[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Night shift depression (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/15/2010 8:45:26 AM EDT
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I started a job a few weeks ago, working 6-6 night shift about 60 hrs a week. I typically have no issues with depression, but have been really down since I started my job. Anyone else experience this, or am I just being a baby?
It's nice to be able to pay the bills, but damn have I been unhappy. |
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Graveyard can take a toll. Just think about the money, the bills getting paid, and don't worry about the other shit.
What used to fuck me up was the fact that the world went round while I slept, and then while I was awake, there was nothing to do. Made me feel kinda lonely. I always just thought about the money, and the cool shit I could do while everyone else was asleep. |
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Well, you are lucky to have a job,BUT-use the night shift one as a stepping stone to one on dayshift or afternoons.
Were I work,people on nights(10:30 pm-6:30am) get a shift premium. The greedy idiots talk about how great it is while there eye balls are hanging out. They can have it! Good luck. |
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Graveyard can take a toll. Just think about the money, the bills getting paid, and don't worry about the other shit. What used to fuck me up was the fact that the world went round while I slept, and then while I was awake, there was nothing to do. Made me feel kinda lonely. I always just thought about the money, and the cool shit I could do while everyone else was asleep. Bingo! You nailed it! That's what I was trying to articulate, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. |
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I have been on it for three years now and it just gets worse - for me at least. I have no social life and little motivation to do anything on my days off.
It doesn't help that the job (building BMW's) has absolutely no intellectual stimulation, and consists of repetitious boredom beyond the pale. I went to college and did very well, but have been unable to land a professional job so to speak(bad decisions on my part after school). Don't get me wrong; I am glad I have a job but I hate it more than anything. I will probably go back to grad school in the Fall as my undergraduate degree has "expired" from non use. 
You have to be disciplined on 3rd and make yourself get up and get out to do things. Hope you like it better than me. 
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Graveyard can take a toll. Just think about the money, the bills getting paid, and don't worry about the other shit. What used to fuck me up was the fact that the world went round while I slept, and then while I was awake, there was nothing to do. Made me feel kinda lonely. I always just thought about the money, and the cool shit I could do while everyone else was asleep. Bingo! You nailed it! That's what I was trying to articulate, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. I figured. Sooooo BTDT. Just hang in there, you'll get used to it after awhile. Or you'll have a nervous breakdown.
The best thing I would do when I was feeling like that, is go home at 7 am, eat a BIg fuckin breakfast, work out for awhile, and then crash. Wake up early enough to work around the house a bit, or reload some, or something to occupy your mind, then go to work. It kinda helps you get in a routine, and adjust to it. You still got friends and family and shit, they're just on a fucked up schedule. 
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This is normal, I went through the same thing.
It feels like your totally cut off from the world... 99% of people have the opposite schedule as you. Do your thing, pay the bills and get through this. Buy yourself something nice once you get caught up... that always helps me
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In my job the reporting time varies from 2300 to 0630 with the mode at about 0430. The shifts last from 9 to 16 hours, depending on circumstances. The bad part is that a lot of times the schedule is only posted 12 hours in advance. After a short while, this gets really physically tasking.
Thinking about the extra money may help, but there is more to life than money. Do whatever you can to fight stress and remain physically fit. Don't let the job kill you. |
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I worked it for many years. You''l either get used to it or not. Many people just can't, no matter how hard they try. This. Worked mostly third shift for the last five years. It is a lonely life. Worse, for three of those years, I was driving around the countryside by myself all night. Hardly even anyone to share the roads with. It can take a toll. I'm used to it now, but I think I'd like my next job to be during daylight hours. |
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I've been a night shift guy for almost 30 years.
The others are correct in saying you'll get used to it. Your body clock will adjust in time. Things I've found that help: Always get your rest. Have a dark and quiet place to sleep. Place something over the window of the bedroom to block out light. I fitted a large sheet of plain old cardboard to the window. That way it can be removed easily. Turn OFF the phone(s). Make a sign to place on the front door: DAY SLEEPER - DO NOT DISTURB. Keep it on the outside door knob/door when sleeping. Take naps when you can. Noise is the real issue. Bubba next door will fire up the yard blower at 9am and such shit. I've found using soft foam earplugs(exactly the same I use for shooting) are the best. It will take a short while for you to adjust but before long you'll be sleeping like a log with them. Be right up front with people about your schedule. Tell them you are a night worker. Don't be ashamed of it. Schedule activities around that. If they don't like it, fuck'em. I will tell you right now night work IS hard on the love life. It does suck when everyone is headed out to party and you're headed out to work. You just have to man up about it.
