Shift work - nights
Discussion
All going to plan I'm going to be starting a new job in the next six/nine months that involves shift work including nights.
One shift pattern is seven on three off, seven on four off. The last two/three shifts will either be lates (1600-0000) or nights finishing at 0700. Not sure what the other one is likely to be.
After some advice on how's best to cope with nights. I've done a couple over the years, but it's always been a one off and felt terrible the day after.
Thanks
One shift pattern is seven on three off, seven on four off. The last two/three shifts will either be lates (1600-0000) or nights finishing at 0700. Not sure what the other one is likely to be.
After some advice on how's best to cope with nights. I've done a couple over the years, but it's always been a one off and felt terrible the day after.
Thanks
I did it for a few years in my early thirties, initially 2 earlies, 2 lates, 2 nights, 4 off - 8/9 hour shifts usually, sometimes much longer. The pattern then got changed for the worse.
My tactic was to try and sleep as much as I could before the first night and as little as possible on my first rest day. It took a lot of getting used to, and when my pattern changed to something less palatable I called it a day, as I felt permanently tired.
My tactic was to try and sleep as much as I could before the first night and as little as possible on my first rest day. It took a lot of getting used to, and when my pattern changed to something less palatable I called it a day, as I felt permanently tired.
Just in from a nightshift as we speak.
I've done them for 30 yrs, mixed shifts, solid nights for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, and at one point 8 months solid with a few days off here and there.
All 12 hour nights.
At the moment the most I do is 3 in a row so I don't even turn round now and it makes it easier getting on with your time off at the end of the shift pattern.
Any more than 3 and you turn round.
Best tip I could give, eat your normal meals at normal times. It means getting out of bed and eating dinner with the missus or whatever but it helps when you come off nights.
Bottom line though is they are easy enough but are absolutely NOT good for you in the long term.
I've done them for 30 yrs, mixed shifts, solid nights for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, and at one point 8 months solid with a few days off here and there.
All 12 hour nights.
At the moment the most I do is 3 in a row so I don't even turn round now and it makes it easier getting on with your time off at the end of the shift pattern.
Any more than 3 and you turn round.
Best tip I could give, eat your normal meals at normal times. It means getting out of bed and eating dinner with the missus or whatever but it helps when you come off nights.
Bottom line though is they are easy enough but are absolutely NOT good for you in the long term.
On for two 12 hour night shifts starting tonight.
I do 2x12hr days then straight into 2x12hr nights followed by 5 days off.
I find these days that I come back from the first night shift and go straight to bed, when I wake up at about 13:30, I get up for an hour, have a bite to eat and importantly, have a drink (its so easy to get dehydrated), then go back to bed about 14:30-15:00. I find that i sleep until the alarm goes off at 18:00 to get into work for 19:00.
If i tried to sleep through, I would invariably get a headache.
Eat properly during your shift. You can try to stay hydrated, but it doesnt seem to work, just end up getting up every 5 minutes when trying to sleep.
It has got harder as I have got older (been working on shift for the last 20 years), but the best bit is the lack of the bad type of stress. When handover is done, its someone elses problem, which is nice.
I do 2x12hr days then straight into 2x12hr nights followed by 5 days off.
I find these days that I come back from the first night shift and go straight to bed, when I wake up at about 13:30, I get up for an hour, have a bite to eat and importantly, have a drink (its so easy to get dehydrated), then go back to bed about 14:30-15:00. I find that i sleep until the alarm goes off at 18:00 to get into work for 19:00.
If i tried to sleep through, I would invariably get a headache.
Eat properly during your shift. You can try to stay hydrated, but it doesnt seem to work, just end up getting up every 5 minutes when trying to sleep.
It has got harder as I have got older (been working on shift for the last 20 years), but the best bit is the lack of the bad type of stress. When handover is done, its someone elses problem, which is nice.
Worked nights for over 10 years on offshore rotas and now onshore.
I do 2 weeks 12 hour night shifts followed by 2 weeks leave. Generally no issues sleeping during the day. Black out curtains and ear plugs generally mean at least 5-7 hours sleep is accomplished with the odd piss/delivery man/dog/ mrs waking me up.
Don't mind feeling st at work so try and get on with it. eat and drink as normal as I can. Try and do some exercise.
Changing back after 2 weeks though is hard. It seems to be a lottery on how the body recovers. Had a terrible time finishing on the 1st of Jan , not sleeping right for around 5 days.
I have tried herbal sleeping aids, getting pissed, doing exercise etc. i'd say doing exercise late in the evening seems to work best. Keeps you awake and tires you out.
I do 2 weeks 12 hour night shifts followed by 2 weeks leave. Generally no issues sleeping during the day. Black out curtains and ear plugs generally mean at least 5-7 hours sleep is accomplished with the odd piss/delivery man/dog/ mrs waking me up.
Don't mind feeling st at work so try and get on with it. eat and drink as normal as I can. Try and do some exercise.
Changing back after 2 weeks though is hard. It seems to be a lottery on how the body recovers. Had a terrible time finishing on the 1st of Jan , not sleeping right for around 5 days.
I have tried herbal sleeping aids, getting pissed, doing exercise etc. i'd say doing exercise late in the evening seems to work best. Keeps you awake and tires you out.
CX53 said:
I did nights for about 3 years. I was only early twenties at the time but it damn near killed me. I would recommend you do everything you can to work a normal dayshift and scrap the night shifts unless it’s just short term.
