Working Nights

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RACHACE

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Any bluemooners got any tips/advice on getting used to doing night shifts?

I've never done nights before but my 1st nightshift is tonight, 5pm start and I'm on nights all week. This will be an ongoing thing every 3 weeks on my shift rota.

So, in preparation I stayed up last night, watched the Inter Milan v Roma game then decided I'd enter an online poker tournament in an attempt to keep me up late. Did ok, got in the money on the tournament, listened to 'the rise and fall of Madchester' on bbc sounds (highly recommended) and eventually went sleep on sofa at about 3am.

Missus was up at 6:30 to get ready for work and get little girl ready to go to her grandma's, she's two. So, i went up to bed with the hope I'd get a few hours kip when they'd gone. Hasn't happened, not a wink since I woke up so I'm going doing a night shift on what's likely to be very little sleep.

I'd have been better off going bed as normal (after watching the Inter Milan game) and just pushing through my shift later.

Anyone got any experience of doing nights and have a routine that worked regarding getting a decent amount of kip?
 
Many years since I worked nights although I do work shifts. If you’re on permanent nights it’s better than alternating shifts which I did. If your shifts are a fixed roster and include nights then you’ll find your routine. The younger you are, the easier you’ll cope with them.
 
Did it for four years In Trafford park.
Four on /four off ,rolling weeks.

To be honest mate it's like being in the twilight zone, you sort of end up in your own world and I started only socialising with my night shift mates in the end as everybody else is on a different time scale.

I just used to come home and go bed after half hour or so and would wake up when I woke up and was rested.
On the last night of my shift I'd have a couple hours and get up early so I could enjoy my four days in the real world so to speak.

Ps a little secret though .
We had a little med room and we could always nip in there for 40 winks about 2 -3am
Nudge,nudge wink ,wink.


On the whole I loved working nights but I was younger then and no kid .the money was great though.

I do mon to thu now on days ,a four day week and to be honest it's great .Weeks fly.
Just my two penneth.
 
I never had experience of working a night shift. They tried to slap a double shift on me during the day, but I reckon if you run home after yer shift at a very high speed, followed by a cup of cocoa when you stagger back in, you'll have little trouble nodding off.
 
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader said:
I never had experience of working a night shift. They tried to slap a double shift on me during the day, but I reckon if you run home after yer shift at a very high speed, followed by a cup of cocoa when you stagger back in, you'll have little trouble nodding off.
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Haha, to be fair I am planning on cycling to and from my shift a couple of times in an attempt to help me sleep through the day.
 
Did 12 hour shifts for 17 years on production line for 17 years. Included 2 nights one week and 3 the next. Never got used to it and like others usually socialised with others on shifts. For example if we did weekend nights theno off Mon/Tues it was usually only us in local pubs.

Usually finished at 7 and went to bed about 9 am and tried to sleep to early afternoon. Few times tried to stay up and sleep from lunchtime but struggled with that
 
ob said:
Did 12 hour shifts for 17 years on production line for 17 years. Included 2 nights one week and 3 the next. Never got used to it and like others usually socialised with others on shifts. For example if we did weekend nights theno off Mon/Tues it was usually only us in local pubs.

Usually finished at 7 and went to bed about 9 am and tried to sleep to early afternoon. Few times tried to stay up and sleep from lunchtime but struggled with that
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My shift is supposed to be 5pm-3am but it'll vary depending on the day driver before me. If he has problems then it could be later but today's shift will likely be earlier as he's going to be done at 3pm latest.

So, I'm going to start at 3pm, get my delivery done as soon as I can and hopefully be back home for 1am.

I'm hopeful of getting a decent kip in for tomorrow's shift.
 
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I did nights on and off as a nurse for over 30 years, usually every 4 weeks or so. I must admit I hated nights, although others really liked them so it depends on the person really.
I never got any benefit from getting extra sleep the night before my 1st shift. You just need to find what's best for you. I found 4am was the worst hour if we were quiet and always preferred the really busy nights, they just flew by.
I would recommend a really good blackout blind to help you sleep.
Wish you all the best, hope it goes well.
 
bluedaze said:
I did nights on and off as a nurse for over 30 years, usually every 4 weeks or so. I must admit I hated nights, although others really liked them so it depends on the person really.
I never got any benefit from getting extra sleep the night before my 1st shift. You just need to find what's best for you. I found 4am was the worst hour if we were quiet and always preferred the really busy nights, they just flew by.
I would recommend a really good blackout blind to help you sleep.
Wish you all the best, hope it goes well.
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Cheers for reply. Got a blackout blind in preparation but plan didn't go particularly well for my 1st shift.

