Any nightshift workers?

I don't know how I'd go in a night shift at my age., I've only worked a few night shifts when I was younger and that was after doing a day shift (if they were short), felt fine. Place was a bit quiet though. I've done quite a few all nighters then worked the day after, they were tough, still do them from time to time but prefer not to. Just doing a night then going to bed 9am was and still is, perfectly fine, it's just a long day.

My only real experience of prolonged night 'work', I guess, was during the stupidly long 3 month holidays at uni, during which I was massively into online gaming so would be playing from around 7pm to 7am (crossing to us servers at some point). Then wake up naturally at 2pm. I'd start out just playing a little later but by the time I'd been off uni a couple of weeks I'd always be back to 7am again.

I slept fine. That said I've slept through a flight from oz before and did a full days work when I landed, so perhaps I'm not normal.
 
Work 2 days then 2 nights 12 hours then 4 days off.

Gonna be frank i feel worse working the day shifts always struggling to keep my eyes open no problem with the nights though must be related to an owl.
 
Been on night shift for three years, 6 in a row and a day off if you can call the morning you finish a day off:rolleyes:, sometimes it's 13 on 1 off, again if you can call it a day off, money is good though and that's what's it's all about at the moment.
 
It depends what job it is to be honest. I've been on shifts where you can sleep on the nights, that was great as if nothing happened during the night you would essentially have 2 days on, 6 days off. I've been working 9-5 for 6 months now and I still can't get used to being off at the same time as everyone else. I find myself frustrated every weekend, that the only two days I have to get things done happen to clash with the rest of the world trying to get things done. On shift, it's much, much easier.
 
I did Mon-Fri night shifts in my last job for about 5 years. I'm very much in the camp of saying it's totally not worth it.

It was sold to me as a step-up in role, yet the guy I actually trained up who worked days, ended up getting promoted over me because I was never there during the day to pick up the scraps of interesting work, was never there to network/socialise with colleagues. Basically you get forgotten about. That's when I sacked it off and put my career into a different direction.

On top of that a Mon-Fri shift was horrendous. It ruined every weekend and caused real problems with my girlfriend -- we must have nearly broken up 3-4 times because of it. I was determined to have a bit of a weekend to see her and my friends, so I'd be home 9am Saturday, sleep for a few hours then try to have a 'normal' Saturday. All well and good, but going out for dinner/drinks with friends on a SAturday night was really wearing.

Honestly, night shifts is such a grind on your well being unless you're being offered literally double your money it's never worth it. People get caught in the plus sides; that there's no-one there watching you, you have time off to do chores when no-one else is around, some people can sleep at work etc. But at the end of the day it ruins you. I still struggle to sleep through a night 100% so the effects are still there 1.5yrs after I left that job. I still thinking about my sleep way to much, it gets in your head when you're on nights and it's all you end up thinking about 24/7. That's not good for you.

On top of that, the shift the OP has offered sounds dire. Working weekends? What's the point of actually existing? What are you going to do weekdays when everyone else is at work? How grim. Don't do it.
 
OP,

Personally I wouldn't touch that shift pattern with a barge poll, unless the premium was a very, very good one, along with the holiday entitlement.

I've done a number of different patterns over the last 9/10 years for the company I currently work for.

Started with 3 day weekend shift Fri - Sun 07:00 - 19:00, which I did for approximately 5 & 1/2 years. This wasn't too bad. Premium was 33% and had the "benefit" of being 3 On - 4 Off. Although the down side was having to plan days/weekends off, say good bye to friends calling you late in the week and arranging nights out etc for that coming weekend.

Then switched to 4 day nights Mon - Thur 21:30 - 07:30. This was for approximately 2 - 2 & 1/2 years. Premium was the same 33% with the added advantage of having the opportunity of doing overtime at the weekends either during the day Sat/Sun or Sunday night.

It took me a good 6 to 8 weeks to get in to some sort of routine whilst doing those. Basically I ended up turning my day completely on its head during the working week (Tue - Thur). I'd get home possibly has some breakfast and catch up with TV or chores before going to bed around 10:00 - 11:00 and setting the alarm for 18:00 - 19:00 depending on how tiered I felt. Then up and slowly get ready for work leaving the house just before 21:00.

Fridays, I'd normally go straight to bed not long after getting home as to get the most out of the day, even if this was just until midday or 13:00'ish.

Some others on the shift would stay up for the whole Friday as if it was just a normal day and not go to bed until the evening :eek: How they managed that is beyond me. I tried it a few times and had to have a sleep come early afternoon.

Christ, one Friday at the start of this pattern I took myself off to bed around 14:00, set the alarm for early evening which I then slept right through and woke up Saturday morning 16 hours later!! To say I was confused is an understatement. To add to my confusion, the time was the time I'd set my alarm for, just 12 hours later :D I was also ****ed off for having lost a day and I think I had agreed to overtime that weekend as well, so it resulted in a very short weekend off for me.

Now doing the same pattern as DirtyJester...

DirtyJester said:
Shift worker here.

4 on and 4 off.

