Night shifts, how do you cope?

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Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
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London
As title really. There must be a few people here that do night shifts? I'm starting a new job in two weeks and it's likely to involve a fair amount of night work. Having never done nights before I'm starting to think about the basic things like food (what meals to eat, when), when you can do shopping, if you can ever manage to meet friends etc.

I'm just looking for any tips really! I believe I will be doing 4 x 10hrs per week but it's totally flexible (to their demands, not mine :p). I don't particularly want to spend all week being shattered, or is that pretty much how it works?

Also, if anyone has done them in London, how did you get to/from work outside of Tube hours? I'm hoping for a company cab (home, at least!) but I'm trying to prepare for the worst :)

Thanks!
 
I work 12hr shifts, 3 on and 3 off.

It can sometimes be difficult if there is little going on but when it's busy they seem to pass quite quickly. I am quite new to 12 hr shifts but have worked 8-10hr shifts for 10 years now.

As for eating, if I have anything heavy on a nightshift it tends to upset my stomach sometimes so I have fruit or something light. A cafetiere and emergency stash of Guatemalan Elephant coffee from Whittard's is also a must.
 
Only you can know what works best for you.

Personally, I stay up the whole night before and go to bed around 6 or 7 in the morning. This helps get acclimatised. Then sleep as long as possible. You feel knackered the first night. Get Black Out Blinds. Make sure not one stray photon can get into the room!
Be prepared for the bin men, post man, deliveries, door to door salesman etc. These people do not work through the night, and LOVE to bother us nightshift workers.
 
After the last night shift, I tend to only go to bed for a couple of hours. That then means that I'm ready for kip at around 10pm the same night.
eg: finish work at 7am, in bed for 8am, up for 11am and then back to bed for approx 10-11pm.
Some people I know get stuck in night shift mode and can never sleep properly when they are off shift.

I have being working shifts for over 20 years on various rota's and regardless of what anyone says, they do mess with your health/wellbeing over time:(

Nights are great though in other aspects (I'm usually left alone to carry out my role) compared to days (more managers tripping over themselves)
 
Von Smallhausen said:
As for eating, if I have anything heavy on a nightshift it tends to upset my stomach sometimes so I have fruit or something light.
Click to expand...
Hmn i was thinking perhaps it would be better to eat my 'main' meal in the middle of the shift. That way i can just have something small in the morning, and that should help sleep! I'll have to see on that one.
fullspizz said:
After the last night shift, I tend to only go to bed for a couple of hours. That then means that I'm ready for kip at around 10pm the same night.
eg: finish work at 7am, in bed for 8am, up for 11am and then back to bed for approx 10-11pm.
Click to expand...
Definitely a good idea.
PhillyDee said:
Only you can know what works best for you.

Personally, I stay up the whole night before and go to bed around 6 or 7 in the morning. This helps get acclimatised. Then sleep as long as possible. You feel knackered the first night. Get Black Out Blinds. Make sure not one stray photon can get into the room!
Be prepared for the bin men, post man, deliveries, door to door salesman etc. These people do not work through the night, and LOVE to bother us nightshift workers.
Click to expand...
I've just moved in with my girlffriend so none of this is ideal timing! I will think about blackout blinds, the other thing that is worrying me is the 2yr old in the flat downstairs :(
 
I work fri sat sun night.

Friday I get up as usual at 10am then I get a good sleep satuday during the day. Monday I just has 3 hours sleep after work then Monday night will have a normal nights sleep
 
I use to work 12 hour shifts, some really horrible pattern too. 4 nights then 4 off then 4 days then 4 off then 3 days 3 nights then 7 off.

So it was all over the place between days and nights.

The good thing was the time off during the week though, could get so much done I now cannot do being back to a 8 - 5 job.

It killled me though after a year. Most of the 12 hour night shifts where sat watching freeview TV or trying to do something to keep my mind active.

I use to stay up all night and go to bed as soon as I got in most times then I was able to get up a few hours before the next night shift.

The wife didn't like it very much though as I was going to bed when she was going out to work. Had to pack it in after 2 years cause it was too much

You know working 12 hour nightd can take 10 years of your life.
 
I used to have a heavy meal before or at the start of the shift, then I'd snack on fruit and nuts for the rest of the night. I'd have a proper meal when I got home before bed.

I would drink water or juice through the night with just a couple of cups of coffee. Too many coffee or energy drinks just made me feel jittery. Mine was a sit down job though, looking after a Citrix data farm.
 
At the moment I work 2 days 2 nights 2 off. Its not as bad as you think really.

If your working 10 hours shifts and can deal with 6 hours sleep you should be good for a long afternoon.

i.e. start work at 8 in the evening, finish at 6 in the morning. 6 hours sleep takes you till midday and you have the rest of the afternoon to yourself.

As for food ect.... At the moment i have my evening meal at 5 in the evening, start work at 6 so im good for food till about 10 o clock, have a sandwich when I get a bit peckish. fruit later on in the night to give me a bit of energy then just plow through the last hour or so till the next shift take me off.

This may sound silly but I also take my toothbrush on night shift with me, just because after all the coffee/cans of pop/sweets I have snacked on my teeth feel all dirty.

Thats just me though. You will find what works for you and have fun.

Dan Dan
 
use to do 2 weeks nights, slept like a log during the say, get home a 6 am, sleep untill 6pm, go to work at 8.30pm

I love nights :)

Stelly
 
Used to do night shifts and had to give up, lost contact with a lot of my friends, body clock was messed up and I just felt lonely as I was out of sync with everybody else and just doing work. sleep. work. sleep. work. sleep. was not fun.

Extra money wasn't worth it imo.
 
I do nights shifts on a rota so spend 2 weeks working nights and 2 weeks working day, the first night swapping to nights is always the worst, just take a nice supply of coffee and keep yourself busy, after the first night it gets much easier and my sleeping pattern always adjusts quickly, personally i prefer the nights to days have a great team of people to work with :D
 
Been doing nightshifts for around 7 years now and tbh there pretty easy just make sure you get enough sleep and your sorted, extra money, freedom from most of the managers and more time off than a standard days/afters worker, but it doesn't suit everyone I suppose.
 
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