It should go relatively quickly though as I've only got 1 job. Hoping to be done at 1am.
 
Passing the baton with the shite shifters was spooky. This is how they generally emerged.vf1024-Max-Schreck-02.jpg
Did it for one month and had my best sleep of 3 hours for one day only. Generally, I nodded off for one hour per day. All weekend was used for catching up on the Zzzzs. Didn't go down well with the missus. Needless to say after catching a view in my rear view mirror one morning looking like a zombie, l jacked it in.
 
RACHACE said:
My shift is supposed to be 5pm-3am but it'll vary depending on the day driver before me. If he has problems then it could be later but today's shift will likely be earlier as he's going to be done at 3pm latest.

So, I'm going to start at 3pm, get my delivery done as soon as I can and hopefully be back home for 1am.

I'm hopeful of getting a decent kip in for tomorrow's shift.
Click to expand...
Hope you manage it ok. I struggled in spring/summer as it's lighter outside and also too warm to sleep during day.

Couldn't have windows open due to noise, tried earplugs but didn't like them
 
Worked 12 hour shifts for quite a while. Think you just have to get used to them to find out what works for you. Day before I would just go to bed and get up at normal times. Then just stay up all day and work the night shift with plenty of brews to keep going. That way you're tired enough to be able to sleep the next day. Sleeping through the day will be the hardest for you to get used to. Hope you're not living in too noisy an area. May also need blackout curtains to help with the sunshine too.
 
The first one of a run of nights is the toughest. I find going to the pub the night before the first one, then getting up normal time the day of your first night - i.e. before you’re ready to get up - means you can get some afternoon kip before going on.

Don’t drink too much coffee on shift, or you’ll be going for a slash when you should be asleep back home.

And when you’re finished your run of nights, get up at lunchtime. Don’t waste your life recovering from night shifts, or getting ready for them: enjoy spending or saving the money you get from doing them. On which subject: if you can work out a net financial gain for doing nights, put the money somewhere else, so you can see how much you’re getting, so you can buy things you wouldn’t normally be able to, and work out when to sack it off.

Black-out blinds top tip. Sympathetic neighbours might take in deliveries if you let them know, and not get their law mowed at 9am either. Good luck.
 
JRockBlues said:
Worked 12 hour shifts for quite a while. Think you just have to get used to them to find out what works for you. Day before I would just go to bed and get up at normal times. Then just stay up all day and work the night shift with plenty of brews to keep going. That way you're tired enough to be able to sleep the next day. Sleeping through the day will be the hardest for you to get used to. Hope you're not living in too noisy an area. May also need blackout curtains to help with the sunshine too.
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I did school runs too ( long story )
 
ob said:
Did 12 hour shifts for 17 years on production line for 17 years. Included 2 nights one week and 3 the next. Never got used to it and like others usually socialised with others on shifts. For example if we did weekend nights theno off Mon/Tues it was usually only us in local pubs.

Usually finished at 7 and went to bed about 9 am and tried to sleep to early afternoon. Few times tried to stay up and sleep from lunchtime but struggled with that
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That was my shift pattern + loads of OT
 
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People often make the mistakes of finishing a night shift and going straight to bed when they gey home, on a normal day of work you have a few hours doing things like watching TV having something to eat etc, also waking up after sleep near the time for your shift start like you would if you were working morning.

Getting tired because you get up too early for nights is the same as waking up at 2am every day for a 6am shift it'll eventually get to you.
 
Worked nights 25 years ago at the local snooker club which was open 24 hours.
Sleeping pattern was a mess on a weekend when going for a drink, I'd wake up 9pm on Friday start my shift at 12 till 8am then stay awake till 3/4 Sunday morning after the nightclubs shut.
 
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