Starting night shift next week....

.... for a 4 week 'trial'. Any tips for preparing to start?

Doing 4 x 12 hour shifts, Monday night through to Friday morning - 37.5 hours with 10.5 hours overtime.

Bit worried about sleeping through the day, I have a 3 year old daughter who finishes nursery at 11.30am!

I'm imagining I'll get a normal night's sleep on Sunday, then need to go back to bed on Monday afternoon for a few hours?

Any help/advice is appreciated!

Cheers,

Dave.

normally i slept the afternoons made for a better sleep pattern when you return to the weekends, you wont be able to do that so sleep the mornings from the moment you get home till you get woken up, i recommend staying up late sunday night and just sleeping in till about 11 then you have afternoon messing around until you start. Try to advoid napping it just makes you more tired for when you start work until you wake up.

blackout curtain are a must, sleeping tablwts are ok for the first 3 day but no more to help get a routine.
sleep wit tv on gets the brain used to hearing noises when asleep, if poss put a upstairs ban on everyone in the house, also a huge meal before bed to make you tired, and f1 on the box is helpful for a sleep aid

Thanks guys - got the blackout curtains already, but can't do the upstairs ban, the only loo in the house is upstairs! Daughter will torture me when she comes up for a pee if she knows I'm sleeping, might have to get the wife to tell her I'm already at work.

And you're right about the F1 Dave, haven't been able to watch it for 2 or 3 years, it's cr*p!

[GMS]

I`ve always found that sleeping whilst at work helps

A few beers in the garden before bedtime always helped me sleep during the lighter months........good earplugs help with the noise.

[johnnyrod]

First day before a shift, get up late, have an hour in bed mid-afternoon, and it'll help you keep your eyes open when you hit 4am that first time. After that I used to go straight to bed in the morning, get up about 5. Last morning, stop up for a couple of hours then sleep till about 1-2 only, then try not to stay up late that night (can happen too easily). I've always avoided sleeping pills. Defo blackout curtains help if you have ny trouble at all with sleeping with light around. I also got a celing fan for the summer, magic. It's a tough gig to be honest, and you'll probably feel tired on your days off, good money but am glad it's behind me.

Originally Posted by GMS

I`ve always found that sleeping whilst at work helps

The winner me thinks!

Spoke to a couple of guys already doin it at work and they all have different methods, just got to find what works for me I guess.

The money is good too, but I felt I had to volunteer for it rather than be forced down that road by the management!

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Night before a shift, so Sunday night, stay up as late as you can handle. It's the only way you'll actually sleep in late the morning before the shift. It lessens the impact of the first night, a bit.

Will you be permant night shift then? Or it will it be mix of days and nights? What are doing for a job?

I have been doing a mix of days and nights so it will go 2 days then quick change over onto 2 nights. It would be 0700-1900 (E) then 1900-0700 (N)
you will tried, shifts mess up espically night shift. So all 12 hour shifts...

On change over day I would stay up late as possiable then go to sleep, but it easier said than do as I would be up about 0530 to get in ready for just before 0700. Then when your done working go bed soon as you get home get up about 1300, then have reasonably early night to rest your body clock. Keep as fit as you can, when I worked 8 hour night shifts I wouldn't eat for the shift. I try not to eat after midnight either on 12 hour shifts, its hard work though.

Good luck.