Night working

[william]

Shifts.....

Sleep is your friend - you need to ensure that you get sleep at leat 5 hours uninterrupted. If you dont then it will run you down. Driving do you have to drive any distance to and from work ? what is the work is it heavy ?

Ive found that if you can crack it then shifts aint so bad you need to keep to a routine as much as you can.

Do you live with family ? if you do then dont fall into the habit of eating what they eat or you will end up fat. Fatties on shifts tend to graze and eat what ever the other members of the family eat - you wouldnt get up out of bed and have a huge meal so dont. Get up have breakfast have lunch mid shift and then a small snack later on - drink plenty of fluids keep hydrated.

Get a sign for the door - decent curtains and even some ear plugs. ive done shifts most of my life and once used to them they are not so bad. keep an eye on your health and keep fit - exercise go swimming a few times a week.

You need to be careful as if it doesnt work for you then get out of shifts dont work them if they dont agree with you as they will make you ill There are those that can and those that just cant.

[Nob3y]

I will be forklift driving.
I do have black out curtains anyway.
I was thinking I need to do what you sais about meal times, breakfast,lunch,dinner.
Will see weird at first having a dinner at about 8am but if I keep to the same routine like you say I think that will help.

Thanks

[Nob3y]

Well it was either this job or staying on the dole...

[william]

it wont be weird - working shifts means going out of routine - you work your routine and make it suit you.

Eating at 8am isnt so wierd when you have done a shift and hungry - just dont go to bed after eating a lot - watch a movie or read or go for a walk. do something or else you end up sleeping working and thats what kills shifts for a lot of people as they dont function other than work....

most finish work normally at 5 and dont go to bed till say 10 thats 5 hours time you have for your own - shifts wreck that as you can get into the sleep work cycle and dont do anything else....

doing a 10 till 6 in the morning ? id get home have something to eat watch a film and generally chill a beer or the like then hit the sack about 9 ish and sleep till around 6 or 7 up and light breakfast before heading out to work.

days nights easier as they can be made to reverse without much trouble and you can still fit in family time. backs are fuckers mate as they wreck you and you dont get much time with family.

[Nob3y]

I will try that.
Am told so far it will be 6 days on the two off them 6 nights then two days off

[steveb]

I tried to burn the candle at both ends the first time I did nights. I lasted two weeks then I fell into an exhausted sleep that lasted 18 hours and was only woken by the bloody phone.

My advice is nothing new; blackout the room, turn off the phone (but leave a note by it, if its the land line, so you turn the ringer back on) and get the sleep you need to not be a fuzzy headed liability when you're back at work.

Some people thrive on night shifts but I didn't so I've tried to avoid them since then.