Night Shifts

Reesy

Reesy

Reesy

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16 Dec 2003
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Hi all, firstly I've got a night shift on Wednesday 10pm - 6am. I've noticed quite a few of you are still awake at 4am/5am. Whats your key to doing it? Energy drinks etc?
 
Food. It kepps you awake, your body works off the time of meals. I do nights 11-7. Full time. If your busy you will be grand. Sitting about gets you the worst.
 
I have a lie in the morning of the day im on nights, if you have more time to prepare its easier, ie I used to stay up late all weekend, especially sunday night.

changed to day shifts now though, I hate getting up at 4:30am :(
 
My dad works nights 9pm-6am and i have no idea how he stays awake. He seems to sleep for about 5 hours a day :eek: I'm useless unless i've had at least 8 solid hours.
 
how long are you doing these night shifts for? because after a while your body will get used to the day sleeping and you'll be fine. but if its a shift pattern then be prepared to be tired for a good few weeks, switching back and forth is the killer. i say 3 - 4 red bull and try to keep busy, if you cant, then talk to people. after a while of working dodgy shifts you start to destroy your sleep patterns totaly. ie. sleep when tired, don't when your not. only needing a few hours at a time. not healthy but just about works.

stu
 
If its just one night shift then its hard to adjust.

Drink loads of water or coffee, chewing gum, talk to people just keep your mind going basically, thats what i'd do.
 
I've worked nights before, did it for 10 weeks between 1st and 2nd year of Uni. After the first week I found it fine, although even now I work days I struggle to get to sleep before 2 or 3am, so my body does seem quite content with being awake at night...

Changing back to days was harder for me than the initial switch to nights.
 
I work at Sega Europe doing night shifts, it can be hard, but its mostly manageable.

I drink 2 cups of coffee at 12:15am-ish then again at 2:30am and then again at 5:15am with a few cups of water here and there. I have lunch at 2:30am which consists of 4 halfs of sandwiches (normally ham).

I haven't needed any energy drinks yet, I do mon-thurs 10:30pm to 7:30am.
 
Don't drink coffee after about 4am...you won't be able to get to sleep when you get home. Take a book or a magazine or something to keep your mind active if it's quiet. I found the most important thing is to get a good day's sleep after each night - make sure your room is nice and dark, quiet and cool. Nights aren't really that bad after the first one - it's going back to earlies after that caused me the problem (if you're doing a rotating shift system).
 
Its only for one night, I normally work evenings 6-10 but I am doing one 10-6 and then going back to 6-10. So its not too bad I don't think.
 
I used to work nights permenantly. For about 2 months it wasn't a problem. I could go out all day (mostly down the beach with my mates) then get about 4 hours sleep between 4 and 9pm and then go to work.

After a while I just couldn't do it anymore. Sleeping during the day was very difficult. I had to put thick card and duck tape over the windows to completely block out the light. Even a hint of sunlight and it kept me awake. I use to take Nytol to try and sleep. It was useless, all it did was make it harder to wake up. The amount of times I used to nearly fall asleep at the wheel commuting into london every night. :o

Then when it got to the weekend, you want to stay awake to go out with your mates. It was a very hard time for me. I'm so glad I now do 9-5.
 
I used to have a decent meal at the start of a night shift and then eat fruit to keep me going. I used to get up and wander around a bit too. Caffeine will not help you much tbh.

When I got home I'd have a meal and relax for a while then go to bed around 12pm, I could never sleep straight from work or the drive home.
 
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