Graveyard shift
Discussion
Currently doing 5 night shifts 8hrs each a week. 9 weeks into this schedule and my body's giving up, brain's completely fried, my last shift of the week is tonight and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open already despite sleeping all day. Anyone got any tips to make my life easier? Really struggling with work atm, motivation is at an all time low and just generally shattered all the time. Any advice out there?
What time does your shift finish and what time do you go to bed? Most night workers go straight to bed when they get in (l certainly did) but thats not a "normal" sleep pattern and it crucified me.
The most adjusted guys on shift (we finished at 7am) went home and did stuff during the morning until 11-12 ish, then went to bed until 9-10pm before starting work at 11.
The most adjusted guys on shift (we finished at 7am) went home and did stuff during the morning until 11-12 ish, then went to bed until 9-10pm before starting work at 11.
BIGDAI said:
What time does your shift finish and what time do you go to bed? Most night workers go straight to bed when they get in (l certainly did) but thats not a "normal" sleep pattern and it crucified me.
The most adjusted guys on shift (we finished at 7am) went home and did stuff during the morning until 11-12 ish, then went to bed until 9-10pm before starting work at 11.
That's something I've often thought. My body would want to maintain the normal work --> chill --> sleep pattern.The most adjusted guys on shift (we finished at 7am) went home and did stuff during the morning until 11-12 ish, then went to bed until 9-10pm before starting work at 11.
A lot of shift workers get in to a work --> sleep --> chill pattern.
Hence my question about the hours.
Johnnytheboy said:
That's something I've often thought. My body would want to maintain the normal work --> chill --> sleep pattern.
A lot of shift workers get in to a work --> sleep --> chill pattern.
Hence my question about the hours.
That's exactly what I do when I'm on shift. A lot of shift workers get in to a work --> sleep --> chill pattern.
Hence my question about the hours.
A night shift starts at 10pm til 6am running from Sunday to Thursday
My strategy is stay up as late as I can on Saturday night, sleep a good chunk of Sunday and go into work. After work I try to stay up until 11-1pm which gives me a decent amount of leisure time before sleep until around 8pm. I then have a comfortable amount of time for food before work at 10pm.
I find eating good food and not consuming too much coffee is an important part of surving Nightshift which some people struggle with.
I work from 0:15 to 8:45 atm but theyre changing that to 1:30 till 10am in a few weeks. So my schedule I guess is what's ruining it, I get up at 9:30, sort my lunch out have some food catch up with the missus etc. Then I sleep straight away when I get in after work. Never really thought of doing it that way actually
That's a horrific shift!
I maintain that night shifts shouldn't run past 6am, 7am at the absolute latest. All concentration goes after about 4am, as the shift hype has long gone and the sleepyness has come on in.
I did 9pm til 5:30am for a while and that was late enough for me. It was good until 11/12 when it calmed down and chilled but then by 3/4 I just wanted to go home and sleep.
I did the sleep > chill routine and that worked best, but everyone is different. I did sleep as soon as I got home at 5:45-6 as I had food at work around 4. Wake up at 1-2pm, eat, enjoy my day, food around 6 then leave for work around 8:20pm.
The best thing about night shift is seeing earlies come in to take over knackered after 5 hours sleep gearing up to do their shift and i'm about to go home straight to bed to sleep as long as I wanted.
I maintain that night shifts shouldn't run past 6am, 7am at the absolute latest. All concentration goes after about 4am, as the shift hype has long gone and the sleepyness has come on in.
I did 9pm til 5:30am for a while and that was late enough for me. It was good until 11/12 when it calmed down and chilled but then by 3/4 I just wanted to go home and sleep.
I did the sleep > chill routine and that worked best, but everyone is different. I did sleep as soon as I got home at 5:45-6 as I had food at work around 4. Wake up at 1-2pm, eat, enjoy my day, food around 6 then leave for work around 8:20pm.
The best thing about night shift is seeing earlies come in to take over knackered after 5 hours sleep gearing up to do their shift and i'm about to go home straight to bed to sleep as long as I wanted.
Edited by Kiribati268 on Friday 2nd April 23:11
I agree those hours stink. I worked 1 week in 4 nights for years. 11pm 7am. Monday to Sunday.
My routine was get home have a dram and sleep. First couple of nights I'd only sleep until 12:30 or 1pm. By the end of the week I was sleeping 8am-4pm so getting a full sleep ration. Big downside was coming off nights at the end.
The danger of the late finish after 8am is you are driving home tired in rush hour traffic. Far better finishing at 7am or before and getting home on quiet roads.
Actually doing 5 nights is probably the worst of all worlds. You are only just getting adjusted to sleeping in the day when you come off. With 7 nights in a row I had at least 4 full sleeps before switching shifts. Only 2 nights in a row (my current job) you don't totally switch your body clock so sleep properly right away when you stop the nights.
My routine was get home have a dram and sleep. First couple of nights I'd only sleep until 12:30 or 1pm. By the end of the week I was sleeping 8am-4pm so getting a full sleep ration. Big downside was coming off nights at the end.
The danger of the late finish after 8am is you are driving home tired in rush hour traffic. Far better finishing at 7am or before and getting home on quiet roads.
Actually doing 5 nights is probably the worst of all worlds. You are only just getting adjusted to sleeping in the day when you come off. With 7 nights in a row I had at least 4 full sleeps before switching shifts. Only 2 nights in a row (my current job) you don't totally switch your body clock so sleep properly right away when you stop the nights.
