Any tips for graveyard shift?

Everybody is a little different and of course depends on what your life looks like with or without children.

After my midnights if I wasn't already in court and was actually home I stayed up and helped get the kids to school, I then spent some time helping the wife and by then maybe midday go to sleep upstairs if I was tired if I was not I would go a 5-10k run and get tired. If I had been in court and it generally mean I was home after 3pm I would just head for bed until the start of the next shift.

My 30 year old son is completely different I call him Rip van winkle. He comes home from midnight shift at 6.30am takes himself of to his bedroom and generally does not get up until 9pm. So basically he is sleeping his whole life away.
In the meantime me and the misses can't make any noise for fear of waking him up LOL.

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

Everybody is a little different and of course depends on what your life looks like with or without children.

After my midnights if I wasn't already in court and was actually home I stayed up and helped get the kids to school, I then spent some time helping the wife and by then maybe midday go to sleep upstairs if I was tired if I was not I would go a 5-10k run and get tired. If I had been in court and it generally mean I was home after 3pm I would just head for bed until the start of the next shift.

My 30 year old son is completely different I call him Rip van winkle. He comes home from midnight shift at 6.30am takes himself of to his bedroom and generally does not get up until 9pm. So basically he is sleeping his whole life away.
In the meantime me and the misses can't make any noise for fear of waking him up LOL.

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LMFAO, sounds about right haha, at least he's sleeping! I just got done a half hour ago, I honestly enjoyed it alot. Everyone was in their own zone kinda no one bothering you or hassling you at all.

First day of training put away 2 skids around the store before lunch, guy training me if he didn't know it was my first day he would think I was working here for a while haha.


I do feel tired but not enough to fall asleep yet. Might give it a few hours haha.

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I worked straight nights midnight-8am for 3 years. The mistake I made initially was going to bed as soon as I got home and getting up around 4. Finally changed my routine and stayed up until 1pm and got up at 9pm. The biggest problem was uninterrupted sleep. Blackout curtains, unplugged phone and ear plugs helped.

Winters were hard because you didn't see the sun much. I was single at the time and it played havoc with my social life. I'm not sure how it would have worked if I'd been married with a family. On the plus side I did save a ton of money.

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Originally Posted by Badenoch

I worked straight nights midnight-8am for 3 years. The mistake I made initially was going to bed as soon as I got home and getting up around 4. Finally changed my routine and stayed up until 1pm and got up at 9pm. The biggest problem was uninterrupted sleep. Blackout curtains, unplugged phone and ear plugs helped.

Winters were hard because you didn't see the sun much. I was single at the time and it played havoc with my social life. I'm not sure how it would have worked if I'd been married with a family. On the plus side I did save a ton of money.

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thank you for the input man, thats the one thing im trying to figure out right now haha, i finished at 630am, usually start at 10pm, i do work tonight again starting at 10pm, im thinking if i fall asleep for noon i should be alright, i dont really have much of a social life so im not to worried about that right now haha.

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

im mainly wondering if anyone here has done overnights and some tips to stay sane i guess and excel at it?

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Best answer - get a day job. But seriously, I worked nights before, and unfortunately could never get used to running backwards to the world as far as sleeping goes. Others have posted some good ideas that might work for you.

Congrats on your new job.
I only worked shift work after high school for 4 years and that was a very long time ago. I then quit and went to college and been days ever since.
I do remember it being very hard to sleep in a house with 5 kids and 2 parents. When your young your body seems to be able to handle it even though it’s really taking a beating.
Good advice so far.
Stepping stones with forks in the road, enjoy the journey.
As far as hunting, I remember my brother waking me up after sleeping a couple hours after a night shift, he had shot a huge bull with our cousin and needed help . We had to cross a lake with the boat and three wheeler. Once across we cleaned a trail for half a mile for bike then jumped in canoe for a short ride to the Bull. Well we got back home late at night and after quick shower I headed for my last night shift. Well next day after work, I went hunting with a buddy and I shot a Bull, this one was on the road and we got help to load him whole. Well that night I was toast. Drank a few beers in the garage and fell asleep in my chair. lol the good old days.

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Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

Congrats on your new job.
I only worked shift work after high school for 4 years and that was a very long time ago. I then quit and went to college and been days ever since.
I do remember it being very hard to sleep in a house with 5 kids and 2 parents. When your young your body seems to be able to handle it even though it’s really taking a beating.
Good advice so far.
Stepping stones with forks in the road, enjoy the journey.
As far as hunting, I remember my brother waking me up after sleeping a couple hours after a night shift, he had shot a huge bull with our cousin and needed help . We had to cross a lake with the boat and three wheeler. Once across we cleaned a trail for half a mile for bike then jumped in canoe for a short ride to the Bull. Well we got back home at night and a quick shower before heading for my last night shift. Well next day after work, I went hunting with a buddy and I shot a Bull, this one was on the road and we got help to load him whole. Well that night I was toast. Drank a few beers in the garage and fell asleep in my chair. lol the good old days.

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hah thats awesome, im more of a night owl to some extent, i barley sleep 6 hours everynight so, i do have to go back in tonight i think i got about 6 hours of sleep during the day, woke up chilled out a few hours ate dinner leftovers (my breakfast) lol, i seemd to be able to stay upfor a while int he morning after work before i was tired enough to crash so i guess the coming weeks will tell if i truly enjoy it haha.

I work a 28 day schedule of 12 hr days and nights. 6-6. I try to stay up a little later before my first night, and sleep in the next day., get a few things done in the morning and take a nap in the afternoon. After my last night, I try to get up around noon, so that I am tired enough to sleep around my normal bedtime.

I also dont drink anything within 4-5 hours of going to sleep, so I am not disturbed by a full bladder. I need to unwind when I get home, so I usually check emails, FB, etc for 30-60 minutes. Dark room, earplugs and phone on vibrate are standard equipment and operating procedures. I also grab an XL Tim's on the way in to work and that's the only coffee I drink, whether days or nights.

Try to keep your normal bedtimes on day shifts and days off, it tends to help adjust coming off nights a little easier, I find.

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Originally Posted by Badenoch

The biggest problem was uninterrupted sleep. Blackout curtains, unplugged phone and ear plugs helped.

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I've spent quite a bit of time working in the Arctic over the years. (24 hr. daylight) Best way I discovered to black out zero light was taping tinfoil to the windows. It's common place to see all the houses with their bedroom windows blocked out with tinfoil.

Very interesting thanks for the additional replies!. Its actually been going pretty good. Time Flys on nights. 2 hours working. Then break then another 2 hours then lunch then another 2 hours then break then another 2 hours and home. Going to bed isn't as big of a issue as I thought it would be. Sometimes I tend to stay up when I get home till around 12 noon and go to bed. Other times I go to bed more or less when I get home and wake up earlier in the day. Thanks for the replies I really appreciate it.

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