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Old 09-26-2010, 01:56 PM   #1
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Default Working overnight shifts

Or 3rd shift, or graveyard shift. Whatever it is that you like to call it.

I've been working straight graveyards for a month now, and while I have had no difficulty adjusting my sleep schedule (I sleep just fine during the day, and I don't find myself tired at work or anything like that) it's been difficult for me in other ways.

I find that I am sad all the time now. I can't put my finger on what I'm sad about - but I am just incredibly bummed out.

I also have started putting on weight, although I am not eating any more / worse than what I had before. My body just seems to be confused in some way and has slowed my metabolism down, I guess?

And on top of that - I am lonely at work. I work in the field that I work in (I work for a pretty big non-profit that does home support for people with physical disabilities) because I wanted to have a job where I would be physically and socially active - but overnights I don't see much of the people that are the reason that I -have- that job to begin with. Mostly night shifts are about paperwork and maintaining the office. I'm only on-site in case someone in the apartment building needs something during the night - which they very rarely seem to do.

Does anybody else who works or has worked overnights have any suggestions for me (and for all of the other graveyard shift workers on this site) so that I can cope better?
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Old 09-26-2010, 02:47 PM   #2
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I just got off of midnights (after being on them for 2 years) in May. I work in a big university hospital in the ER. Now a days I either work 11am-7pm OR 7a-3p.

I totally understand the depression and the weight gain. I absolutely LOVED 99% of the people who I worked with on midnights but I was no where near as happy as I am now, and when I'm unhappy I gain weight. Another thing, I found (after I moved to day shift), is that I really love to sleep in the dark!

the night shift warned me that i'd hate the "day bitches"...i told them I've always been a day bitch in my heart...I love the people on days well...99% of them anyway! LOL!!

Nights is a hard shift for your body and your mind and let's not forget while all our friends are partying, we're at work. we sleep alone unless we're lucky enough to be involved with someone on the same shift...It can be a damned lonely shift! Personally..I think it's a shitty shift..I feel like a 1000 lbs weight has been lifted off of me since I moved to days.

One of the things that I loved on midnights was the comrodery..working midnights is like being in a special club!

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Old 09-26-2010, 02:48 PM   #3
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Does anybody else who works or has worked overnights have any suggestions for me (and for all of the other graveyard shift workers on this site) so that I can cope better?
Yes, Here are a few suggestions...I hope you find them helpful

Sunlight - as much as possible...but at least 30 minutes a day, possibly while walking so that you're getting sun directly and getting some execrcise in as well.

Vitamin D supplements - I take 1,000 IU twice daily, I take the soft gels because they are easier on my stomach, you can also talk to your doctor about a prescription dose if you are Vitamin D deficient, I take of 50,000 IU once weekly.

Bright Light Therapy - I changed all of my regular light bulbs to "Full Spectrum" lightbulbs, you can also buy a light box. You can spend time, (about 30 minutes) during your awake time in front of the light to simulate sun exposure. There is also this very cool device that is an alarm clock that simulates dawn...it tricks you body into thinking it's morning...it's more expensive than the light bulbs and the light box, but trickery can be pricey.

Google - You can also research "shift work sleep disorder" and "shift work sleep disorder" in relation to "seasonal affective disorder"

Medication - There are perscription medications (like provigil/nuvigil) that help keep you more alert during your shift so that you get more quality sleep at the end of your shift and it seems to help folks with irritability and moodiness associated with shift work and disturbed circadian rythms.

Thought Field Therapy - It can help with the saddness and weight gain. It involves using your fingers and "tapping" meridian points on your upper body and hands in prescribed sequences.Roger Callahan and Suzanne Connoly have written extensively about it and provide work-books etc, but you can teach yourself to do it by watching youtube.
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Old 09-26-2010, 03:04 PM   #4
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Outlaw's suggestions were awesome! Especially the sunlight and full spectrum lighting. Also, when you do sleep, make sure you do sleep in the dark. Get an eye mask or something, and make sure its quiet. For me I always made sure I had good music when I was at work, which helped with my mood. And another thing, if possible, it would be better if you could keep your same schedule on your days off so that your body is not in a constant state of change. What I would do so that I still had a social life on the weekends was modify my schedule a bit so that I would stay up till about 2/3 AM and then get up around noon on the weekends, as opposed to sleeping from 8AM to 6PM during the week. I did 3rd shift for two years and it was hard, but those things helped. It has taken me a long time to readjust to normal though. I've been away from that job for about a year, and sometimes I still struggle with insomnia.

