Current Events > Last week before I go midnight shift for a month. Any tips?

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Ill be 10:30pm-6:30am Saturday night through Thursday mornings. Never worked an overnight shift before. Kinda excited. Itll def be an adjustment thats for sure.

Im thinking Ill sleep from 6:30am-1 or 2 pm. Then I can exercise, play video games, hang out with my gf until my 10:30pm shift starts.

but what should I do to prepare to change my sleep schedule? Should I stay up till like 3am this first Friday and sleep in till noon?

But for all the night homies out there

Don't expect to get to sleep as soon as you are home. Unless you are dead tired you will probably be up until 7:30-8am at least.

bigtiggie23 posted...

Don't expect to get to sleep as soon as you are home. Unless you are dead tired you will probably be up until 7:30-8am at least.

I work from home so I could go to bed pretty much right at 6:30 lol

get good curtains

Kakapo posted...

get good curtains

Ya I already have blackout curtains in my bedroom, so Ill be good to sleep during the day for sure I think

I worked a night shift for years and much preferred to wake up right before I had to work. Even if you break up your sleep so you have like an hour nap right before work, it's better imo.

Also be prepared for everyone to treat you like you're unemployed and just have all day to do stuff. Which, I guess is true but no one figures in that youre sleeping at noon, not goofing off

Jiek_Fafn posted...

I worked a night shift for years and much preferred to wake up right before I had to work. Even if you break up your sleep so you have like an hour nap right before work, it's better imo.

Also be prepared for everyone to treat you like you're unemployed and just have all day to do stuff. Which, I guess is true but no one figures in that youre sleeping at noon, not goofing off

Yeah I was thinking about if thats the better option. Maybe Ill try both and see which ones I like better. I was thinking at least a nap before work will help so I have some energy to get through the night.

and lol idc if people think Im unemployed I make bank so it doesnt matter to me lol

If sleep is important to you, melatonin and other sleep aids could help adjust your sleep patterns. Ive worked a bunch of 12:30AM shifts over the last month and i was usually in bed TKO'd on sleep aids at like 3 in the afternoon.

Easier when you're single with no kids like me lol, but eh whatevs.

Jiek_Fafn posted...

I worked a night shift for years and much preferred to wake up right before I had to work. Even if you break up your sleep so you have like an hour nap right before work, it's better imo.

Also be prepared for everyone to treat you like you're unemployed and just have all day to do stuff. Which, I guess is true but no one figures in that youre sleeping at noon, not goofing off

my ex's grandma used to constantly say I was lazy because I was sleeping when she wanted to do stuff at like 10am
I was working 56 hours a week and got off at 4am at the time

I sleep days and work nights--my classes start at 5:30pm and I wake up at 5pm to get there. My biggest problem with being a day sleeper is all the activities people want you to go to during the day--shit, even basic things like picking up prescriptions or going to the bank can be a hassle.

10pm-6:30am is pretty much what I've worked the past 11 years...

Important thing to find a sleep pattern that works for you... It can be different for everybody... I have a coworker who stays awake until noon and sleeps until his shift whereas I sleep 3-4 hours when I get home and then 2-3 hours before my shift...

Also if it's a job where you can have headphones or listen to something, I would take advantage of that... I started listening to podcasts a few years ago and it has made the shifts go by much faster...

random_man9119 posted...

10pm-6:30am is pretty much what I've worked the past 11 years...

Important thing to find a sleep pattern that works for you... It can be different for everybody... I have a coworker who stays awake until noon and sleeps until his shift whereas I sleep 3-4 hours when I get home and then 2-3 hours before my shift...

Also if it's a job where you can have headphones or listen to something, I would take advantage of that... I started listening to podcasts a few years ago and it has made the shifts go by much faster...

Im hoping I can just sleep a solid 7 hours after my shift so I can do things during the day and see my girlfriend basically.

But yep, I live alone and keep Spotify/YouTube/Podcasts on all the time while working and its fantastic. I love that aspect of working from home a ton

I do this a few nights a week at a hotel, I sleep from about 4pm to 9pm and go in by 11. I read a lot, walk a lot, depending on the freedom you have at the job. I adapted quick. I found that sleeping in the morning, being awake all afternoon and working at night, I was dead the last hour or two of my shift. You'll figure out what works for you though.

Good luck. You could count on one hand the amount of overnight shifts Ive worked and I fuckin hated that shit lol.

rexcrk posted...

Good luck. You could count on one hand the amount of overnight shifts Ive worked and I fuckin hated that shit lol.

terrible memories of a sweaty bread factory

MabusIncarnate posted...

I do this a few nights a week at a hotel, I sleep from about 4pm to 9pm and go in by 11. I read a lot, walk a lot, depending on the freedom you have at the job. I adapted quick. I found that sleeping in the morning, being awake all afternoon and working at night, I was dead the last hour or two of my shift. You'll figure out what works for you though.

ya Ill be able to take breaks/step away often. Its def very slow overnight. I can take a 30 min meal break where Ill probably nap honestly lol.

bet you saw some weird shit overnight at a hotel

Oh man, probably my favorite recent hotel story. We have a lot of workers stay and sometimes they leave their diesel trucks running all night in cold weather.

One night a crack head rode his bike onto the property, grabbed the air hose off of the truck and tried to fill his bike tire. The thing exploded instantly, it was loud, dude piggy backed his bike and ran his ass down the street so fast, lmao.

Ive worked nights for years.

Take a two hour nap when you go home. No more.

Get up. Go on with normal day.

Six or seven hours before work go to sleep.

Repeat.

divot1338 posted...

Ive worked nights for years.

Take a two hour nap when you go home. No more.

Get up. Go on with normal day.

Six or seven hours before work go to sleep.

Repeat.

Whats your reasoning for that type of schedule?

SlySpyBalloon posted...

Whats your reasoning for that type of schedule?

I can have a normal life where I can interact with people who dont work at night and still work nights with no impact to my sleep schedule.

Although I do start work at 2 am and finish at 9 am. So Im basically back awake a little after noon.

divot1338 posted...

I can have a normal life where I can interact with people who dont work at night and still work nights with no impact to my sleep schedule.

Although I do start work at 2 am and finish at 9 am. So Im basically back awake a little after noon.

Ah, yeah 2am-9am would probably make me do that schedule too. With mine being 10:30pm-6:30am, I think sleeping right after work makes more sense to me

SlySpyBalloon posted...

Ah, yeah 2am-9am would probably make me do that schedule too. With mine being 10:30pm-6:30am, I think sleeping right after work makes more sense to me

The nap really does wonders.

Last week before neetdom ends is a bigger hit