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Hello everyone,
some of you may know i was looking for a job for a while, hasn't been easy throughout the pandemic, ive had a couple contract jobs that lasted some months in-between each other, and alot of resumes sent with no response at all.
ive finally secured an overnight freight position.
tried to adjust my sleeping pattern a little already.
im mainly wondering if anyone here has done overnights and some tips to stay sane i guess and excel at it?
thanks in advance :)
Trying to change your biological time piece can be a real pain. Dark room, no eating before you go to bed. I did it for roughly 35 years and as time goes by and you get older, you sleep less and less after the night shifts. Gentle background "elevator music" tends to drown out other annoying noises for me. I quit nights about 14 years ago, best move I ever made.
I've worked rotating shifts for the better part of 25 years. After having kids I traded some afternoon shifts to work midnights so I would be home to help in the evenings and meet the kids after school. My rotation was 4 weeks from 11 PM to 7:30 am and then 2 weeks of 7 am to 3:30 PM. I did that for around 12 years and thankfully I have mostly day shifts now.
The best advice I can give is to forget about the fact that "it's daytime" when you're trying to sleep. It's nighttime for you, so go to bed! Darken your room, wear earplugs or run a fan to dull out daytime noises. Put your phone on silent. Don't let people give you a hard time for "sleeping all day". You'll find that many people just can't wrap their minds around it. If you like to have a drink or two in the evening, have a drink or two in the morning before bed, treat it like evening. I try to get to bed within an hour or two of getting home.
The other thing I do is I only go about halfway to normal on weekends, meaning I stay up late at night and sleep late in the mornings, but adjust a bit to make extra time when the rest of the world is awake. I sleep around 2 or 3 am to 10 or so on weekends.
The last issue is meals. I eat dinner in the evening with the family but it's my first meal so I eat fairly light. "Lunch" around 3 am and maybe a snack before bed. Lots of people get thrown off their appetites on nights but I've always found I was hungrier for some reason.
If you're going to work straight nights, make it your lifestyle and make sure your family and friends respect your shift work and aren't driving you crazy when you should be sleeping!
Good luck!
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ahh thats for that both of ya, i tend not to eat much in the mornings, my shifts will be from 10-7 i believe, i dont think the eating will be an issue as i do get really more hungry at night haha, the dark room i have with the blackout curtains, and i do have a tv as well in my room that i usually drown stuff out with with the news on really low.
The other thing I do is I only go about halfway to normal on weekends, meaning I stay up late at night and sleep late in the mornings, but adjust a bit to make extra time when the rest of the world is awake. I sleep around 2 or 3 am to 10 or so on weekends.
this sounds interesting, i guess after a week or 2 ill see how i adjust myself, the other thing im thinking about is hunting LOL
Getting up for those early morning hunts can be hard. One option might be to go out for an hour or two after work. It isn't first light, but I've had some success with both turkey and deer after working a midnight shift and missing the first hour or so of daylight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bowjob
Just get out when you can!
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im thinking thats what i might do lol, get my dad to come pick me up with the truck packed for turkey after work hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by GW11
I find the first week a bit tough to switch, but if you are normally a late morning sleeper it should be easier. When I go on nights I usually sleep as soon as I get home in the morning then have an afternoon nap before I go in. I think it's different for everybody, you'll figure out your rhythm and either love it or hate it. I try not to drink caffeine after my "lunch" while at work it makes it easier for me to sleep when I get home.
very good point about caffeine, thanks, i was actually just debating when to take my adhd medication as it tends to keep me nice and awake and dialed into tasks, prob take my first one before i go in and the second at break maybe, i appreciate all the responses :)Quote:
Originally Posted by dean.f
I worked shifts for the better part of 30 years. The blackout curtains etc are a must. The TV on is not a good idea because of the light. I had a big box fan I turned on low and pointed it toward the wall. The steady noise usually cut out the other house noises.
fair enough i appreciate the input :)Quote:
Originally Posted by rick_iles