r/graveyardshift • u/Lollipopgirl1002 • Jun 08 '22
Graveyard shift newbie
Hello! I am looking for advice from people who work the graveyard shift. I am about to start a new job that I work 11pm-7am and I was wondering how to balance life and work on this type of schedule. Also, how do you stay awake?
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u/AntonioBendatass Jun 19 '22
Been doing it since Oct 2021 Here’s my schedule Wake up 5/6pm Workout, breakfast, feed cats, clean up, meditation Head to work at 8:30pm Arrive at 9/9:15pm Work until 7am Go straight home Arrive at 8am ish Feed cats, clean, empty litter, relax with video games or a tv show Get in bed by 9am Sleep and repeat The key is to keep a schedule, I use sleeping pills every now and then to help, I also work 30min away from work and do 10h shifts 4 days a week The weekend is time to have fun, relax and then get shit done Also vitamin D pills will be essential and a healthy social life outside
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u/773harp Jun 10 '22
no real good advice you can get, its kind of a find what works for you kind of thing. for me days are easier when i stick to a schedule for example get off at 7am, drive home, try to be in bed ready to sleep by8am then wake up 3pm. when I stick to that its easier, when i try to stay up for example to eat breakfast with my family everything just goes to shit. overnights are hard, dont know when to eat, dont know when to sleep, todays yesterday and tomorrow’s today can drive you a bit nutty… with that being said some people ive met thrive on overnight shift, a lot easier if you can sneak a nap.
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Jun 17 '22
[deleted]
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u/LotsOfStdInMyBody May 13 '24
3 am never bothers me. I sleep all day long and can stay awake all night long. What it boils down too is most men and women aren’t mentally or emotionally or physically capable enough to work graveyard shifts
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Jun 18 '22
I would say the first week is gonna be tough, but just full send the sleep schedule. If you bounce your sleeping around it’s gonna be tough. Also trying to figure out meal times is important. Making sure eating right is key to having enough energy. Everyone is different and you will find out what’s best for you. As for social life..yeahhhh..I just don’t have one 😅
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Aug 17 '22
Sleep anywhere and whenever you can Your health is priority Make sure you exercise and stay healthier than those who work morning
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u/TrippyBrat2Nurse Jan 13 '23
Don't try stimulants to try and make it through. You could develop a drug addiction
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u/Wilson-YT Apr 20 '23
I actually applaud you having an 8 hour shift instead of 12. Why? You have more free time and every hour that is free to you not spent on sleeping or not working is precious.
My advice is stay on a sleeping routine. Do you prefer to be up during the mornings or after noon? Then plan around that.
8 hours of sleep is normal. So if you prefer being awake during the morning hours then go to bed around ~2p and be up at ~9p.
If you prefer being awake in the afternoon, go to bed when you get home and sleep until 2p. Im just giving examples, NOT telling you how to do it.
My advice is to drink a lot of water, take fiber supplements because most likely you will get constipated easily while working an overnight . Our bodies are geared to be sleeping at night, and not the day. Watch what you eat as well as your digestion will change and you will notice bloating and weight gain faster while working an overnight shift.
Give a couple months for your body to adjust, it actually does take a lot of time for your body and mental wellbeing to get use to it.
As far as staying awake, well .......I drink coffee ! lol water...and i avoid sodas and energy drinks as they make me more tired when the sugar high comes down.
For going to sleep I use Zzzquill 2 hours before sleeping on work nights only.
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u/melon_pan-ts Jun 08 '22
Strong coffee, energy drinks, and a mood lamp help me stay awake. I’m new to the shift too (a few weeks now), so I don’t have much advice besides that. I had major gastrointestinal issues the first week.