[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Transitioning to 3rd shift (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/9/2015 12:10:46 AM EDT
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Trying to ease into it, have some flexibility so I came in at 6. I should be starting now and I'm already yawning. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Its awesome if your super introverted and hate interacting with others. When you get off work most stores/businesses are opening up and you'll be the first in line. Also, people who volunteer to work third shift tend to be pretty introverted too, so everyone just kinda has that "leave me alone" vibe.
If you enjoy having a social life though, it sucks. While your friends are out getting drunk and hitting the bar your just starting your work day. When you get off work and want to unwind they are either at work or sleeping off their hangovers. |
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Get yourself some artificial energy...I always liked the pills. Will be hell until you get your circadian rhythm.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm |
I don't have the seniority to hold 3rd shift at my job, but have worked it for a couple of 6 month spurts in the past. Getting used to the idea/routine of night shift is one thing, but actually getting used to it physically, healthwise, etc, is a whole different matter. There's a reason people that work nightshift have shorter life expectancies. Good luck and I might suggest investing in some thick, dark window curtains for your bedroom.
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Yeah, hours? 3rd shift to me means morning tour--12-8. 10-6. Shooting for 6-2 here tonight. Maybe push it to 4, but I was freaking yawning by 10. I'm an early bird, waking up at 4:30 am without my alarm for 6 am start on days. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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What are your hours? When I went to the graveyard shift it was a learning curve. Finally perfected it (as best I can) and still have time to be family man, have hobbies, workout and not be a zombie all the time That's my goal, sleep while kids are at school and wife's at work, until I have enough seniority to post for days. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I've been working rotating shiftwork since 1980.
If you can, stretch your sleep/wake cycle to match you new shift. Then: try to get a nap sometime around 3 hours before you have to be at work. One or two dream cycles -- where you see pictures -- is basically enough. Eat lightly; no gingantor steaks or pizza in the 12 hrs. before shift. That's it. There are no magic tricks. Rotate your sleep and don't eat too much. Easy on the booze. voice of experience. |
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I've been working rotating shiftwork since 1980. If you can, stretch your sleep/wake cycle to match you new shift. Then: try to get a nap sometime around 3 hours before you have to be at work. One or two dream cycles -- where you see pictures -- is basically enough. Eat lightly; no gingantor steaks or pizza in the 12 hrs. before shift. That's it. There are no magic tricks. Rotate your sleep and don't eat too much. Easy on the booze. voice of experience. The eating thing has had me wondering, would be easy to find yourself eating too many meals. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I have been doing shift work for 30 years. Be smart. Get your rest. If I am working the 5 pm to 5 am shift, I will stay up late 11 pm the first night and get up with the wife at 5 am. See her off to work, and do what ever I have planned in a short period of time. Back in bed by 11 am. Up at 3 pm.
When I have to go in at 04:30 I rise at 03:15, the evening before, I am in bed by 19:30. |
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The eating thing has had me wondering, would be easy to find yourself eating too many meals. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quoted:
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I've been working rotating shiftwork since 1980. If you can, stretch your sleep/wake cycle to match you new shift. Then: try to get a nap sometime around 3 hours before you have to be at work. One or two dream cycles -- where you see pictures -- is basically enough. Eat lightly; no gingantor steaks or pizza in the 12 hrs. before shift. That's it. There are no magic tricks. Rotate your sleep and don't eat too much. Easy on the booze. voice of experience. The eating thing has had me wondering, would be easy to find yourself eating too many meals. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I have the opposite problem. If I don't make a point of telling myself to eat, I'll often only have one meal at home and a light snack at work. |
| Started mid-shift in January. I actually like it but it's hell to adjust to. Hours are 9-5. I get home and get my daughter up and ready for school, drop her off and head home to sleep. Normally I get in bet somewhere around 8:30. Wife picks the princess up so I can sleep till 3-4. The only complaint I really have is you only get 1 good day off a week. |
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Quoted: The eating thing has had me wondering, would be easy to find yourself eating too many meals. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Quoted: Quoted: I've been working rotating shiftwork since 1980. If you can, stretch your sleep/wake cycle to match you new shift. Then: try to get a nap sometime around 3 hours before you have to be at work. One or two dream cycles -- where you see pictures -- is basically enough. Eat lightly; no gingantor steaks or pizza in the 12 hrs. before shift. That's it. There are no magic tricks. Rotate your sleep and don't eat too much. Easy on the booze. voice of experience. The eating thing has had me wondering, would be easy to find yourself eating too many meals. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Myself (10yrs on nights) and many of the other regulars on my shift only eat once a day. |
