New Job Different shift pattern

ljt said:
That can't be healthy having to work 2 nights, followed directly by 2 days without a break?? That'll **** your body clock up big style.

Wonder why it isnt' 4 nights, 4 off, 4 days, 4 off, 4 nights etc, gives your body time to adjust
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I've worked both of those shift patterns and believe me, 2days followed by 2 nights is far more prefferable, 4 days in a row of 12 hour shifts is hard on your body and mind but at least you get a 24 break in the middle when you can have a night out and a lie in. Another plus is that you always think it's just today and tomorrow until my next break. 4 days solid goes on for ever and you are shattered at the end of it

Of course Mon-Friday is far superior to both patterns, pays less though.
 
I also do 12hr shifts, well 12h20mins actually for a 37hr week, fixed Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12.40pm-1am.

Been on this pattern for about 12months now and i love it, Wednesday off and a long weekend every week.
 
VonClinkerhofen said:
I've worked both of those shift patterns and believe me, 2days followed by 2 nights is far more prefferable, 4 days in a row of 12 hour shifts is hard on your body and mind but at least you get a 24 break in the middle when you can have a night out and a lie in. Another plus is that you always think it's just today and tomorrow until my next break. 4 days solid goes on for ever and you are shattered at the end of it

Of course Mon-Friday is far superior to both patterns, pays less though.
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pfft 4 12 hour shifts on the bounce is easy :p

Of the 4 guys we had here doing it a while back me and one guy could happily knock out 14 or 15 in a row without batting an eyelid (and did so for several months) but there was one guy who by the end of day 5 was the most ****ed off guy in the world. Every week. Some people cope better than others.

But I have to disagree on the 2 days followed by 2 nights and not having to get your body into a pattern being nice. I much prefer doing them back to back so that i DO get in to a pattern. My sleep pattern is fairly stable as a result.

To start my run of nights I tend to get up at about 8AM when the wife gets up, potter about for a bit and then head back to sleep from about 1-4. Then its off to work for a 19:00 start and then i get home at 08:00 and sleep till 16:00. I'm never even remotly tired on a shift and the only time I could ever be called sleep deprived and grouchy is when I finish a run of nights. Thats just because I get home at 08:00 go to bed until about 13:00 and then get up. Once i've done that i sleep like a normal for the rest of my days off.

and bugger doing 9-5 every week. I like doing it occassionally but I enjoy having week days off all the time far too much. Shopping is a breeze!
 
I do 3 days, 3 nights, 3 off. 9 hour day shift and a 15 hour night shift but I don't get the 17 days off every so often. You do get used to it . I do get 36 days A/L though.
 
Schizophonic said:
I did a temporary shift of 6am-2pm and I hated it.

It meant I had to get to bed by 8pm :( get up in the freezing cold and while it was still dark and while most of my friends and family were doing something in the evening I said I couldn't go.
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loooooool 6-2 is hardly an agressive shift pattern,i can work at any time in the 24hour clock with a moments notice,now that takes it out on your sleeping pattern believe me..:confused:
 
Schizophonic said:
I did a temporary shift of 6am-2pm and I hated it.

It meant I had to get to bed by 8pm :( get up in the freezing cold and while it was still dark and while most of my friends and family were doing something in the evening I said I couldn't go.
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9 hours kip?

Even when I get up at 6 for a 7 start, I go to bed at 11-12 oclock. When you start doing shifts, and get used to them, you sleep a lot less and can get away with much less sleep.
 
If your not used to working nights it can be a killer, lot depends on your home enviroment. Noise, people calling at your house, pets, kids off school etc.

2 days 2 nights sounds bad, but 12 hour shifts are ok once you get used to them, certainly mkaes you apreciate your time of.
 
Sure the days off are good but the constant switching of your body from days to nights is not good for your health be it mental and physical.


Todge said:
To start my run of nights I tend to get up at about 8AM when the wife gets up, potter about for a bit and then head back to sleep from about 1-4. Then its off to work for a 19:00 start and then i get home at 08:00 and sleep till 16:00. I'm never even remotly tired on a shift and the only time I could ever be called sleep deprived and grouchy is when I finish a run of nights. Thats just because I get home at 08:00 go to bed until about 13:00 and then get up. Once i've done that i sleep like a normal for the rest of my days off.
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You're lucky you can do that, I could never get to sleep when if I say wanted to sleep 1-4.

It's not good either really, sleeping for such short periods of time. A lot of the time on the night shifts it'd feel as though I had not slept and basically it just turned into one long shift. Urgh.

Sure 9-5 isn't the best in comparison but I value my health so I'm going to try my best never to have to do it again.
 
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I do a similar shift Mon 9am-6pm, Tues 9am-6pm, Weds 6pm-9am, Thurs 6pm-9am then 4 days off. The following week starts again but the Tuesday will be my first day.
I find it a great shift pattern with loads of time off and the beauty is if I use 4 days holiday I get my 4 days off either side so that now becomes a 12 day break and using 8 days holiday becomes 20 days off.
 
Try this:
  • 7 earlies, 06:00 to 14:00, Sunday is 06:00 to 18:00
  • 4 days off
  • 7 nights, 22:00 to 06:00, Sunday is 18:00 to 06:00
  • 2 days off
  • 3 lates, 14:00 to 22:00
  • 1 day off
  • 3 lates, 14:00 to 22:00
  • 1 day off
  • repeat
Been doing that particular shift pattern for ~15 years. You never seem to catch up - your poor body doesn't know when its next meal is coming and when it's going to get sleep.
 
I've done that shift for a few years, not everyone can hack it. It depends on the job I suppose.

I tended to work the second day then go to work the next night rather than go to bed so I would sleep properly the next morning. I'd also not go to sleep after finishing the second night shift until the next night. So in a working week I'd have a couple of days where I didn't sleep for 36-40 hours.

It worked for me OK but we tended to lose someone every three months.
 
Did similiar a few years back, tho more nights than days but enough changing around to never be able to fit into a routine... worst thing I've ever done my cognitive abilities have never fully recovered several years on, concentration and memory were shot to hell for awhile. It affects everyone differently tho, some can do it fine, others not so well.
 
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