Night workers do you take anything to boost sleep?

Helen Barber

Helen Barber

Helen Barber

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4 months into my new night job. When I was on this antidepressant medication it had a powerful sedation within an hour of taking, but long story short I wanted to come off it for how it making me feeling.

I get in from my shift at 7:30am and find I'm only sleeping until around 12..... I just a need a more deeper/longer sleep

Anyone taking supliments or maybe melotonin?

:)
 
Helen Barber said:
4 months into my new night job. When I was on this antidepressant medication it had a powerful sedation within an hour of taking, but long story short I wanted to come off it for how it making me feeling.

I get in from my shift at 7:30am and find I'm only sleeping until around 12..... I just a need a more deeper/longer sleep

Anyone taking supliments or maybe melotonin?

:)
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I’m not a night worker but I do have insomnia.

I take half a mg of Lorazepam at night and it works great, but that is a benzo, so you might not want to get started on those as they can be very addictive, and docs are very reluctant to prescribe them.

I also have a box of circadin, which is slow release melatonin, but haven’t tried them yet.
 
What else have you tried before resorting to medication ?

How much caffeine are you drinking ? - stop drinking it ... I moved to tea and hot chocolate. Feel better for doing so.

Do you get woken up by noise ? Have you tried putting music on ? Like ambient / chillwave / that sort of thing ? Something thats easy-ozy background stuff that you dont focus on to drown out the general noise of the day ? I play somafm.com channels on my phone speaker at the side of the bed when I'm night shift.

Similarly, something like Paul McKenna sleep as you lie in bed. ... maybe worth a shot.

I know it maybe sounds trippy ... but if you let things like ambient music wash over you, it does slow you down and for me, helps me sleep.
 
Please remember that giving medical advice is against the rules here so please don't suggest anything that may be construed as that.
 
Just asking others what works for them.. common sense please, anything dangerous would need a prescription, advising on supliments you can buy over the counter isn't against rules.

No one likes a jobs-worth ^

You can actively talk about medication on the mental health thread... Lack of sleep is effecting my health.

I would like to hear from others
 
I've been doing similar for quite some time, usually wake naturally (if no postmen, dogs barking, bin collections etc) around 15:00 if going straight to bed at 08:00. Usually it just takes time to figure out what works for you. Staying up later (mirroring a normal working day) then going to bed may work better then straight to bed when you get off shift.

Never needed to take anything, but do make sure I don't consume caffeine after 02:00 and make sure I eat "breakfast" before getting to bed (ever notice how you feel tired after a meal?).

Ear plugs are vital. They aren't comfortable, but the whole world is active while you sleep and people are noisy.
I'm not particularly fit, nor do regular exercise which isn't ideal and I've found that if I get in, eat breakfast and walk the dogs before bed will usually get me a better sleep.
Arrange deliveries to arrive on days you aren't on shift if possible, or all on the same day.
If I wake early and can't back to sleep I don't force myself. I stay awake for a bit, hydrate, prepare meals, talk a walk, have a quick shower maybe then listen to some music - 9/10 I'll drift back off just means I have less time to myself before work.

Unfortunately it sounds like you've become dependant on the sedating effects of your medication and are looking for a replacement. I'm not sure tricking your body is a good idea with sleep long term. Working night's is bad enough as it is on our long health, throwing in a dependency into the mix is something I'd personally want to avoid.
 
Feek said:
Please remember that giving medical advice is against the rules here so please don't suggest anything that may be construed as that.
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Helen Barber said:
No one likes a jobs-worth ^
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Feek was simply reminding members not to post what could be construed as medial advice in order to stop your thread becoming locked. No need for that.

Anyway, I think it depends on your age. I've worked night shifts for nearly 25 years. In my early 20s, I could sleep all day, I've twice slept in for a night shift, after a night shift. Now I'm up around midday ish post nights.

Perhaps consider that if you're in your 30s or 40s, or older, that this could be completely natural and there's no need to take any magic pills.

FB..
 
Helen Barber said:
Just asking others what works for them.. common sense please, anything dangerous would need a prescription, advising on supliments you can buy over the counter isn't against rules.

No one likes a jobs-worth ^

You can actively talk about medication on the mental health thread... Lack of sleep is effecting my health.

I would like to hear from others
Click to expand...

I think you need to get some rest, you seem a bit cranky.
 
Helen Barber said:
Just asking others what works for them.. common sense please, anything dangerous would need a prescription, advising on supliments you can buy over the counter isn't against rules.

No one likes a jobs-worth ^

You can actively talk about medication on the mental health thread... Lack of sleep is effecting my health.

I would like to hear from others
Click to expand...

God...it's almost like you've been here before!
 
Helen Barber said:
No one likes a jobs-worth ^
Click to expand...
You have to remember that I'm one of the administrators of this forum and it's my place to ensure the rules are adhered to.

If people start giving actual medical advice then your thread will be closed, I'm just trying to help.
 
Those are pretty much the hours I used to sleep when I did night's, never sorted it I was a zombie, tired but not a nice tired, more like the life has been drawn out of you by a giant syrynge sort of tired
 
I'm sensitive to both light and sound when sleeping, so day-time sleep (even naps) pretty much never work for me.

Blackout blinds, sleep-viable earplugs and some magnesium glycinate would be my recommendation.
 
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