Edited by irc on Friday 2nd April 23:27
HedgeyGedgey said:
I work from 0:15 to 8:45 atm but changing that to 1:30 till 10am in a few weeks. So my schedule I guess is what's ruining it, I get up at 9:30, sort my lunch out have some food catch up with the missus etc. Then I sleep straight away when I get in after work. Never really thought of doing it that way actually
Christ, that's hideous!Anyone who comes up with a pattern that starts at 1.30am is a sadist and/or has never worked nights themselves.
Years ago I used to work shifts and nights would be 10pm-6am or 6pm-6am, depending on covering holidays, etc.
I do recall that when we figured out that we could actually manage without full 24hr cover, my boss at the time was completely surprised that people wouldn't prefer to start the late shift at 11pm working to 8am "so they'd have the evening to themselves" rather than start at 4pm and finish at 1am, which is what I set up.
Edited by PorkInsider on Saturday 3rd April 13:21
Evoluzione said:
Get a better job.
Agreed,worked nights for years,often 6/7 a week,used to watch movie when I got in,often finished 4/6am,staying in hotels,since changed to mon-fri days,feel much better,time to keep healthy and eat properly,sleep at the correct time,night!Nightshift really does shorten your life expectancy imho
Before Covid struck I had spent years doing unhealthy, frankly stupid, restaurant shifts.
Unfortunately, not much care is given to sleep patterns, and a few of the managers are of the frame of mind of "We did it, so the 'young' ones can do it."
The shifts can be as bad as this: 230pm till close (roughly 1am), one day off and then morning shifts (6am-4pm), so the time you go to sleep ends up being roughly the same as your wake up time 2 days later. I have friends in fine dining that work even worse hours!
Having had the pleasure of a proper, routine 8 hours of sleep for the majority of the last year has really made me realise how important sleep is, and I really hope I start getting replies to the job applications I have made when the country starts opening up!
Unfortunately, not much care is given to sleep patterns, and a few of the managers are of the frame of mind of "We did it, so the 'young' ones can do it."
The shifts can be as bad as this: 230pm till close (roughly 1am), one day off and then morning shifts (6am-4pm), so the time you go to sleep ends up being roughly the same as your wake up time 2 days later. I have friends in fine dining that work even worse hours!
Having had the pleasure of a proper, routine 8 hours of sleep for the majority of the last year has really made me realise how important sleep is, and I really hope I start getting replies to the job applications I have made when the country starts opening up!
I work 2 days 2 nights 4 off on 12 HR shifts at present 7 til 7s. When I'm home, I go straight to bed and have a long sleep after the first night then force myself up by 1230 for the second night so I feel tired at a reasonable hour and make use of some of my first day off. I've done a varied amount of 7am finishes and they're never good, just learn to live with them. I've always generally gone to bed on getting home though, I can't go much past 9am. I've tried doing later and found I was hungover for days. My old man used to get up doing an early shift at 0100 which I said was a night shift but he usually got in around midday. I think the guys on the railways have some odd patterns and must threaten safety when fighting the natural circadian rhythm all the time.
25 years of permanent night shift here!
Most of this spent in the shift I’m doing now and hope to do for another 5 years until I can retire.
Monday to Thursday nights, 9pm till 7 am but normally away by 5 when the work is finished. Bed by 6 and up between 12 and 1pm.
Breakfast, dog walk, stuff, dinner with the family, cup of tea and off to work about 8:15 pm.
Love it and every weekend off works for me!
Did do a few years of 10pm till 6 am 7 on 3 off 7 on 4 off and never again!!
Most of this spent in the shift I’m doing now and hope to do for another 5 years until I can retire.
Monday to Thursday nights, 9pm till 7 am but normally away by 5 when the work is finished. Bed by 6 and up between 12 and 1pm.
Breakfast, dog walk, stuff, dinner with the family, cup of tea and off to work about 8:15 pm.
Love it and every weekend off works for me!
Did do a few years of 10pm till 6 am 7 on 3 off 7 on 4 off and never again!!
NewportPag said:
Before Covid struck I had spent years doing unhealthy, frankly stupid, restaurant shifts.
Unfortunately, not much care is given to sleep patterns, and a few of the managers are of the frame of mind of "We did it, so the 'young' ones can do it."
The shifts can be as bad as this: 230pm till close (roughly 1am), one day off and then morning shifts (6am-4pm), so the time you go to sleep ends up being roughly the same as your wake up time 2 days later. I have friends in fine dining that work even worse hours!
To be honest - and this isn't a 'we had it worse than you' - the pattern you're describing is pretty much what millions of people do on rotating early/late shifts in many industries.Unfortunately, not much care is given to sleep patterns, and a few of the managers are of the frame of mind of "We did it, so the 'young' ones can do it."
The shifts can be as bad as this: 230pm till close (roughly 1am), one day off and then morning shifts (6am-4pm), so the time you go to sleep ends up being roughly the same as your wake up time 2 days later. I have friends in fine dining that work even worse hours!
When you throw in working hours which include the 1am-6am period is where it really turns to sh*t because then your bedtime goes from being just a late night (to bed at 2am after a night out, for example, is not that alien to a lot of us) to something really different - like the OP is describing.
Many years ago, I did a pattern for a while which involved switching from 12hr nights (6pm-6am) to 12hr days (6am-6pm) with only 24hrs off between finishing nights and starting days.
In the winter I'd wake up and see 5:00 on the clock and truly not know whether it was pm or am until I switched the tv on to check (pre-smartphone days).
There's a bit more understanding around how damaging that sort of thing is these days, at least.
Edited by PorkInsider on Tuesday 6th April 12:47
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