An very understanding partner is mandatory. This facet of the life is helpful in a way by determining if your partner is a whiny useless clinger or a person who can function normally. Hang with your buds as best you can. Take the night off if something important comes up. With all that said - I prefer night shift. The life allows you to easily do things during the day others can not because they are stuck at work. Doctors, dentists, shopping, etc are all easy to do. Big plus is activities like shooting, fishing, etc are much more pleasurable because the world is busy while you have ass time to play. |
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When i worked nights i felt the same way. It's usually not so bad if there's a bunch of other people on shift with you but if it's just one or two people man does it drag on. Humans aren't nocturnal creatures so it's bound to feel unnatural and take some major adjustment. |
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I started a job a few weeks ago, working 6-6 night shift about 60 hrs a week. I typically have no issues with depression, but have been really down since I started my job. Anyone else experience this, or am I just being a baby? It's nice to be able to pay the bills, but damn have I been unhappy. 3 things.... Darken your room.... I can not stress this enough, Hang a blinket over the window or get some light blocking curtins, Try and get it as dark as it would be at night ( think tripping over shit on the floor) . You may THINK you are sleeping good but you are not Second , get some white noise. I used a $10 box fan from china mart set on medium. There is alot more environmental noise during the day that while may not actuially wake you up, WILL still manage to disturb your sleep Turn off your phones. Fucking daywalkers just CAN NOT GRASP the idea you are sleeping during the day and WILL call and disturb you Surviving 3rd shift is all about sleep..... -16 years on the night shift |
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I have been on it for three years now and it just gets worse - for me at least. I have no social life and little motivation to do anything on my days off. It doesn't help that the job (building BMW's) has absolutely no intellectual stimulation, and consists of repetitious boredom beyond the pale. I went to college and did very well, but have been unable to land a professional job so to speak(bad decisions on my part after school). Don't get me wrong; I am glad I have a job but I hate it more than anything. I will probably go back to grad school in the Fall as my undergraduate degree has "expired" from non use.
You have to be disciplined on 3rd and make yourself get up and get out to do things. Hope you like it better than me. How does a degree "expire"? I thought that once you put in the work and got the sheepskin, it was GTG! It could also be a lack of sunlight. I have been on night shift for the majority of the deployment, and when everyone went back to days for three weeks so we could move over to the other side of KAF I noticed that my spirits rose. |
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Night shifts are bad for you. You will likely never adjust. Humans aren't designed to operate that way.
In their Medical Journal of Australia article, Olson and Ambrogetti state:
"Physiological adaptation to night work is largely a myth and there is no reason to extend periods of night work in the hope that adaptation will occur. For intellectually demanding tasks, short periods of night work (one or two shifts) are better tolerated than longer periods because the accumulated sleep deficit is less. It is easy to demonstrate that the progressive sleep loss of a seven-night roster causes a progressive rise in accidents and a fall in productivity... Working the night shift will never be ideal for your body. But there are diet strategies that will help.
If you work shifts, you probably experience more gastrointestinal problems than those who work from 9 to 5. You may suffer from ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite and heartburn. Your body is ruled by an internal (circadian) clock, which makes it not only harder to stay awake at night, but harder to digest food. It seems that your stomach repairs itself during the night. According to researchers, anything that prevents a good night's sleep will disrupt the stomach's natural repair cycle, leading to ulcers or tearing of the stomach lining. Not getting enough fluid and water is another problem facing shift workers. Dehydration can cause headaches, dry skin and nasal irritation. It can also make you more susceptible to colds, coughs, sore throats and the flu. Maintaining optimal nutrition is a challenge for those who work in shifts. The key is to plan what you are going to eat and when. The February 15, 2005 issue of American Family Physician noted that shift work has been associated with cluster headaches. Health problems in the short term can also include fatigue, stress and loss of concentration, a higher rate of absence from the job and poor sexual performance, as shown in the majority of 200 variable-shift workers in a recent study in Kuwait.[6]
Long term consequences of disturbing natural circadian rhythms have been investigated also. A study by Knutsson et al. in 1986 found that shift workers who had worked in that method for 15 years or more were 300% more likely to develop ischaemic heart disease. In 1978 Cohen et al. proposed that reduced production of the hormone melatonin might increase the risk of breast cancer, citing "environmental lighting" as a possible causal factor.[7] Working the night shift first became associated with higher rates of cancer in 1987. This may be due to alterations in circadian rhythm: melatonin, a known tumor suppressant, is generally produced at night and late shifts may disrupt its production. Multiple studies have documented a link between night shift work and the increased incidence of breast cancer.[9][10][11] The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer listed "shiftwork that involves circadian disruption" as a probable carcinogen in 2007 (IARC Press release No. 180).[12][13] UCSF neurologist Louis Ptacek, who studies circadian rhythms, genes and sleep behaviors, has been quoted: "It’s not surprising, we have evolved on a planet that is rotating every 24 hours. Our internal clock is more than just when we sleep and wake. It’s related to cell division and it regulates our immune systems. When we battle our internal clock, that has complications."[14] A good review of current knowledge of the health consequences of exposure to artificial light at night and an explanation of the causal mechanisms was published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 2007.[15] One study suggests that, for those working a night shift (such as 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), it may be advantageous to sleep in the evening (2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) rather than the morning (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). The study's evening sleep subjects had 37% fewer episodes of attentional impairment than the morning sleepers.[16] The health consequences of shift work may depend on whether one is a day person or a night person and what shift one is assigned to. |
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The kid situation is tough.
