[MrsKitty]

How do you guys get to sleep after working random hours?

When I get home from work I am so keyed up that sleep is impossible, not to mention the hours vary so I'll go in at 7 AM one day this week but get off at 3 AM another. No order as far as the pattern. I don't want to do sleeping pills, Benedryl doesn't make me sleepy and booze isn't the answer.

 

[DR. HOUSE]

how do you guys get to sleep after working random hours?

When i get home from work i am so keyed up that sleep is impossible, not to mention the hours vary so i'll go in at 7 am one day this week but get off at 3 am another. No order as far as the pattern. I don't want to do sleeping pills, benedryl doesn't make me sleepy and booze isn't the answer.

good luck, i lead this life style for a while. Never did get used to sleeping during the day.

 

[EKUJustice]

I agree i never could get use to the weird hrs. My job can require pretty much any hour of the day any day of the week with no set schedule. They can change your schedule up till either 6 or 7pm the day before you work. It gets rough sometimes

 

[marlinfan]

I did that for 5 years. I took a $20k/year paycut to get back to a normal 1st shift schedule but it was the best decision I ever made. I would have been dead by 40.

 

[pal2511]

I just got off a 2 midnight 1 swingshift and 2 evening shift each workweek shift. It was crazy...and I'm glad to be back on days

 

[pal2511]

I got no advice except for no caffine well before bed and im not even sure that would work

 

[Rabbit994]

I work fixed swing shift but with on call stuff I get dragged into, my sleeping schedule can get pretty messed up.

My recommendation is to figure out what's your perfect sleeping environment and do your best to replicate it.

If your getting keyed up over work, see if you can't fix that. Maybe get the exciting stuff done early on in your shift and save the boring stuff for end. Lucky my personality lets me go "to hell with work" so I don't have that problem.

 

[DeltaNu1142]

I hate pills. My mother actually sent me some stuff from an herbalist that helps me sleep really well, and doesn't leave me groggy. Don't remember the name; if I'm back at the house sometime & remember, I'll post it. Works wonders. Tastes like turpentine, but you only need a couple droppers in a glass of water.

 

[ClydeG19]

Have you tried melatonin?

 

[jhenney]

I work shift work but I rotate every 3 months so it is not so bad for me. I have no problem sleeping anytime of day or night and my kids are old enough now to let me sleep and not wake me up with excessive noise. I have been a single dad for 14 yrs and have worked shift work the last say 5 yrs with no problems. I have some days I don't get enough sleep and it drags into the next day but usually no more than a day or two before I am back on schedule.......I know I am not making any friends with this post but you did ask the question!

 

[deadcalm4u]

I have been a single dad for 14 yrs and have worked shift work the last say 5 yrs with no problems. I know I am not making any friends with this post but you did ask the question!

made a friend here...Thanks for stepping up and being a dad...

 

[boomhower]

I work rotating shifts as well and it pretty much sucks. We do the 2-2-3-2-2-3 schedule and we switch from days to nights every new set of days. So we switch from day shift to night shift a least once every three days. The problem I have is getting to sleep at a decent hour for day shift. For me to make it on time I have to get up at 0430 and I am not that much of a morning person. Coming off of nights I don't have a problem going to sleep, I'm exhausted. Some nights I don't have much trouble and others I have to resort to a sleeping pill. The doc gave me Ambien.

 

[MrsKitty]

If your getting keyed up over work, see if you can't fix that. Maybe get the exciting stuff done early on in your shift and save the boring stuff for end. Lucky my personality lets me go "to hell with work" so I don't have that problem.

I work at an ER so I can't really control when the bad stuff comes in. Some of it really weighs on a person...

 

[MrsKitty]

made a friend here...Thanks for stepping up and being a dad...

Exactly. :wavey:

 

[MrsKitty]

Have you tried melatonin?

Yeah. It helps me sleep better but I still gotta get to sleep for it to work. :dunno:

 

[Jack23]

I think that the ability to work irregular hours is at least partially hereditary. My dad worked an 8 hr rotating shift in a refinery for 42 years. He could fall asleep at the drop of a hat or stay awake for 3 days, what ever the situation called for. It was only the last few years he worked that he had trouble getting up early for the day shift.

I had a 36 year work life in a refinery on 8hr and 12 hr shifts. It went exactly the same for me as it did my dad. The only problem I ever had was the last few years when I had to get up and 3:30 AM on days. Nearly killed me.

But I've seen new-hires come in, tough it out for a few monts and drag up because they were just physically unable to work those hours.

 

[SnowCajun]

I did that for awhile many years ago, but after reading several studies about how hard it is on your body and how unsafe it is I gave it up, I don't understand why companies do this. Don't kill yourself for someone else, the money isn't worth it, nor is your health.

 

[Mr V]

No good advice for yu. I know the feeling!!
I have the whole month of March working only days!! 4:45 and 8:45 shifts.
Rotating from days, afternoon, and a couple of nights really screws up my sleep.

 

[Jack23]

I read one study that claimed that people that work irregular hours (airline pilots and flight attendents being the worst) for 25 years may shorten their lives from 3 to 5 years. I'm not quite sure how that could be determined. If a person worked a day job for those 25 years who's to say when they would have died working the irregular hours and if a person worked the irregular hours how can anyone know how much longer they would have lived doing the 9 - 5 thing. :dunno:

Still though it does seem like it would have to have some kind of negative effect on you.

I did that for awhile many years ago, but after reading several studies about how hard it is on your body and how unsafe it is I gave it up, I don't understand why companies do this. Don't kill yourself for someone else, the money isn't worth it, nor is your health.

 

[groundhawg]

one thing that sounds horrible but may help is to take the sleep aids [benadryl/melatonin] about an hour before your shift ends. they start kicking in about the time you get home from work. this way you dont have the lag time. combine this with a warm shower and you may be good to go.
er/healthcare can be bum you out. if youve done your best, you can have a clear conscious.