Hope that helps....
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Old 09-26-2010, 03:06 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by skeeter_01 View Post

One of the things that I loved on midnights was the comrodery..working midnights is like being in a special club!
Lol, none of that here. There is only one staff on nights at a time, so I am completely alone for those 8 hours.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Outlaw View Post
Sunlight - as much as possible...but at least 30 minutes a day, possibly while walking so that you're getting sun directly and getting some execrcise in.
I think that is probably a huge part of my problem. I do still get in lots of walking (I don't drive) and I make sure I get in at least of hours worth of wandering a day - but the weather has been shitty lately so there hasn't been much sun. I notice that I'm actually WEEPY on days when the weather sucks, now.

The vitamin D pills I will look in to, since like I said I'm sure it's the lack of sunlight that is killing my soul.

Hopefully some of those suggestions work. I have to decide soon if I want to do full-time nights permanently or not - right now it's just a trial basis for me. I know that I SHOULD go ahead and take the position - because it's full-time and I'm sick to fucking death of being part-time. (it's hard to get a full-time job where I work...I know people who have been waiting for 15 years and are still part time). Just with how I'm feeling right now, it's hard to imagine doing this forever (or, until someone on days or afternoons retires - which won't be for another 5-10 years).

Another thing that I've been doing, to combat the feeling of isolation from my coworkers, is I've been showing up 30 minutes early (they're done their work by then, so I'm not interrupting anything) just to chat about work stuff. I also go to the staff meetings, even though the night staff aren't required to do so - just to keep in the loop. That's helped and I don't feel like I'm not part of the team, which is a feeling I was really worried about getting.

So, really, I guess the biggest thing I need to fix is my new exciting tendency to burst into tears if I can't find the socks that I feel like wearing or I slosh my coffee or insert-thing-that-is-not-supposed-to-be-a-big-deal-here.

How long have you been doing graveyards for, Outlaw?
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Old 09-26-2010, 03:26 PM   #6
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The vitamin d may help with the weepiness. It's not why I started taking it but I was pleasantly surprised at how much it helped the emotional stuff as well as the physical.

I did graveyards for a number of years and never really had issues. But, I had other people around and my partner at the time worked the same shift so it was very normal for us.

Blackout curtains in the bedroom and changing the voicemail message to say that I would not be answering the phone from xx to xx were the two things that helped the most.
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Old 09-26-2010, 04:03 PM   #7
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Bless you cause I understand....

I worked 7p to 7a the first 3 years after I became a nurse and I honestly NEVER got really used to it. Some people adjust and adjust well. I remember this one nurse had worked it for 20 years...wild. But, I tend to agree with your statements. I also gained weight during that time and for me it was because at night in the hospital most of the work was done by midnight and that left the rest of the night for charting and eating!!! Also, working nights it is easy to get on the fast food track cause who has time to plan good dinner menus especially since our dinners are 4:00am.

If you think about it our biological clock tells us that when night comes it is time to lay down and rest. It is of course hard, for the most part, to get our homeostasis in sync. People that work graveyard have a tendency to have higher temperatures than those that don't and lots of things including reduced white cell count and harmone levels and this can add to a degree of depression.

The info that has been givin here on your thread are wonderful!!!! I don't think i can add much more.....I would recommend a complete physical including comprehensive blood work to make sure you are in great shape. It takes lots more energy and work to be on graveyard and takes a lot out on you....be good to yourself...don't foget to nurture yourself, eat right, exercise and laugh as much as possible. Cause, yourself is going through a hard transition and needs all the breaks it can get.

Good luck to you!!!!
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Old 09-26-2010, 04:33 PM   #8
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I never did well with night shifts or graveyards. Always had them with jobs that got me through college and summers in high school. Even as a young thing, I couldn't do it!

LOL... now that I am old and have the usual insomnia and sleep disturbances that come with age, I probably would be OK with these shifts! But, I'm retired!
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Old 09-26-2010, 04:41 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by betenoire View Post
Or 3rd shift, or graveyard shift. Whatever it is that you like to call it.

I've been working straight graveyards for a month now, and while I have had no difficulty adjusting my sleep schedule (I sleep just fine during the day, and I don't find myself tired at work or anything like that) it's been difficult for me in other ways.

I find that I am sad all the time now. I can't put my finger on what I'm sad about - but I am just incredibly bummed out.

I also have started putting on weight, although I am not eating any more / worse than what I had before. My body just seems to be confused in some way and has slowed my metabolism down, I guess?

