Hello...Long time, no post. <<nightshift>>

[Amina516]

I started night shifts at my new job(7pm-730am) and I freaking love it.

Unfortunately, my job (hospital) has blocked customerssuck.com or Id be up posting randomness at all hours. Good news is, I wont be working more than 3-4 nights a week, barring any overtime Im able to get.

Im still trying to figure out how to have a life and work nights without killing myself or walking around zombieish.

Any tips from the night shifters on CS?

[Kullervo]

its been over a year and I am still trying to figure it out.
I stay up on my "friday"* and try to get normal night sleep thru the "weekend".
strangly enough I do the most on that "friday".
I recommend an unhealthy ammount of caffine.
Also would be nice to live in a town with a decent night life and just become a vampire.

*Friday not actually being a friday but a placeholder for the first day I am scheduled off.
Similar for weekend.

[Slytovhand]

Hey, congrats Amina.... Well done!

I will pretty much say as the others on here have...

I've been doing graveyards for about 4 years or more, mostly weekends (no, I don't have a life - why do you ask??)

Coffee will be your friend! (or tea...) I will advise though, that when you're tired, and on the caffeine (particularly in the early stages) do NOT combine it with a large amount of chocolate... you will scare people! (they'll also start taking blood and urine samples to see what you're on )

No caffeine within a few hours of going home... sure, it might help you get home, but it can be sucky trying to get to sleep..

Sleep... ah.. wonderful sleep.... (say goodbye!) Well, ok.. I would suggest, if you are a sleep type of person (rather than an insomniac), learn to go to bed as soon as you get home... because, there will be days that you won't be able to easily. If you stay up (say, til midday) and then try to sleep and you can't... then your next night is really going to suck!

Learn to meditate... not necessarily a deep OM type.. but enough to learn to relax mind and body... if you do, it will save you a lot of stress and hassles!

Days off... I third what has been said... stay up as late as you can, until at night you hit the wall and just need to crash. It will make the rest of your weekend sane. If you don't, and you hit the hay early, it will keep you on your normal cycle... which may be fine if you're normally a night person and have stuff to do.. if you don't.. crap! I've spent a few 24 hour periods in bed...

Again, unless you're really a night person, do NOT try for a snooze in the afternoon... you'll end up crashing for 4-6 hours, wake up early evening, and will stay awake for the next 6 or so hours... Even if you crash out 6pm you'll end up doing that. 9pm is a good time! Sure, a bit early in the evening for some, but you will love the next couple of days!

On the bad days (ie, when it's too warm outside) or it just isn't working... do up a blend of Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Sweet Orange and a drop or 2 (only!) of Clary Sage... (ratio of about 10:4:8:2 respectively). Put a drop or 2 ONLY on a tissue, leave it somewhere in the bedroom (NOT right next to you!), about an hour before hitting the sack... should do wonders for your sleep! (preferably, do it on a night/day when you've got the opportunity to sleep in... you may miss alarms ;p either that, or get hubs to wake you!)


Well, that's my advice!

Make of it what you will!

BE Happy

[Food Lady]

I have occasionally worked overnights. I have at times had to report to work at 4 am, and having been a night person, done that on 3 hours of sleep. I work all kinds of crazy shifts now. What we have in common is that neither of us will really know when to be tired. What helps me to sleep, whatever time of day that occurs, is to take 3 mg of melatonin & turn on a fan for white noise. I don't get the sleep-aid-hangover from it.

[Ringtail Z28]

Lucky! It's great working overnight shifts once you get used to it. What's also great about it is that you get to take care of all your daily errands when all the so-called normal people are at work. Damn I miss graveyard shifts.

[infinitemonkies]

I work Friday - Tuesday, 11:30pm to 7:30am.

Generally, I go to bed around 1pm or so, and get up at about 9pm

Any errands I need to do, like going to the library or grocery store, I do first thing after work, which is nice because there's never a line-up.

On my 'days' off, I tend to go to bed a few hours earlier, and get up around 7pm or so. Have some friends over to play cards, or go to the movies, etc. They (the ones who work mornings anyway), go home to bed after a couple hours of hanging out, and I stay up all night reading or playing video games.

Also it amuses me, the look my neighbors get, when they get out of bed all sleepy and bleary-eyed, head off to work, and I'm on my balcony barbequing a steak and drinking a beer at 8a.m.

[SG15Z]

I'm still working on it and really graves has turned me into a night person and since I usually just do evening or grave shifts I've learned to just sleep in the morning primarily. Unfortunately I don't have much of a life. Really you just squeeze in social time whenever and wherever you can. It's really difficult at first but once you find what time to sleep best works for you it all kinda falls in place.

Basically you need to find what time to sleep best works for you, and when/if you need to switch back to sleeping at night stay up as long as possible so that in the evening you crash. Eventually you get the hang of switching back and forth. But if you're not switching back and forth (like I am) and are doing it every shift then you need to establish a new sleep cycle during the day.
Definately the first few weeks getting use to it try to limit as much as you can anything making a sound. If you live on a busy noisy street try having your bed no where near a window. Also block as much of the sun as possible. And of course ween yourself a little each time, your body will eventually get use to sleeping when the sun is out, and you'll learn to sleep threw just about any sound. But be careful as I and a few people have been known to sleep threw their alarm clocks, so be careful.

Really whatever works best for you. Everyone adjusts to it differently and I've learned to love it, though days off kinda suck cause there's not a whole lot to do in the middle of the night.

Oh yeah caffeine is you friend!

[Der Cute]

Graves were my favorite shift.

I"m a night owl by nature, so it's easier for me.

Rig all of your doctor/business appts for early am - right after shift ends. You'll have more time to talk to the doc and such, less foot traffic there.

Get blackout curtains, they'll block ALL the light and help you sleep better.

You could (on your friday) work normal, and sleep only 4 -6 hours to be awake during daylight, and still have enough time for it.

Enjoy!

Cutenoob

[Slytovhand]

Just to add to FoodLady's idea... sometimes, I've put on a cd of ocean waves, and leave it on repeat... instead of a fan. Nice low volume, barely audible, but works like a treat!!! (well, for me, I created a subliminal cd with that as the backing....)

What Ringtail said!!!! Include (if you're in that area) going to an (relatively) empty beach, or a ski-field, or coffee place.. or movies.....

I have a celtic 'blanket' type thing over my windows, combined with the blinds.. works well enough, and it's permanently dark (so I have to turn the light on even during the day).

Monkies.. love the bbq at 9am idea! I just normally freak ppl out when they come into work at 6am, and they're all bleary and tired, and I'm fully awake and full of bad jokes and one liners they won't get cos they're too tired

[infinitemonkies]

I wanna put together an all-night-shift-worker poker group.
Get together every wednesday at 8am for beer and poker till noon!

[Amina516]

Hey! I forgot Iposted this. lol.

Nights have been going great. I have no issue staying up ...I do have an issue with trying to get enough sleep though it is getting better.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

This week Im working 3p-3a....... Not shift Im thrilled about, but we'll see how it goes.