2 day shifts straight into 2 night shifts (all 12hrs 06:00 - 18:00). Total working year 154 shifts.

Love it.
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The big difference doing nights on this pattern is that I do go straight to bed as soon as I get home and normally get up mid afternoon.

It's the early starts for the day shifts that get me more than the nights.

With this pattern the advantage is when I take holidays. If I book of a shift block, it cost me 4 days leave, but I have 12 days off :D

For numerous reasons certainly shifts aren't for everyone, nor are they ideal over very prolonged periods, especially nights IMO.

OP, could you not ask for a trial/probation period from work to see how it does suit you and fits in with life outside of work?
 
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I currently work 2 weeks of 12 hour days (06:30--18:30) followed by 3 weeks off. Then 2 weeks of 12 hour nights (18:30--06:30), then 3 weeks off. Other than turning round from nights when I'm home I prefer the 2 weeks of nights :)
 
did it for 3 years 10pm to 6:30am. Mainly so that i could look after my daughter before she started kindergarden. I was always tired.

I used to work at Hepworth Building products back in the 90's. we did rotating 8 hour shifts. Monday-friday.
on week one we did 1st shift,
week 2, 2nd shift,
week 3, 3rd shift.

we came off 3rd shift saturday morning and started 1st shift on monday morning. I quit after 6 months as i was literally a zombie.
 
My shift rota is 8 weeks, with two weeks being nights:
1)
Mon, Tue: 21:00-07:00
Wed, Thurs, Friday: off
Saturday: 18:00-08:00
Sunday: 18:00-07:00

2)
Mon-Tue: Off
Wed, Thu, Friday: 21:00-07:00
Sat, Sun: off

The weekend shifts are tough! I barely see friends and it does take its tole.
 
I think I have the worse shifts in the world.

Thursday 15:00-00:00
Friday 18:00-02:00
Saturday 18:00-03:00

Then I have to spread my remaining 14 hours over a Tuesday and Wednesday at my discretion (usually 08:30-15:30)

Effectively means I get 1 clear day off a week and have not had a weekend off in two years.
 
Third Opinion said:
I think I have the worse shifts in the world.

Thursday 15:00-00:00
Friday 18:00-02:00
Saturday 18:00-03:00

Then I have to spread my remaining 14 hours over a Tuesday and Wednesday at my discretion (usually 08:30-15:30)

Effectively means I get 1 clear day off a week and have not had a weekend off in two years.
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Unless you're getting paid an absolute fortune, get a new job. That's quite possibly the worst work/life balance I've ever seen.
 
Zefan said:
It depends what job it is to be honest. I've been on shifts where you can sleep on the nights, that was great as if nothing happened during the night you would essentially have 2 days on, 6 days off. I've been working 9-5 for 6 months now and I still can't get used to being off at the same time as everyone else. I find myself frustrated every weekend, that the only two days I have to get things done happen to clash with the rest of the world trying to get things done. On shift, it's much, much easier.
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Moans can't do stuff on shift, moans can't do things on days. :rolleyes: :D
 
I do Monday to Friday days in the office 08:00 - 16:00, then weekends I will sometimes work nights 23:00 - 08:00. That really messes up the sleep pattern.

I also do nights and days every now and then when really busy which I shouldn't do but feel i need to do. Self employed unfortunately so sometimes need to do it.
 
I do nights every now and then and they usually come in bursts of weeks/months at a time. I love them, the pay is better and I feel I get more time, I also feel a lot more refreshed waking up. The last batch of nights I did was 3PM - 6AM which meant as soon as I got home it was time for sleep only to wake up, shower and go back to work, social life is impossible.
 
I do 6pm Sunday night through until 6am Friday morning quite regularly, the extra shift allowance and higher hourly rate are great, plus you don't spend hardly any money all week.
 
Clov!s said:
I do 6pm Sunday night through until 6am Friday morning quite regularly, the extra shift allowance and higher hourly rate are great, plus you don't spend hardly any money all week.
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See, unless you're saving for a particular goal I don't see how this is a plus point for night shifts. Woohoo you make loads of money. Woohoo you can't spend of it. :confused:
 
Kennysevenfold said:
Been offered a new shift pattern at work, not sure weather to take it or not.

I currently work 5am-12pm Sunday to Thursday.

Im getting offered 10pm-7am Friday-Monday. So 4 on 3 off.

Will earn me a few extra hundred per month. But practicaly loose my weekends :mad:

Is it for everyone?
It worries me incase i cannot get used to it and then stuck with it.

Any tips? :o
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If you have a family or a partner then don't do it.
 
Squidger said:
If you have a family or a partner then don't do it.
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^^

Very true, certainly added to a break up I went through. If however your partner also works shifts then probably not too bad.

Though if you're the only one working shifts and especially weekend shifts it'll put a big strain on any relationship, even the strongest.
 
Scam said:
See, unless you're saving for a particular goal I don't see how this is a plus point for night shifts. Woohoo you make loads of money. Woohoo you can't spend of it. :confused:
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I don't do it every week but it's nice to get the extra money to put away for when you might need it. ;)
 
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