And on top of that - I am lonely at work. I work in the field that I work in (I work for a pretty big non-profit that does home support for people with physical disabilities) because I wanted to have a job where I would be physically and socially active - but overnights I don't see much of the people that are the reason that I -have- that job to begin with. Mostly night shifts are about paperwork and maintaining the office. I'm only on-site in case someone in the apartment building needs something during the night - which they very rarely seem to do.

Does anybody else who works or has worked overnights have any suggestions for me (and for all of the other graveyard shift workers on this site) so that I can cope better?
Quote:
Originally Posted by betenoire View Post
Lol, none of that here. There is only one staff on nights at a time, so I am completely alone for those 8 hours.



I think that is probably a huge part of my problem. I do still get in lots of walking (I don't drive) and I make sure I get in at least of hours worth of wandering a day - but the weather has been shitty lately so there hasn't been much sun. I notice that I'm actually WEEPY on days when the weather sucks, now.

The vitamin D pills I will look in to, since like I said I'm sure it's the lack of sunlight that is killing my soul.

Hopefully some of those suggestions work. I have to decide soon if I want to do full-time nights permanently or not - right now it's just a trial basis for me. I know that I SHOULD go ahead and take the position - because it's full-time and I'm sick to fucking death of being part-time. (it's hard to get a full-time job where I work...I know people who have been waiting for 15 years and are still part time). Just with how I'm feeling right now, it's hard to imagine doing this forever (or, until someone on days or afternoons retires - which won't be for another 5-10 years).

Another thing that I've been doing, to combat the feeling of isolation from my coworkers, is I've been showing up 30 minutes early (they're done their work by then, so I'm not interrupting anything) just to chat about work stuff. I also go to the staff meetings, even though the night staff aren't required to do so - just to keep in the loop. That's helped and I don't feel like I'm not part of the team, which is a feeling I was really worried about getting.

So, really, I guess the biggest thing I need to fix is my new exciting tendency to burst into tears if I can't find the socks that I feel like wearing or I slosh my coffee or insert-thing-that-is-not-supposed-to-be-a-big-deal-here.

How long have you been doing graveyards for, Outlaw?
I worked graveyards for a couple of years. As mentioned, it's hard on the body. It disrupts the body's natural arcadian rhythm, which throws all kinds of things out of whack too. You have gained weight because of rising cortisol levels. Even if you eat exactly the same things and do the exact same amount of exercise, chances are that you will still gain some weight. The lack of human interaction messes with you too.

I find that I get more emotional and depressed during the winter months...I have Seasonal Affective Disorder....and I found that I still felt low during summer months when I worked the graveyards. Apparently, not only do I have S.A.D., but I had reverse S.A.D.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/13/he...ummer-sun.html

Fuck me with an ice pick. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.

Out-can't offend anyone if I tried-law had some excellent points and suggestions. I don't know if I have anything to offer that's different, but I can definitely empathize with you. It sucks like Hoover on acid.
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Old 09-26-2010, 04:44 PM   #10
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My best friend in college, her Dad worked a swing shift and that included 3rd shift. He said he felt one of the things that kept him from gaining weight was he always kept the same eating schedule. He at breakfast in the am, a sandwich or whatever for lunch at lunch time, be he at work or home, midday was lunch time and supper in the evenings. He said he didn't eat during the night on 3rds cuz he wouldn't be eating at 2 am if he was home. That made pretty good sense to me.

I agree with some of the others about keeping to your schedule on the days you are off work.

When I worked 2nd shift it was a 4:30pm to 1am job so I had all day to mess with my animals and garden or whatever. I'm very much an outside person. When I went to 1st shift, it was January and I was going to work in the dark and by the time I got home it was dark. It about drove me nuts. I finally asked my manager to please put me back to doing something outside, I didn't care if it was picking up cigarette butts, just please find me something to do outside. I think night shifters are a different breed, a special breed of their own, cuz not everyone can do it.
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Old 09-26-2010, 05:06 PM   #11
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I was having a hard time in winter when there are less daylight hours and not going outside as much. I would get depressed and low energy. I bought one of those seasonal lights you sit in front of. I do it every winter now while online for an hour a day and it worked great for me. I think I paid about 100 bucks for mine and it was really worth it.
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Old 09-26-2010, 07:10 PM   #12
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I worked 11-7 for years,I would get off work and go home get my kids off to school (we lived at my moms so I could work without worrying about child care at that hour or at all) I fed my horse on the way home,got the kids to school.Then I naped till noon then went to ride and care for the horse so I got back home right before the kids got home at 3:45pm,we did home work.But then dinner was done so I ate wich was the time my mom got home then I creahed till 10pm got up and did it alllll over again.I was hard but I did it,I was only 23 at the time,not too shure I would even atempt it now.I had a person bordeing her horse at my place so she fed mine when she fed hers at night.
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Old 09-26-2010, 08:04 PM   #13
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Thanks for the posts, people.

