How do you fix communication breakdowns before they hurt trust [23F/26M]

My boyfriend 26M and I 23F have been in a long distance relationship for fourteen months. We used to message and call constantly but lately our conversations feel short and surface level because of his night shifts and my early classes. Small things like delayed replies make me worry he is pulling away and he has started to feel like I do not trust him anymore.

We both want to fix this before it creates real problems but it is hard to talk openly when we are always tired or rushed. We have tried setting specific times to chat yet life keeps interrupting.

How have you handled similar communication issues in your long distance relationship. What steps actually helped rebuild the connection and keep trust strong.