Night Shifters: how do you sleep?

[The Last to Know]

I'm not sure if it's common knowledge or not, but the sleep aid that's in Tylenol PM, Advil PM and Tylenol Simply Sleep along with most night time cold medicines is actually the exact same medicine in Benadryl - no different - same dosage too & generic Benadryl I don't believe is habit forming (although I'm not a doctor) and cheaper than any of the above medicines.

[NorthernZel]

Mr. Zel used to work night shifts, and he liked it (he's been moved to day shift now and he LOATHES it - double the work for half the pay, so to speak).

When he worked nights (11 pm - 7am) he had a steady routine - he came home, had maybe a cup of tea while checking the news, went to bed, got up 6-7 hours later, picked up Lil'Zel from daycare and then they'd be home at approx. the same time as me when I'd get off work.
He didn't need any sleeping medicine, a thick curtain to keep out the sunlight was enough.

[TheSHAD0W]

Try staying in night-owl mode for a couple of weeks. You may find it socially isolating, but there are compensations.

[Amina516]

My Mom worked Night Audit at Hampton Inn for a while and swears by the 5 Hour Energy stuff..

I tried it once.....

I ended up hooking myself to a heart monitor and watching my heart rate climb to the 120's....as i was sat, doing nothing.

Not trying that anymore.

No. ;p

I work 4 night shifts. But I am awake all day before #1 and awake all day after #4. I have 3 days off, and thus am up all day the day before the first night back to work.

Hence half. I technically only have 3 days where I am trying sleeping all day during the day.

I got ya now. I was getting ready to move to Canada for a second there.

[Eric the Grey]

I work 3 and 4 day night shifts, 12.5 hours at a stretch. I get home at about 7am and dink around a bit before hitting the sack at 7:30 or so. Get up at 3:00 and dink around (drink coffee, have breakfast, shower, that kind of stuff) and head to work to be there by 6pm. I'm a slow riser, so I need time to wake up. Coffee helps.

Anyway, Sunday mornings, after my last shift, I follow the same procedure, except I get up at 2:00 and head out to my weekly AD&D game. Get home about midnight or 1 and hit the sack.

Monday, I'm up earlier, usually 10am or so for school. Classes lasts all day and I'm up until about midnight or so again.

In general I stay up late, and sleep late in the day whenever I can. I simply make certain that I set Dr's appointments appropriately late enough in the day.

When my last day off comes, I stay up all night, regardless of how early I got up, which generally makes for a 20 hour day, with the last few hours being me fighting the droopy eyes.

I do (usually) sleep well my first night though.

Normally, I don't need anything to help me sleep. I've always been one of those people who can sleep whenever, or wherever, sometimes at places where I shouldn't.... Only recently have I had to resort to sleeping aids, Tylenol PM for my shoulder and back which has been giving me problems lately. Hopefully the new bed will take care of the back portion of that...

Doing the nigh-day-shift shuffle is difficult to do. Once you find your pattern, you'll be set. Generally it's best to go ahead and sleep later in the morning and stay up late on your days off. You can schedule most things for later in the day.



Eric the Grey

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I used to work a 1AM - 9AM shift Friday to Tuesday for a few years.

I'd wake up at around 10 PM, eat, work, get home around 10AM, be able to do any 'daywalker' stuff until I got too tired (about Noon), then sleep. In a very dark room.

I got used to it, but the hardest part was only seeing my friends whenever they felt like stopping by work. Which sucked because by the time they did, they'd be really drunk...

[SG15Z]

I got used to it, but the hardest part was only seeing my friends whenever they felt like stopping by work. Which sucked because by the time they did, they'd be really drunk...

Yeah night shifts can make you a bit socially isolated. If you can tolerate it, then no problem. Or if you have friends with similar shifts you're good then.

[crazylegs]

I've done night shifts (both with work and in other situations).

As an ex pharmacy tech I'm going to say this bit in bold

Over The Counter sleep medication is intended only for occasional sleeplesness and is NOT a long term measure

I would strongly advise that you get some light cancelling curtains and blinds, and get into a sleep routine - one that doesn't involve alcohol or medication. Try taking a (reasonably) hot bath before going to bed - the reduction in body temp when you get out can trip the switch in the brain into thinking that it needs sleep.

For further reading I would highly recommend Counting Sheep by Paul MARTIN http://www.amazon.com/Counting-Sheep...8305904&sr=8-4

[iradney]

I'm not really a night shift worker, but I sometimes struggle to fall asleep. I've actually found that if I haven't done any exercise that day, I can. not. fall. asleep. When I DO walk my dog, it takes me about 10 minutes to fall asleep. But of course, do not exercise less than 4 hours before you go to bed - if possible, try and do it when you wake up (even if it's a 20 minute walk or something).

[AccountingDrone]

The best way I can describe what I did when I worked nights was to rotate your clock.

In a day job, you get up, immediately go to work for your shift, then putz around for a number of hours until bedtime.

The reason almost all my co workers crashed out at about 3 am was they would go and immediately go to bed, then get up and putz around being social with daywalkers *then* go to work.

You need to get up just before your shift, work all night, then do your day walking in the morning, and go to bed as many hours before you need to get up to get sleep. My day went get up at 11, be at work at 1145 for a 0000 shift. Get off at 830, head home. Clean house, run errands, whatever until about 1 pm, then a shower and off to bed. Read in bed for a bit, and off to sleep.

The only time I really had problems with it was when I had a boyfriend who was an asshat. He would invite people over to party when I was trying to work, waking me up. I didn't care if he went out to socialize somewhere else, or if they would watch tv quietly - but cranking sports and yelling, and stumbling around drunk was right out. They could have gone over to anybody elses house for that shit, or a sports bar. When he was told he was deploying to sea I told him to get a storage locker as he was not welcome when he came back.

[Antisocial_Worker]

I appreciate everyone taking time to comment with their suggestions. It's been kind of hectic what with my boyfriend spending a week here in town.

The problem that I'm having is that if I don't use something to knock myself out, I don't sleep. Oh, I might nod off for maybe two hours or so but that's all. Then I'm worthless at work all night.

I'm trying to find a day job and quit this night shift crap but in this economy...?