I just woke up, didn't sleep much today...I never do on Sundays. On the weekends me and Nick tend to do lots of "daytime things" which means I've had to sleep/live normal people hours on the weekends - I find it difficult to get in a nap on Sunday afternoons, since I tend to have slept through the night on Saturday. It's a drag that I keep having to switch back and forth like that - but I don't know that my relationship could survive if I insisted on sleeping during the day on the weekends. Seriously.
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Old 09-26-2010, 08:12 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by betenoire View Post
Thanks for the posts, people.

I just woke up, didn't sleep much today...I never do on Sundays. On the weekends me and Nick tend to do lots of "daytime things" which means I've had to sleep/live normal people hours on the weekends - I find it difficult to get in a nap on Sunday afternoons, since I tend to have slept through the night on Saturday. It's a drag that I keep having to switch back and forth like that - but I don't know that my relationship could survive if I insisted on sleeping during the day on the weekends. Seriously.
The world definitely caters to those who work banker's hours. Of course, it could be worse. You could be allergic to sunlight...or Nick...and then you would HAVE to avoid the day at all costs.
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Old 09-26-2010, 08:32 PM   #15
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What a wonderful thread and wonderful answers. I wonder if this also affects partners of those who work 2nd or 3rd shift. I work day shift and my partner works 2nd shift. I find it difficult sometimes to deal with depression that creeps into my life. I have felt myself sinking into depression over the past couple of weeks and have been trying to figure out what is causing it. It dawned on me this weekend that the weather is changing, its getting cooler, and darker earlier.

I too suffer from S.A.D. and I know alot of it is because of that. I changed my lights at work to fluorescent lights and my house lights are fluorescent but I didn't think about the full spectrum lighting. Might have to check that out as well as the seasonal light. I think that will help alot as I am already feeling the effects of my S.A.D. as the weather is changing this week. Damon and I talked about small amounts of tanning in a tanning salon might help as well.

So, I think it might be a combination of personal struggle, S.A.D. and missing him at night. I do get to spend a small amount of time with him every night. He tucks me into bed and makes sure he helps me relax and fall asleep. I see him on his 2 days off (sometimes those are during the week so I see him at night) and on the weekends before and after work. Communication for us is the key to working through any emotions I may be dealing with. We text and talk every night and that helps alot as well.

So I think I will try the Vitamin D, seasonal light and tanning to see if that helps my S.A.D. so that I dont drive him nuts this winter

Thanks for this thread and the answers given so far. I love the support I see everywhere on this site.

Becca...
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Old 09-27-2010, 12:49 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by betenoire View Post
Or 3rd shift, or graveyard shift. Whatever it is that you like to call it.

I've been working straight graveyards for a month now, and while I have had no difficulty adjusting my sleep schedule (I sleep just fine during the day, and I don't find myself tired at work or anything like that) it's been difficult for me in other ways.

I find that I am sad all the time now. I can't put my finger on what I'm sad about - but I am just incredibly bummed out.

I also have started putting on weight, although I am not eating any more / worse than what I had before. My body just seems to be confused in some way and has slowed my metabolism down, I guess?

And on top of that - I am lonely at work. I work in the field that I work in (I work for a pretty big non-profit that does home support for people with physical disabilities) because I wanted to have a job where I would be physically and socially active - but overnights I don't see much of the people that are the reason that I -have- that job to begin with. Mostly night shifts are about paperwork and maintaining the office. I'm only on-site in case someone in the apartment building needs something during the night - which they very rarely seem to do.

Does anybody else who works or has worked overnights have any suggestions for me (and for all of the other graveyard shift workers on this site) so that I can cope better?
Hi Betenoire,

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with working graveyard shifts they can take quite a toll on the body. I have been working shift work for 11 years now and at least half of the shifts are graveyard shifts so I understand the struggle. I find a lot of the time I'm not sure what day of the week it is and I have a lousy sense of 'time', my internal clock is not the best. lol

A lot of the suggestions mentioned so far are really good ones and can help make working the graveyards easier on the rest of your life. The biggest struggles for those of us that work these altered schedules are family/home life and feelings of anxiety/depression. The suggestion of the vitamin D is a great one but you can also look into getting a once a month vitamin B shot, it is good for you moods and also your immune system If you are not in an area that gets a lot of natural sun year round going for a tanning session once a week can help with elevating your moods as well. It is recommended sometimes for those that suffer from seasonal effectiveness disorder and has the same mood lifting affects on those that work a lot of graveyards.