Start of a 35 year career...likely to all have nights in it ha. Thanks for the advice. Bit of trail and error needed it seems.
I worked nights for eight years solid, 22:00~06:00 five nights a week starting Mondays. I found it easier that double day shifts (06~14:00/14:00~22:00) in terms of sleep patterns and organising life stuff.
I found reading for 30mins to an hour helped me sleep during the day along with thick curtains.
When I finished on a Saturday morning I would do my shopping first thing then grab a few hours sleep and getting up around 2~3pm.
The only real problem I had was when the clocks went back at the end of summer, for some reason it really screwed up my sleep patterns so in the end I'd just book the week after they went back as holiday.
I found reading for 30mins to an hour helped me sleep during the day along with thick curtains.
When I finished on a Saturday morning I would do my shopping first thing then grab a few hours sleep and getting up around 2~3pm.
The only real problem I had was when the clocks went back at the end of summer, for some reason it really screwed up my sleep patterns so in the end I'd just book the week after they went back as holiday.
CX53 said:
I did nights for about 3 years. I was only early twenties at the time but it damn near killed me. I would recommend you do everything you can to work a normal dayshift and scrap the night shifts unless it’s just short term.
Then you miss out on the increased salary and pension from working shiftsI work until midnight most days. As long as you dont treat the day of the late shift like its a normal day and then work you will be fine. Have a bit of a long lie. Treat the daytime like the time you would normally have after getting off a 9-5 day shift and then when you get home you wont have much to do and will be ready for bed by 2/3 in the morning and you will be ready to do it all again with at least 8 hours sleep a night.
We work with Australia so night shifts are inevitable, In fact both myself and my wife are doing them now. In the winter it is an utter pain in the ass and from when the clocks change we practically don't see any daylight until they change again in spring.
My only tips are avoid alcohol, It makes the whole thing more difficult and really messes with your body clock not to mention the winter blues. Get yourself some decent black out blinds or curtains as you will be sleeping during the day. Any daylight at all whilst you're asleep can mess things up.
Try and get into some sort of routine as quickly as possible. Our breakfast is around 17/18.00 each day, Lunch around 21/22 (Usually main meal) followed by a snack at around 05.00 and bed time at 08.00AM. (If its light and not too cold or wet I generally try to do something in the garden or on the house before bedtime)
We work from home which probably makes things a bit more difficult as the temptation to sit and watch a film and then go to bed instead of working is always there.
Eat healthily as the chances are you will gain weight on night shifts. (I'm 5KG heavier in the 7 years I've been doing this although my wife lost about that)
If you can avoid it I would and wouldn't recommend anyone works nights for an extended period as it really can have a negative impact on your mental health.
My only tips are avoid alcohol, It makes the whole thing more difficult and really messes with your body clock not to mention the winter blues. Get yourself some decent black out blinds or curtains as you will be sleeping during the day. Any daylight at all whilst you're asleep can mess things up.
Try and get into some sort of routine as quickly as possible. Our breakfast is around 17/18.00 each day, Lunch around 21/22 (Usually main meal) followed by a snack at around 05.00 and bed time at 08.00AM. (If its light and not too cold or wet I generally try to do something in the garden or on the house before bedtime)
We work from home which probably makes things a bit more difficult as the temptation to sit and watch a film and then go to bed instead of working is always there.
Eat healthily as the chances are you will gain weight on night shifts. (I'm 5KG heavier in the 7 years I've been doing this although my wife lost about that)
If you can avoid it I would and wouldn't recommend anyone works nights for an extended period as it really can have a negative impact on your mental health.
Everyone deals with it differently, you'll have to find a way that works best for you.
I used to do nights. Shift pattern was 3 earlies, 3 lates or nights, 3 off. Nights were 2100-0530.
First night I could never sleep in the day, i'd lie in as much as possible and power though. Up at 10-11am and up all night til 6am. I'd then sleep from 6am-noon/1pm, have lunch and have the afternoon to myself before leaving at 20:30. Same for the next 2, though on my first day off i'd try and wake up as early as I could, usually 11am, so I could actually get to sleep at a reasonable time that night.
I'd always eat at about 4am at work, so I wouldn't wake up hungry in the morning and disturbing sleep.
I actually didn't mind them too much, means you get the entire day to yourself, preferred them to lates anyway.
I used to do nights. Shift pattern was 3 earlies, 3 lates or nights, 3 off. Nights were 2100-0530.
First night I could never sleep in the day, i'd lie in as much as possible and power though. Up at 10-11am and up all night til 6am. I'd then sleep from 6am-noon/1pm, have lunch and have the afternoon to myself before leaving at 20:30. Same for the next 2, though on my first day off i'd try and wake up as early as I could, usually 11am, so I could actually get to sleep at a reasonable time that night.
I'd always eat at about 4am at work, so I wouldn't wake up hungry in the morning and disturbing sleep.
I actually didn't mind them too much, means you get the entire day to yourself, preferred them to lates anyway.
OP, I used to do this exact pattern, but subsequently changed to 6 on 4 off, on a 2/2/2 pattern
The latter is better, but I’ve certainly worked worse than yours!
I do the same as someone above - have a lie in before first night then power through, and get up as early as possible on first RD - I use this day hoovering and cleaning etc when I can be a zombie
The latter is better, but I’ve certainly worked worse than yours!
I do the same as someone above - have a lie in before first night then power through, and get up as early as possible on first RD - I use this day hoovering and cleaning etc when I can be a zombie
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