Night workers do you take anything to boost sleep?

[tom_nieto]

Earplugs!

@tres - how are you finding the gradual adjustment? I used to figure that I’d start the run of shifts slightly sleep deprived if I did that. I try to lie in as long as possible on the morning of the first night shift.

Anyway, can confirm that nights are dreadful and there isn’t really a way to make them less so! Be kind to yourself and keep low expectations of what can be achieved between the shifts.

 

[tres]

Earplugs!

@tres - how are you finding the gradual adjustment? I used to figure that I’d start the run of shifts slightly sleep deprived if I did that. I try to lie in as long as possible on the morning of the first night shift.

Anyway, can confirm that nights are dreadful and there isn’t really a way to make them less so! Be kind to yourself and keep low expectations of what can be achieved between the shifts.

Funny you should post that, start nights again tomorrow. Transitioning definitely the way forward for me. Doable if you have a weekend to do it. Stayed up until 0330 watching Netflix, will stay up until 0600 tomorrow then sleep for 10 hours until work

 

[BallistixOnZ490]

While I haven't worked nights before, I've been on both trazadone and mirtazapine combined with an SSRI to try to treat excessive daytime drowsiness.

It was working perfectly for sleep management until I started falling from physical things.

 

[tres]

While I haven't worked nights before, I've been on both trazadone and mirtazapine combined with an SSRI to try to treat excessive daytime drowsiness.

It was working perfectly for sleep management until I started falling from physical things.

That's an odd combination

 

[Angerer]

Good Magnesium supplement, Orange Juice or Milk/Ice Cream before bed knocks me out.

Though I am sure one could look for other alternatives rather than pharmaceuticals.

Each to their own I suppose.

 

[tom01]

.

 

[BallistixOnZ490]

That's an odd combination

Its actually a very typical third line treatment for depression and / or anxiety with either fatigue or insomnia and is listed in the NICE criteria.

You take the SSRI / SNRI in the morning, and hypnotic before bed.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Good Magnesium supplement, Orange Juice or Milk/Ice Cream before bed knocks me out.

Though I am sure one could look for other alternatives rather than pharmaceuticals.

Each to their own I suppose.

Magnesium won't work if you are taking it with dairy.

 

[tres]

Its actually a very typical third line treatment for depression and / or anxiety with either fatigue or insomnia and is listed in the NICE criteria.

You take the SSRI / SNRI in the morning, and hypnotic before bed.

That's really interesting, I've never used that. I usually rely on my old friend promethazine, and use mirtazapine as second line.


And transitioning seemed to have worked again, watched Netflix until 6am, crawled up the stairs and went to sleep, woke up 11 hours later and ready for nights

 

[Delvis]

Magnesium won't work if you are taking it with dairy.

Anything dairy before bed (milk and particularly cheese) gives me some funky dreams/nightmares

 

[Mellowfellow]

I've just begun a night shift job after spending the last 5 years getting up early morning to start working at 05.00 , now I'm going home not long after that.
I've found myself going to bed within an hour of getting home in the morning, waking up about 13.00-14.00 , so I go to my allotment and /or the gym before my shift. I would rather feel more awake after work when it's quiet , go gym, then later on sleep before getting up for work.
Days off roll forward though, we get 2 nights of 7 off but it's not the same night's off every week. For example, Sunday and Monday, then Monday and Tuesday , Tues and weds, Thurs and Fri, but then every 5 weeks a Thurs Fri Saturday Sunday off.
Rest days are not overtime rates on regular weeks but they are time and a half during the 4 day off if you come in.
Anyone who's gone from a day job to nights know how to adjust your sleep?

 

[mysticsniper]

Sleep deprivation works for me.

Day before my first night shift, I wake up early, then stay awake until at least 4am the next morning, which changes my body clock over..

 

[LabR@t]

Weed and beer used to work for me back in the day.

 

[Eurofighter]

Got schizophrenia while working nights. Enjoy.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

The only problem I have is noisy neighbours/contractors waking me up in the daytime otherwise I sleep like a log. The only time I ever had problems was early shifts i.e. starting at 6 a.m. that was brutal. Not a morning person at all.

 

[bingham67]

I love working nights. 18.30 to 6.30 and I sleep till around 12 or 1pm. Get up and do things with the kids, shower and have dinner then back to work.

I'd cry if I had to do a regular monday to friday job. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Totally agree been doing nights for 12 years now and wake up around the same time.

I do two days then two nights four days off.

 

[HangTime]

My wife used to do nights but it was never more than 4 days in a row and typically just once every few weeks. So never really got into a full on pattern, she'd typically only sleep around 4-5hrs after a night shift and then get an early night when she came off it.

Part of the issue from experience with irregular sleep pattterns is your body is expecting meals when you are trying to sleep, it's one reason why you will wake at lunchtime despite not having enough sleep. Could maybe try filling up on food towards the end of the shift.

 

[Rroff]

My wife used to do nights but it was never more than 4 days in a row and typically just once every few weeks. So never really got into a full on pattern, she'd typically only sleep around 4-5hrs after a night shift and then get an early night when she came off it.

Part of the issue from experience with irregular sleep pattterns is your body is expecting meals when you are trying to sleep, it's one reason why you will wake at lunchtime despite not having enough sleep. Could maybe try filling up on food towards the end of the shift.

Changing between patterns is horrific - personally I think work wise it should be banned it is far worse for many people's health than a lot of stuff that is regulated!

 

[sja360]

Got schizophrenia while working nights. Enjoy.

Are you definitely sure that was the cause? I mean how did you know for sure?

I work nights on ship 6pm to 6am sometimes and i guess usually i find i should get to sleep within 3 hours of going off shift otherwise my body tends to keep me awake beyond that. I usually just watch some TV/Films before sleeping.

 

[kinetic747]

Changing between patterns is horrific - personally I think work wise it should be banned it is far worse for many people's health than a lot of stuff that is regulated!

A lot of companies don't like permanent night shifts for some reason. I used to work on a two shift system with a permanent night shift but the company swapped it to a 3 shift rotation. I gave it 12 months then decided to leave as my health began to suffer. The annoying thing was that around 75% of workers were against the change but they forced it through anyway.