Conti shift workers -"bodyclock"- wasting my days off sleep
Discussion
Morning all,
I say morning, I realise its passed 11am, but I have just woken up.
Towards the end of last year I started a new job, my first working shifts. It's a continental shift partern, 2 12 hour days, 2 12 hour nights (both 7-7), then 4 days off.
When I first started this job I was fine with sleep. I would go to bed around 10pm when I was on day shift and wake at 530am. On the nights, I would sleep while about 2pm then stay awake until I got home the next morning.
What I'm finding now, is that I just want to sleep all the time. I can't concentrate on doing much at all, and waking up in the morning is a pain in the arse. Today, yesterday and the day before I've had alarms set at 830am and 9am, but I've got into a terrible habit of simply switching the alarm off and going back to sleep. Even when I did get out of bed at around 11, it wad a struggle. I felt knackered, and that was after a good 9 hour sleep or so.
I wondered if there was any science behind the whole "bodyclock" theory, and if any other shift workers can help me out.
I like my job, but feeling tired almost constantly sucks. The worst bit is, my gym regime is near inexistent nowadays. That's another thing I'm finding it impossible to get into a routine with.
Any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers
Dan
I say morning, I realise its passed 11am, but I have just woken up.
Towards the end of last year I started a new job, my first working shifts. It's a continental shift partern, 2 12 hour days, 2 12 hour nights (both 7-7), then 4 days off.
When I first started this job I was fine with sleep. I would go to bed around 10pm when I was on day shift and wake at 530am. On the nights, I would sleep while about 2pm then stay awake until I got home the next morning.
What I'm finding now, is that I just want to sleep all the time. I can't concentrate on doing much at all, and waking up in the morning is a pain in the arse. Today, yesterday and the day before I've had alarms set at 830am and 9am, but I've got into a terrible habit of simply switching the alarm off and going back to sleep. Even when I did get out of bed at around 11, it wad a struggle. I felt knackered, and that was after a good 9 hour sleep or so.
I wondered if there was any science behind the whole "bodyclock" theory, and if any other shift workers can help me out.
I like my job, but feeling tired almost constantly sucks. The worst bit is, my gym regime is near inexistent nowadays. That's another thing I'm finding it impossible to get into a routine with.
Any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers
Dan
Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Sorry, I forgot I'd posted this. 
Last week I tried the suggestion of getting up at a normal time on a swing shift, and spent most of the day generally getting a lot done at home, something that I was unable to do previously. I found the nightshift to be a bit harder towards the end of the night but nothing unbearable. Swing shift tomorrow so I'll be doing the same and reporting back.
One thing that I've been researching this week is the feeling of tiredness and where it comes from, well, I've been trying to research it but I keep falling asleep.
Just kidding but I'm finding studying for exams at work to be difficult due to feeling knackered at an almost constant. One of my friends has suggested I might not be getting enough Iron in my diet, another suggested diabetes (how likely is that?). I'll go to the doctors when I can but I never seem to get anywhere with them. For the low price I might order some iron supplements and some multi vits and see if they help any. Even a placebo kick up the arse would be lovely.
Dan
Last week I tried the suggestion of getting up at a normal time on a swing shift, and spent most of the day generally getting a lot done at home, something that I was unable to do previously. I found the nightshift to be a bit harder towards the end of the night but nothing unbearable. Swing shift tomorrow so I'll be doing the same and reporting back.
One thing that I've been researching this week is the feeling of tiredness and where it comes from, well, I've been trying to research it but I keep falling asleep.
Just kidding but I'm finding studying for exams at work to be difficult due to feeling knackered at an almost constant. One of my friends has suggested I might not be getting enough Iron in my diet, another suggested diabetes (how likely is that?). I'll go to the doctors when I can but I never seem to get anywhere with them. For the low price I might order some iron supplements and some multi vits and see if they help any. Even a placebo kick up the arse would be lovely.
Dan
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