• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Working the late shift...

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
DGADBTWSOM

DGADBTWSOM

Hall of Fame
I'm starting a new job on Monday, going from an office temp job to a late night to early morning (5pm-5am), anyone have any experience with this and have some advice on how to stay awake or getting used to this type of schedule?
 
DGADBTWSOM;1190672; said:
I'm starting a new job on Monday, going from an office temp job to a late night to early morning (5pm-5am), anyone have any experience with this and have some advice on how to stay awake or getting used to this type of schedule?
Click to expand...

Lots of coffee and sleep as soon as you get off work. If you don't get to sleep the day goes by fast and then you will start getting 3 or 4 hours sleep.
 
Upvote 0
I am a night shifter as well, it will take a while to get used to sleeping during the day. Like NFBuck said, lots of caffeine. I also take a heavy dose of melatonin usually the first week to help me get to sleep. Welcome to the club though!
 
Upvote 0
I did it for awhile. Make your sleeping quarters as dark as possible. I mean pitch black at noon. Don't go to sleep right after you get off work. You need to undwind properly before trying to sleep in my opinion. Don't drink any caffiene after your last break at work, i.e. last couple hours or so. I always found beer to help unwind after work. Go figure.
 
Upvote 0
Wingate1217;1190716; said:
Keeping busy especially starting let's say around 2am will help. When I worked the graveyard shift I started to get tired around this time. Fresh air helps too....
Click to expand...

There is a lot of down time associated with this job, I'll see what I can do to keep busy. I have an iPod but I don't know if listening to podcasts will help or hurt.
Fresh air is a good idea, thanks.
 
Upvote 0
BUCKYLE;1190719; said:
I did it for awhile. Make your sleeping quarters as dark as possible. I mean pitch black at noon. Don't go to sleep right after you get off work. You need to undwind properly before trying to sleep in my opinion. Don't drink any caffiene after your last break at work, i.e. last couple hours or so. I always found beer to help unwind after work. Go figure.
Click to expand...

never needed an excuse for a beer, good to have one though, thanks.
 
Upvote 0
I've been on third shift for five years now. The single most important thing is to make sure the sleep you get is good quality sleep. Darken the room as much as possible, use something for white noise like a fan or a fountain, and keep the room cool.

At work, find busy work to keep you occupied from 2am-4:30. These are the hours that the human body is designed to shut down. They will be your hardest hours of the shift.

Monitor your blood pressure. Third shifters are prone to blood pressure issues.
 
Upvote 0
OSUsushichic;1190755; said:
I've never worked nights, but my brother has. He, too, really stressed this. You have to treat the day like it's night.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I worked third two different times, years apart. The first time, I had a basement room with two small windows. They let just enough light in to wake me up or otherwise bother me throughout my "night". The second time around, I completely sealed off my window. I slept great.

Also, Scooter is right, I had a ceiling fan and that HAD to be on to get to sleep. Also, once I got in that rythm, sleep wasn't a problem.
 
Upvote 0
Can u have a computer where you work? Whenever I get tired I read the TSUN recruiting thread, and I laugh so hard, I wake right up!! It would be good to get another poster on here during the wee hours of the morning. I work from 1600-0330.
 
Upvote 0
i'm at work right now as well. i work from 5pm to 3 or 4 am. buckyle has said everything i was going to say. no coffee/diet cokes past about midnight and make sure your room is very dark. i don't mind the hours much because they are basically the same hours i kept in college. up around noon and go to bed around 5 or 6am. i'm young and don't have a wife/kids so that helps too.
 
Upvote 0
DGADBTWSOM;1190672; said:
I'm starting a new job on Monday, going from an office temp job to a late night to early morning (5pm-5am), anyone have any experience with this and have some advice on how to stay awake or getting used to this type of schedule?
Click to expand...

When switching back to a normal sleep cycle for the weekend, it's better to not sleep at all after that last night shift. Just stay up that day.

The fact that this will leave you sleepless for 24 hours the next time I'd face you in a Saturday Cornhole has no bearing on this.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top