Working nights ...

[Rhythm Thief]

... really screws you up. I came home yesterday around 7.30am, had a natter with Ms RT and a glass of wine, then went to bed around 9 am. I intended to get up after three or four hours, but in the event I didn't get up until around 5 pm. We went out for a curry, came back and shared the rest of the wine, and by 11 pm I was asleep in my chair. She woke me up and made me go to bed, where I slept like a log until about 4 am. Now I'm up and about and wide awake again.

 

[summerdays]

That sounded really weird that you had a drink first thing in the morning... then I thought about it and realised that its your "evening". Never worked shifts so I can't comment but I suspect my body would adjust badly...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

That sounded really weird that you had a drink first thing in the morning... then I thought about it and realised that its your "evening".

It does Ms RT's head in, too. Yesterday we both sat at the table, her with her cereal and coffee and me with my red wine and spaghetti bolognaise. You get used to it after a bit, and it's much easier driving a lorry at night than in the day.

 

[longers]

Did nights for a few months. Continental shifts, I can't remember the pattern but I was all over the place

 

[cyclenic]

My other half and i work shifts for the ambulance service, you get used to it. Rhythm Theif, i know what you mean, usualy after my last night i'll get home at 7 ish and go straight to be, with the intention of getting up at 10, but it's soo hard.
i find i eat meals at odd times too, but never bother with breakfast eitherway. i have 2 night shifts monday and tue, Joy !

 

[mondobongo]

There are some bonuses working nights, you can get things done during the afternoon therefore freeing up your days off. The best part of the year is coming when its light really early love seeing it get light at 4am thats a few months away yet.

Alas it can make things difficult at home especially if the other half is not living the Vampire way of life.

 

[cyclenic]

true, or on the odd occasion you dont get the luxary of sleep. had little one the whole day before a night shift, so up since about 8. awake all day, did my night shift, and had little one again. it got to 15:00 with no sleep, and i felt so unwell i had to get the mother in law to come round.

felt like poo

 

[Mortiroloboy]

It does Ms RT's head in, too. Yesterday we both sat at the table, her with her cereal and coffee and me with my red wine and spaghetti bolognaise. You get used to it after a bit, and it's much easier driving a lorry at night than in the day.

That's just plain weird, when I used to work nights I tried to keep my eating habits as closely matched to the 'normal' pattern, otherwise your already confused body clock gets even more confused.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

That's just plain weird, when I used to work nights I tried to keep my eating habits as closely matched to the 'normal' pattern, otherwise your already confused body clock gets even more confused.

What's with the green ink? I try and keep the rest of my routine reasonably normal, but my eating habits seem to be tied to my shift times. I can't get up and not have coffee and cereal, and I can't finish work and not have dinner.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

horses for courses! I use the green ink to highlight quotes I am responding to, usually (but not this time) I respond in the green ink, for no other reason than it stands out, and I quite like green

I hated nights, if ever had to go back to them I think it'd do for me. I find it hard to stay awake.

 

[Night Train]

I did nights for about 9 months. 10 hour shifts with an hour break in a hostel. The break was a bit pointless as I couldn't leave the building or not watch the security cameras or or avoid doing fire checks.

I did 3 nights a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday I lost my Sunday to sleep changing back to day mode and also my Thursday to changing to night mode. During the shifts it was only work and sleep with no time to do anything due to just being tired.

For the last month I was also teaching Monday to Friday all day so from waking on Thursday morning I didn't sleep again until Saturday morning. That made me give up the night work.

 

[Moose]

I've worked shifts for the best part of 15 years and the longer I do them the more I realise I don't want to be doing them for the rest of my working life.

Whilst there are some excellent benefits to working shifts the tiredness and lethargy that they can cause can seriously affect the rest of your life.

 

[dellzeqq]

RT - my tip is - take a portrait photograph of yourself, after you've had a shave, and repeat every month. It's a good check on your health. A year from now you might not like what you see.....

I worked way too many hours last year, and got more and more run down. The last six weeks of leisure have taken five years off my face.

 

[numbnuts]

I worked nights permanently for 3 years I loved it, 4 nights at 10 hours shifts, no foreman and only two other workers, we were left enough work for the night, but if you got your finger out you could finish by 4am so one could get your head down for the last 2 hours Zzzzzzzz

 

[Night Train]

but if you got your finger out you could finish by 4am so one could get your head down for the last 2 hours Zzzzzzzz

The Hostel where I worked had a camera on the staff in the office because some jerk decided to pinch a bit of money out the safe one night! For the sake of a few quid, the other night staff had to look alert and be active all night and couldn't be caught watching DVD's on laptops and the like.