The weight issue isn't uncommon either for those that work graveyards; you have to remember we are not normally nocturnal beasts. At night our metabolism naturally slows down and our bodies go into 'sleep and repair mode', it's what's called your circadian rhythm. It regulates a number of physiological functions such as body temperature, hormone secretion, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and mental alertness.

I have found over the years that staying away from eating larger meals at night is necessary. Instead eat several times throughout the night and keep the meals light and small. Plan your meals ahead of time and try to have your main 'meal' prior to midnight, small amounts of protein are good at this time.

Always eat breakfast when you wake up from sleeping, it doesn't matter that it is not 'breakfast time' try to keep your meal schedule as normal as possible.
The biggest thing for eating though is to not eat a meal within an hour before you go to sleep otherwise it will sit in your belly and turn to fat. Your body will be at it's slowest due to not being able to fully 'shut down' throughout the night and will not be digesting your food well.

Hope this helps a bit with your transition into the world of working graveyards, remember to take good care of yourself.
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Old 09-27-2010, 06:01 AM   #17
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I have been working nights for the last 3 years. I enjoy working nights, but it can become diffcult. Sleep can easily consume your days. my personal thought (I could be wrong) is that happens because you have less melatonin in the day time.. the natural body chemical that makes you sleep so you spend more hours a day sleeping trying to make up for it . I also think it may contribute to weight gain, because the melatonin rises in your body at night even though you are working. So you are eating but your body is like SLLLEEEPP ..all I can suggest is make sure you get out a few days a week during the day. Its tough but doable. Also I try to exercise each morning when I get off from work. It helps me alot.
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Old 09-28-2010, 05:20 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by tiggs View Post
I find a lot of the time I'm not sure what day of the week it is and I have a lousy sense of 'time', my internal clock is not the best. lol
Hah, so that's not just me? I have absolutely no idea what day of the week it is any more. It's maddening.
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Old 09-28-2010, 06:33 AM   #19
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I work 2nd shift. I have worked all 3 shifts.

My order of preference? 2nd, 3rd, 1st.

I am NOT a daytime person. Yet, like others, if I work 3rd shift I sleep...constantly. I used to fall asleep at 9 AM, sleep till 6, eat dinner, back to bed at 8 for a nap until 10. That was ALL I did.

I adore 2nd shift. I like having some daylight, but not much. 1st shift, well... I tried it for 10 months. I hated it. But if I had to, I would again. I do better in a school (office) setting for daytime hours such as first shift.

I often feel bad about not being home more with MBE, but I know this is the right choice. Ultimately, if I'm not happy, how can I expect to bring happiness to her life? And...call it selfish if you want... no other shift is going to make me happy. I go to work, then I come home and work at home. When I worked the other 2 shifts, the only time I did work at home was maybe a day off.

We've both sacrificed for me working this shift, but we've both gained much.

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Old 09-28-2010, 07:40 AM   #20
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I'm another hospital worker (Respiratory Therapist) and over the past 22 years that I've been doing this, I've worked a *lot* of graveyard shifts in my day, though when I did it, I always worked a 12 hour rotating schedule.

In my world, it's more of a "usual" thing for the newer employees to draw night shifts until they get a little seniority under their belts. There's also the ones (with seniority) who prefer to work the night shifts because of the additional money in "shift differentials" and the lack of the "daytime bullshit". I'm not one of these folks, though, and I've had the good fortune to have "paid my dues" in the government system and now I work 12 hour day shifts. If I were younger and had fewer health issues than I do now, I might feel differently and be able to adapt to a night shift routine. I see the money some of these night shift folks rake in in differentials, and it's almost tempting, but the trade off to my health makes me glad to have my day shift. Also, in my world, more happens during the day shift and this keeps more of my skills honed. I think that there are also more opportunities to "network" with more people during the day and, as a union steward, I have more access to supervisors and employees.

I'm really not sure if I can add much, if at all, to some of the suggestions already posted here about how to cope with being on night shifts. As a person with some complicated health issues, I can say that, over the years, being on a routine has helped me immensely to be able to hold down a demanding full time job and shuffle the responsibilities of a union steward. Eating right is a big thing and realizing when you need to slow down, take a few days off, and get your rest is another important thing you should do. Also get plenty of exercise on your off days and off tours.

My hat is off to the night folks. You're not doing an easy thing and research has shown that night people have higher incidences of high blood pressure and physical stress. Take care of yourselves.

~Theo~
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