Spend time with them as much as possible. If you're timing allows it, do simple stuff like taking them to school in the mornings(stop and get jelly doughnuts or something silly like that. Don't tell Mom ).
Be there when they get home. Sometimes you just are going to miss special occasions. Try your best not to but its inevitable. Make it up to them best you can. Lots of hugs. Good luck. |
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I worked as a night guard when I got out of college for a while. It was difficult to adjust and many of my friends ceased inviting me to do things because for a long time I was not on their schedule. My GF hung tough and we are still together, though.
I found it to be most difficult from about 4am to just after sunrise. It was the end of my shift and I always felt very tired. I would go home and eat breakfast then go to sleep for several hours, but never could put in a full 8. I would get up and goof around for a while before going to work again. To be honest, I found it easier to do nights than to do afternoons. I would work 2:30-10:30, get home, go to sleep between 1 and 3 am, get up late in the morning, and sit around until work. There was never enough time between getting up and work for me to really get anything done. I had Sunday-Monday off, which was nice, because I had one weekend day and one week day. I got almost everything accomplished in my personal life on my days off. I went to days afterwards, which was nice, and I left that job for a 9-5er after about 2.5 years. |
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Yeah, there are times in the winter months when its dark most of the times, you go to work when the sun sets and hit the rack when the sun rises. Driving around in negative degree weather and snow and not a damn thing moving makes you feel you are patrolling planet Hoth, or the lone survivor of a nuclear winter.
Sucks even worser when: Your recently divorced Most likely never have weekends off Try to have healthy relationships with the opposite sex. (They burn out of your scedule much faster than you) Have visitaton on your off days with your toddler children who want to bounce around and do things with you all day. Thats great, but its like normal people playing with their kids from 10p to 6a. Try to maintain a workout schedule + side is if you can get your sorry ass up out of bed int he day you can get all kinds of shit done when the businesses are open. |
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The kid situation is tough. Spend time with them as much as possible. If you're timing allows it, do simple stuff like taking them to school in the mornings(stop and get jelly doughnuts or something silly like that. Don't tell Mom ).
Be there when they get home. Sometimes you just are going to miss special occasions. Try your best not to but its inevitable. Make it up to them best you can. Lots of hugs. Good luck. That avatar cracks me up everytime I see it! Your right with the kid thing. |
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I also work 6pm-6am. 3 shifts one week, 4 shifts the next. What every one else has said. Keep your room dark. Even so, sleep is never as good during the day. I catch up on days off I guess.
I read somewhere that I should keep the same schedule as on days. Get home from work, watch TV do errands, go to sleep hours later and wake up right before you go into work. You know, like day shift guys do. Never, ever worked for me. In my younger days, working standard M-F day shift. I would party kind of hard on the weekends. Close down the bars at 4am and crash at 5am. That is basically what I do now (without the drinking, fun part). I get home about 6:25am. I might check email, and AR15.com active topics, but in bed by 7am. I guess it is mostly a mind game I play with myself, but I try not to think I am working nights, I just stayed out really late. Maybe that is strange, but it works for me. And yeah, not so much work politics crap goes on at night. Peaceful, just do the work. Hang in there. Scott |
I did 7pm to 7am for 14 years...you get used to it...as I got older I had more trouble with it though, I hope I never have to work those hours again...get plenty of light and take vitamin B-12 and D.edit after reading others posts...run a fan..I run one even though I go to bed at 9-10pm, darken the room...and ...it amazes me still how many people keep a friggin' phone in their bedroom and would complain at work during the night how tired they were due to it waking them up during the day turn it off. Get your sleep at all costs....a lack of sleep will simply kill you when working those hours...I liked the freedom at night though, at a factory during the day you'd have everybody up your ass all day long, I NEVER took a day shift job there, stayed on nights and survived while others I had been hired with went to days and were eventually fired due to the machinations of their co-workers....if you can stand the hours, and some people simply cannot, then the night shift is the place to be in certain environments....less people equals less stress and bullshit...man, the stories I could tell.
