole schedule: bring in a calendar link or .ics file from any scheduling app and it lists quick returns under 11 hours with your hours per week and nights. For the research behind the line, see quick returns.
Common questions
- Is exactly 11 hours a quick return?
- The calculator does not mark it, because 11 hours meets the EU minimum. The 2016 review counted 11.0 hours or less as a quick return, so some studies include it.
- Does the 11-hour rule apply in the US?
- Article 3 is EU law, and EU countries may make exceptions for hospital work if workers get equivalent rest later. In the US, ACGME sets rules for residents; attending physicians should check their group's or employer's policy.
- Why does a gap show as an overlap?
- The next shift starts before the previous one ends, which is a double booking. It can turn up after a trade or between two sites.
See your own shifts this way.
Bring in your schedule from any scheduling app with its calendar link. Capillary charts your hours, nights, quick returns and hardest shifts. Only you can see it.