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What about working out? I've had the thought that I should rejoin a workout place that I really liked in the past, and hit them for a 6:30 am class that will leave me feeling half-dead, pound a protein drink and go to bed. Would that screw with my ability to sleep? would I be better off hitting an early afternoon one right after I wake uP? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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The most important thing I tell any new guys on my shift, keep a regular sleep schedule. Don't flip back to daywalking on your days off. It will ruin you quicker than anything else. This. From someone who has flipped to daywalking on his weekends for the last seven years, this  
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What about working out? I've had the thought that I should rejoin a workout place that I really liked in the past, and hit them for a 6:30 am class that will leave me feeling half-dead, pound a protein drink and go to bed. Would that screw with my ability to sleep? would I be better off hitting an early afternoon one right after I wake uP? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I generally find I have more energy in the mornings when I get off work than when I wake up. |
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Quoted: Its awesome if your super introverted and hate interacting with others. When you get off work most stores/businesses are opening up and you'll be the first in line. Also, people who volunteer to work third shift tend to be pretty introverted too, so everyone just kinda has that "leave me alone" vibe. If you enjoy having a social life though, it sucks. While your friends are out getting drunk and hitting the bar your just starting your work day. When you get off work and want to unwind they are either at work or sleeping off their hangovers. |
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Quoted: This. From someone who has flipped to daywalking on his weekends for the last seven years, this Quoted: Quoted: The most important thing I tell any new guys on my shift, keep a regular sleep schedule. Don't flip back to daywalking on your days off. It will ruin you quicker than anything else. This. From someone who has flipped to daywalking on his weekends for the last seven years, this Agree completely. I work 9p-6a and recently had 10 days off. Day 2 of my break I was on a "normal" schedule as a day walker. It's been hell trying to get back on my normal schedule and I feel like shit. |
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No...second shift is what you are talking about. All your drinking buddies are going home to chill as you clock in. When you get off work they are home sleeping. You interact with nobody but those at work who work the same shift as you. You will never see your kids grow up or go to school functions, ball games, or school plays. If your wife works you will only see her asleep when you get home from work..Ask me how I know, I have been on this shift for the last twenty years. I am going to third shift so I can spend time with my grandson. He is seven now and I hardly know him. Quoted:
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Its awesome if your super introverted and hate interacting with others. When you get off work most stores/businesses are opening up and you'll be the first in line. Also, people who volunteer to work third shift tend to be pretty introverted too, so everyone just kinda has that "leave me alone" vibe. If you enjoy having a social life though, it sucks. While your friends are out getting drunk and hitting the bar your just starting your work day. When you get off work and want to unwind they are either at work or sleeping off their hangovers. Yeah, 2nd is a non-starter/dealbreaker for me. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I generally find I have more energy in the mornings when I get off work than when I wake up. Quoted:
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What about working out? I've had the thought that I should rejoin a workout place that I really liked in the past, and hit them for a 6:30 am class that will leave me feeling half-dead, pound a protein drink and go to bed. Would that screw with my ability to sleep? would I be better off hitting an early afternoon one right after I wake uP? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I generally find I have more energy in the mornings when I get off work than when I wake up. I figure I'll give it a go, could be awesome on a couple different levels. Hopefully completely wipes me out and heads off the "oh look daylight... Energy!" thing, and since sleep if the best recovery, and the first several hours after a workout are so important to recovery, I might just go totally beast mode. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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This. From someone who has flipped to daywalking on his weekends for the last seven years, this Quoted:
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The most important thing I tell any new guys on my shift, keep a regular sleep schedule. Don't flip back to daywalking on your days off. It will ruin you quicker than anything else. This. From someone who has flipped to daywalking on his weekends for the last seven years, this I heard that, I have been doing this for 10yrs. Yes it is a bitch and takes its toll, but the money is to good. I have my sleepy days and I have days I sleep for a couple of hours, whatever your body needs. B |
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5 years on Third. I work 10PM to 9AM four nights a week, although we usually get out before 8:30AM. You have to move your sleep schedule, force your body into a new rhythm. Stay up. Force yourself to stay up. Walk around a lot. Eat. Eating often tells your body it's time to be awake.