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Keep a positive mind and you will get into the routine.
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hmm..at one point I was going to move down there to work where you work...is the money good? I know the economy probably has a stack of apps sitting down in their HR office but I am still curious.I have been on it for three years now and it just gets worse - for me at least. I have no social life and little motivation to do anything on my days off. It doesn't help that the job (building BMW's) has absolutely no intellectual stimulation, and consists of repetitious boredom beyond the pale. I went to college and did very well, but have been unable to land a professional job so to speak(bad decisions on my part after school). Don't get me wrong; I am glad I have a job but I hate it more than anything. I will probably go back to grad school in the Fall as my undergraduate degree has "expired" from non use.
You have to be disciplined on 3rd and make yourself get up and get out to do things. Hope you like it better than me.
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Night shift sucks big grey donkey.... You'll eventually kinda get used to it... Is it shift work or straight nights Straight nights is better than shift I have done both when younger Its why I only make what I am now I don't plan on shift work again Unless I need to to feed the family Wait for the days off and get a new toy it will help |
I worked swings and nights for years. My schedule was pulled around so much that when I flew to Dubai I had ZERO jet lag. 
I agree with the dark windows, let everyone know not to call or visit, if you can (I would be on call) turn your phone OFF, keep the bedroom cool and dark and two thumbs up on having a sound machine. I love mine. I found that having a very clean sleep schedule was what kept me sane. I worked 10p-6a. I would stop eating around 2-3 am just as if it were 7pm at night. I'd be home by 6:30am, change into comfies, would sometimes pop a benadryl and curl up in bed with a book. Within 15 minutes I was out. I would sleep until 2pmish unless I had something specific to do. That was 7 good hours of sleep. Good to go. Also if you set it up that way you still get to socialize with your children after school and with friends after their work. I would still go meet friends for wine or beer... I just didn't drink anything. The weekends were harder but I tried to stay relatively close to night shift... went to bed around 2am. I hope this helps.
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I absolutely LOVE swing shit... go in, brief at 1630, take off at 1900, fly until 2300, land, de-brief, and go home. Did I mention I got to sleep in until 0900 or so!
With that said I worked Mids for a while as a maintainer on Active Duty.... Although the job was cake, I couldn't stand it. I was ALWAYS tired, all I could think about was when the next time I'd be able to sleep was. |
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I went on graveyard shifts 3 weeks after moving to Washington. I had pretty much zero social life and couldn't really motivate myself enough to even try making friends. Even if I did make new friends, they would want to do things when I needed to sleep or get ready for work. I got burned out after 6 years and my boss was suprised I lasted that long since most people quit after 2. |
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hmm..at one point I was going to move down there to work where you work...is the money good? I know the economy probably has a stack of apps sitting down in their HR office but I am still curious.I have been on it for three years now and it just gets worse - for me at least. I have no social life and little motivation to do anything on my days off. It doesn't help that the job (building BMW's) has absolutely no intellectual stimulation, and consists of repetitious boredom beyond the pale. I went to college and did very well, but have been unable to land a professional job so to speak(bad decisions on my part after school). Don't get me wrong; I am glad I have a job but I hate it more than anything. I will probably go back to grad school in the Fall as my undergraduate degree has "expired" from non use.
You have to be disciplined on 3rd and make yourself get up and get out to do things. Hope you like it better than me.
Well it is good if you are a BMW employee. PA's make $27.50/hr or there a bouts. That is a good wage for this area. I am a temp or what they call a "permanent partner" and only make $14.00 for doing the exact same job. I have pretty much given up on being hired permanent even though they are expanding the plant for the X3. I have a feeling this is there new business model. I wanted it so that I would have preferential access to the corporate positions as current employees get first dibs on job openings. As far as being on-line even $27.50 could not keep me there if I thought I would never move into a better position. VW is opening a plant in Chattanooga TN. If you can get in on the ground floor then the possibilities are endless. |
| Citadel-SC: thanks for the info...I make a bit more than 14.00 here...which is okay for now but living expenses here are on the high side...27.50 is great money but not quite UAW type rates..still...its tempting...that VW plant will get simply swarmed with applicants though .I do have 14 years manufacturing experience from running machines(hated) driving a forklift(liked) to warehouse and yard dogging(liked)...I appreciate the info...but I love where I am right now, great housing situation and work is 2 miles from home. I hope you can get hired for real there, I temped at BD for 2 years before finally getting hired there. |
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I think some people might have serious damage from working at night, and having worked for about four years midnight to eight am, I have reason to be concerned.
I would invest in a lot of daylight color light bulbs around the house. I think there is something to that seasonal light deficiency syndrome, and working at night is an excellent way of putting yourself at risk for this. |