Is there anyone here who works the night shift? I have been working the night shift for the past few months and it is affecting my productivity and focus negatively. It messes up my body's internal clock. Although the hours I sleep are still the same, yet the quality of sleep is not even half of what sleeping during night is like.
I wonder if other's have had similar experiences and if they found some trick to reset their minds to night mode?
Are you working remote or in office? If I remember correctly [USER="115405"]Smoke N Mirror[/USER] was working in night shift, not sure about now.
If you can I would suggest give yourself little breaks in the middle. And do some cardio exercises like pushups, squats, situps or whatever possible. Btw pushups always help your mind staying active and also getting rid of drowsiness.
Overall working night is never a healthy thing so try switching it up when you can.
Is it not possible for you to alternate between day & night shifts?
Unfortunately I don’t have much of a choice in avoiding night shift for at least next 5 to 6 months. I’m working remotely from home. I will try doing some exercises as you suggested. In the beginning it worked out great as everyone else was asleep and there was a quiet atmosphere. But now I keep experiencing what many describe as brain fog. Things such as forgetfulness and losing stream of thought. Perhaps it’s rooted in not getting quality sleep. Also my mind is so fresh toward the end of my shift, but it is so lousy when I’m starting in the evening. I want it to be the opposite.
Not possible, I have to stick to night shift for a while. But I think alternating b/w day & night shift will be even crazier.
Wow. I am impressed. I think I only mentioned it once on the forum.
That's right I am working nights from start of 2018 and it doesn't bother me much because I am a night guy and it worked for me somehow.
But having a young family and my elder son will be starting school (once we have some relief from Covid) and I think things will start to get difficult.
The only issue I have is sometimes when starting the week or in between when I am not able to sleep on time because of travel/ household work, that day feels like hell and I start to pass out 2-3 hours before the shift.
OP what kind of industry/job are you doing?
[USER="115405"]Smoke N Mirror[/USER]
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Good to know working nights worked out for you and that too for so long. You can say I’ve to compile end-of-day reports of various kinds such as inventory, maintenance issues, etc. so any pressing issue could be addressed first thing next morning. My shift starts with phone calls, meetings and emails with people who are ending their day. I need to be super alert during all that, but my internal clock tells me it’s time to go home like everyone else !
I’ve never done night shifts but had to take this one. It rotates among employees and at this time it was my turn. Couldn’t wait for this to get over.
Night shift is supposedly bad for your health but alternating between day and night shifts is the worst case scenario. You would never get any good sleep and be a walking zombie.
I did the alternating shifts two times when we were doing hypercare in 2019. I got through it because we did it for less than two months but I saw plenty of cars in ditches and stories about workers in manufacturing dropping dead to not try it again. I was IT so we generally sat in a room with some on the floor support but I could totally see why the company was hiring all the time with four 10 hour shifts.
How many shifts in a row do you do, and how many days off do you get in between? How long is each shift, and how long a break do you get in each shift? Do you work on your own during nights, or is there another team member with you?
These are all important factors in managing your time during night shifts.
I've been a doctor for ten years, and though I do a mix of days and nights, I've developed ways to make nights work for me. Though I have to say, the older I get, the harder I find it to recover from nights.
Here are some general tips for looking after yourself on nights:
Before nights
Make sure you usually have a good sleep routine
Get extra sleep before your shift. An afternoon nap is ideal as it reduces the length of time you have been continuously awake. A lie-in is an alternative
During nights
Keep well hydrated and eat healthy snacks. Calories on nights DO count; they contribute to the adverse health effects of night working
Maximise exposure to bright lights
Breaks are essential: work as a team to cover each other for these
A 15-20 min nap can significantly improve alertness
Longer naps may result in sleep inertia
Be vigilant for the 04:00 dip: your lowest physiological point
If you can, a consistent routine during shifts can help
Between nights
Have a snack before sleeping so you don't wake up hungry
Go to bed as soon as possible to maximise the amount of sleep you will get
Do not plan deliveries or daytime activities for the days between night shifts. Warn your family that you need to sleep
Recovery after nights
Have a short sleep in the morning and then get up
Aim to go to bed at your usual time; avoid a long lie in the next day
You'll need at least two normal night's sleep to reset your sleep routine
@Quarantine
Thanks for the tips. I’ve read them several times and found them quite helpful. I’m only working nights, so it is Monday to Friday. I usually start around 6pm and continue till 4am. But sometimes it goes up to 8am. Your point about taking an afternoon nap is so good. I’ve started doing that. There are several other members too but their work is of very repetitive nature. They can put themselves on autopilot. My work is non-repetitive in nature and I have to be totally awake with a fresh mind at least during the first half.
Unfortunately my sleep quality during day time is quite bad because there is just so much disturbance. Even though a garbage truck banging the dumpster on the road next to my window each morning doesn’t wake me up, yet all those things ruin the quality of sleep I get. As a result I lose the stream of thoughts more often than is normal for me. One day, for a few moments, I completely lost track of whether it was daytime or nighttime. Unforgettable experience to say the least.
@Quarantine
Please look at: https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-berry-flavor-ez-nite-sleep-liquid/0004126037287
The label says that it is non-habit forming and non-alcoholic. I use it on weekends to sleep early. What do you think about it?
Wow, well done to you for surviving with that schedule. So you only have Saturday and Sunday off between nights?
I have to say, and I really don’t mean this to be a put down about your job, but that really isn’t healthy or sustainable. I’m really not surprised you’ve struggled to stay sharp. Doing nights permanently with less than 48 hours off in between (presumably you finish Saturday morning?) is inhumane. Your brain will not have enough time to reset and recharge.
Also if you only ever do nights and have very little time off in between, you may fare better becoming completely nocturnal. You don’t have enough time between your night shifts to return to normal body clock, and there is no point in doing so as you’ll be on nights again anyway. Most of the tips in my previous post at designed to help through a short burst of night shifts in between normal working hours.
There is plenty of evidence out there showing that nights reduce your life expectancy. Permanent nights with little time off? I’m impressed you’re sticking with it! I would strongly suggest you keep looking for alternative jobs (while working this one) - we shouldn’t put jobs above our own well-being.
Looks like it’s an anti-histamine (anti-allergy) which has the side effect of making you drowsy. So they’re correct to say it isn’t addictive, but nothing beats the quality of natural sleep. Your brain will potentially not go through the different sleep stages you need for restoration - you probably wake up feeling groggy after taking this, indicating your brain hasn’t rested. I would say only take this very occasionally, try and have natural sleep more often.
If I was you, and I had no choice re:nights, I would switch to night mode all the time. No point struggling to switch to day life, to only then crash back on nights. Get blackout blinds/curtains and ear plugs. If where you are gets warm, get a fan. Set yourself a dark, quiet, comfortable temperature room to sleep in. Go straight to sleep at 4am, wake up at about 12-1pm, that way you’ll have some daytime left before you have to work - you can go shopping, see friends etc. Occasionally you may need to sleep straight through to just before work time and that’s okay. it’s very important you maintain life activities in the time that you do have between work.