Then when it's time to sleep, make your room dark and quiet. Take some benadryl and/or some melatonin. If you're having difficulty, some NyQuil with DM helps put me out, but don't use it too often. |
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No...second shift is what you are talking about. All your drinking buddies are going home to chill as you clock in. When you get off work they are home sleeping. You interact with nobody but those at work who work the same shift as you. You will never see your kids grow up or go to school functions, ball games, or school plays. If your wife works you will only see her asleep when you get home from work..Ask me how I know, I have been on this shift for the last twenty years. I am going to third shift so I can spend time with my grandson. He is seven now and I hardly know him. Quoted:
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Its awesome if your super introverted and hate interacting with others. When you get off work most stores/businesses are opening up and you'll be the first in line. Also, people who volunteer to work third shift tend to be pretty introverted too, so everyone just kinda has that "leave me alone" vibe. If you enjoy having a social life though, it sucks. While your friends are out getting drunk and hitting the bar your just starting your work day. When you get off work and want to unwind they are either at work or sleeping off their hangovers. I think this really depends on who your friends are. When I worked second shift it was known as the drunk shift. You would get off work at 11PM, hit the bar while drinking heavily to catch up with those who were drinking earlier, then go to the after parties and pass out as the sun was coming up. Wake up at 2 in the afternoon fully rested and rinse wash repeat. When I worked third shift I would get off work and come home to see my roommate who was waking up and getting ready for work, but after I would just hang out with my other roommate who worked the same job and shift as me while we watched DVD's and played video games till we passed out. Everyone else was either still sleeping from last nights party or at work. If you have a wife and kids it is a completely different story than as a bachelor. |
| Morning Watch here. Done it before in spurts no problem, but coming off Day shift to Morning Watch (1130-8) is sucking. My body is becoming used to it, but my problem now is all I want to do is sleep all day. I could get a few hours on Days and be fine, but now I have to get a full 8 or Im exhausted. |
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I work rotating 12s as well. I'd love to work straight nights, going back and forth every few days takes some getting used to! Quoted:
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I rotate 12 hour shifts multiple times a week I don't think I will ever get used to it. I work rotating 12s as well. I'd love to work straight nights, going back and forth every few days takes some getting used to! I just started this job where I rotate, last job was many years of straight night shift 12's. I miss those already |
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2nd shift my entire working life. Just recently went to 3rd shift (10p-630a) at the beginning of August.
I fucking hate it! I want my old shift back (6p-230a). At least then I could get in bed by 330, get 6hrs of sleep, and still get up at 930 and have the whole day to do shit on the weekends. 3rd shift, I sleep my weekends away until 3-4pm 
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Did third shift usually 8pm-10pm till 6a, from age 19 to 29. Not sure there is a way to transition. It either mostly suits you with some minor life adjustments (single on this end), or after a week you lose you mind, and quit, and/or go back to first or second shift.
Honestly I won't lie I kind of miss it. Now days where I live is a mostly city that never sleeps unlike back in 1998-2008, and I managed to get so much more done working solo, or with others.People on that shift want crap done. Days off work no issues going out long as no one expected me to be at the range, or somwhere before about 2-3pm. Key to sleep is something you have to find on your own, but in my case clock out, conk out in a dark room with ear plugs if needed, and no food till you got up in the afternoon, or evening. And never, never, ever play a MMO with Australians and Kiwi's right after work if you want to be in bed before 1pm. A fun but horrible mistake I made in the Everquest era of MMO gaming late 90's pre 9/11 world. Anyone need a third shift person with a basic college level of education in Accounting around the NW Atlanta suburbs? Kind of wanna go back again after typing this. Simpler times, and good times even if I saw the sun rise way more then set in my life. /Plays REM's song Day Sleeper. |