The Graveyard Shift

[D_Martin van Burden]

I just picked up a warehouse job, and I'm working the graveyard shift -- 6:30pm to 5:00am. It's not horrible. I'm still retaining my day job through the week, and then the weekends I pull the third shift.

Okay, so, yeah, I'm supposed to get cancer 'cause of it -- heh -- but does anyone have any pointers/advice for me on how to handle it?

 

[Industrialsize]

Years ago, I used to work from 7pm til 7am as a nurse in a hospital. It nearly KILLED me. I couldn't get used to the whole sleeping during the day thing. I felt like I had "jet lag" the entire time. That being said, there were some of my colleagues who had been working the overnight shift for years and Loved it. Good luck to you. I would think it would be hard to working "normal" hours during the week, and then working during your normal "sleep time" on the weekend.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

Hrm. I've never tried to pull two jobs with opposite shifts before. One thing I CAN say... melatonin is what your body produces to induce sleep, but your body doesn't really produce melatonin until it's dark. (Hence the reason we naturally sleep at night.) SO! When you get home from work bright and early in the morning, make sure that the room you sleep in is as dark as humanly possible, so you can sleep WELL! Even if you fall asleep in a bright room, you don't sleep as deeply as you do when it's dark. Cover the windows with black sheets, whatever you need to do, so you can be fully rested. :smile: I know that's probably not a huge help, but it's all I got!

 

[pawbear56]

I work for a worldwide air courier company and throughout the week I start at 4am each morning. Sundays, my shift starts at 8.30pm and finishes at 8am and then back at work for the start of another week on Tuesday at 4am. The Sunday evening/Monday morning for me is a killer, but it pays well and I tend to take a book and something to eat for when times are quiet.
If I had the oportunity to change to 'Noraml' working hours, I'd jump to it.

 

[Osiris]

My wife used to work the night shift and her doctors believe that is what lead to her thyroid failure. Now that she is back on days she is much happy and has more energy.

 

[earllogjam]

I have a feeling your energy will be zapped for your regular job and having a nightshift weekend job may not be sustainable in the long term if you feel jet lagged and unproductive during the week.

I imagine pilots, firemen and world business travelers and have irregular sleep cycles so it seems doable. I've heard of people sleep banking - sleeping a bit extra each day to offset the one or two days of getting less sleep.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

I worked on-and-off graveyard shifts for several years. I hated it because of the crummy fuzzy-headed feeling I almost always experienced while I was awake and even more because of the difficulty I had trying to sleep amidst a culture that cares not a whit for those who have to sleep during the day.

I hated most trying to sleep during summer days when the heat and light were totally dominant despite my best efforts to darken and cool my apartment bedroom. I hated my neighbors for making normal noises and disturbing my sleep. I hated that I was always out of sleep synch with my friends, girlfriends and he rest of the world. I hated that so few people understood how difficult it was for me to try to cope with such an odd work schedule.

 

[Ethyl]

Not everyone can work the night shift. I adapted to it quite easily but that's because I sleep like the dead, day or night. I worked with a few people who would work all night and stay up most of the day and catnap here and there. I can't do that. I need at least 6-7 hours for my body and brain to function properly.

My only advice is do whatever works for you.

 

[Mr. Snakey]

It takes time to get used to it. Its a shock to the system at first. Getting a couple hours sleep here and there. As long as you get enough sleep you will be ok.

 

[tripod]

You can buy blackout curtains, and melatonin as a dietary supplemant has been on the market for years and it isn't that expensive... good luck Dee!