coping with nightshift

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ConeArrow27

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Hey guys ive been on night shift for a little over a month and get seem to adjust. At first I adjusted ok. Then the last week or so has been rough. I barley can sleep in the day and dont feel rested when I do. And im groogy for hrs after I wake up for hrs. Does it get easier? Should I switch to days on weekends?
 
I hated working nightshift. It sucked. I used to stay up for a few hours after to try and tire myself out to go to sleep. Do some physical activity if possible.
 
Re: coping with night shift

I've worked a bunch of night shift or graveyard shift jobs in my life, here's the secrets,


1. Get to bed as quickly as you can.
Don't mess around watching TV or doing some task, get to bed ASAP. The sooner you get to bed the sooner you can get up to do all the things you need to get done.

2. Darken out your room.
No light should get in. You might have to get creative but do whatever it takes to make your your room as dark as it would be just as though it were 2:00am in the morning. Your body makes certain chemicals when you're exposed to daylight and when you're exposed to dark. If you try to sleep in light as a way of life you're going to have health problems.

3. Wear ear plugs, the foam type.
There are a lot of noises that go on during the day that can wake you up that don't take place during the night, for example a garage truck stopping to pick up your garbage container, etc.

4. Don't drink coffee or other caffeine products towards the end of the shift.
This kind of goes without saying.
​

You need your REM sleep and you can't just "hope" you'll sleep without waking up during the day you have to be proactive to insure you don't wake up. So get some of the little foam ear plugs and as much as you might not want to wear them get used to it or move to day shift.

Long term working at night and sleeping during the day doesn't do a body good. We were designed to be away during the daylight hours and sleep during the night hours. Humans can make it work and do it for decades but it's never as healthy for you as working during the day.

Hope that helps...


:)
 
Thanks mike! On weekends is it best to stay on nights? Once I get get my detailing going part time I can step back to paet time days on my current job which will be great

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No matter how you look at it, it sucks I did Sunday though Thursday 8 pm to 4:30 am. I never could adjust for weekends headaches all the time.:iagree: with mike good luck.
 
i currently work nights 11p-7:30a. been doing it for 5 years at our local hospital. the key for me is to have a routine and stick to it. i go to bed roughly at the same time everyday and sleep until i wake up. i wish i could say it gets easier but it really don't think it does. my job pays 25% more so that helps a little.
 
Imacanyone said:
i currently work nights 11p-7:30a. been doing it for 5 years at our local hospital. the key for me is to have a routine and stick to it. i go to bed roughly at the same time everyday and sleep until i wake up. i wish i could say it gets easier but it really don't think it does. my job pays 25% more so that helps a little.
Click to expand...

I wish mine pays more but day and nights r paid the same.


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detailerroad27 said:
I wish mine pays more but day and nights r paid the same.


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Click to expand...

thats a bummer. nights should pay more for everyone. its physically harder on your body so the extra pay does help a little bit.
 
Worked nights 2 straight years and off and on 2 years after that.

You either love it or hate it, but very few can do it indefinitely. If you hate it I suggest getting out of it as fast as possibly.

Darkening room, going straight to bed, forcing yourself into a regular sleep routine helps but does not remedy it.

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detailerroad27 said:
Hey guys ive been on night shift for a little over a month and get seem to adjust.
Should I switch to days on weekends?
Click to expand...
Can't you work days during the week (M-F)?
Are you on a 7 days a week work schedule?

Switching back and forth between nights/days for the weekends?
Not a good idea, IMHO.

Bob
 
VP Mark said:
Worked nights 2 straight years and off and on 2 years after that.

You either love it or hate it, but very few can do it indefinitely. If you hate it I suggest getting out of it as fast as possibly.

Darkening room, going straight to bed, forcing yourself into a regular sleep routine helps but does not remedy it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
Click to expand...

I was hoping to use my detailing as a way out.

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Ive been on Mid-Shift (11pm-7am) for 3 years a couple years back and now im back on nights working from 12am-8am.

As I can remember back when I first started working those hours it seemed a lot easier than it is now.

I only seem to get about 2.5-3 hours of sleep during the day while going to bed right after work, and stay up up till 8pm and sleep again till 11pm then I go to work.

I don't think Ill ever get used to it if im not by now.
 
When I did mids, I DID mids. My whole life turned into 3rd shift. I would go to work, home to bed. Wake up and start my life, even on days off. I totally converted to mids. On my days off if I was tired, I would go up to the station and work out and hang with the guys. I really don't know how the people that flip flops days for their days off do it. I figured my guys lives depended on me being awake, besides most of the crooks were out at night, I'd rather be rested than weary when dealing with them.
 
did this for 10 yrs the best for me was to stay up all day and go to bed about 2pm and get upat 9 pm that way all night.
I would not be sleepy.Sun day night was the bad night going from day to nights.I tryed going to sleep as soon as I got home and get up at 4pm but was to sleepy at work.
One night I went to sleep at work and a mouse went up my leg lol this is the truth.
 
master detailer said:
did this for 10 yrs the best for me was to stay up all day and go to bed about 2pm and get upat 9 pm that way all night.
I would not be sleepy.Sun day night was the bad night going from day to nights.I tryed going to sleep as soon as I got home and get up at 4pm but was to sleepy at work.
One night I went to sleep at work and a mouse went up my leg lol this is the truth.
Click to expand...

I bet you weren't sleepy no more lol

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I never sleep anyway, so I can work whenever. Doesn't bother me. I actually like working between 1am -7am - nothing to bother me
 
I agree with Mike. Get to bed as early as you can. I have been on overnights for a 3 years now. It takes a special kind of animal to only see the sun for a few hours a day. Worst part is there are no more Sunday Fundays with friends and family.
 
I work a 28 day rotating shift.

The first shift in 7am-3pm Monday-Sunday. Then I have off Monday and Tuesday

The second shift(15% premium) is 3pm-11pm Wednesday-Tuesday. Then I have Wednesday and Thursday off.

The third shift(20% premium) is 11pm-7am Thursday 11pm(which is actually Friday according to our schedule)-Thursday 7am. Then I have off Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

And I keep repeating it.

So when I do my third shift I just wake up Thursday at my normal time (7am) and stay up till I go to work that night and when I come home Friday morning I go to sleep by 8:30am. I wake up around 3pm and keep repeating that till the shift is over. And on my final day I usually just come home from work and stay up the whole day. Just have to keep busy or I crash around 1pm usually.

Any doctor I visit says that this type of schedule is very unhealthy and I should look into something different as soon as possible.
 
It will take adjustment. I have been 3-11 for over 5 years. altho not a true night shift, close enough. For me it seems like a constant tired. Trade off is working friday night, but sunday night, you know your off the hook of getting up early. But there are times i will go to bed sunday night around 11 and sleep till 9 0r 10 am monday morning. I am up at the crack of dawn sat/sun morning. Give it some time. Your internal body clock should adjust.
 
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