Thoughts on working overnights?

[solegit08til]

I'm at work now too. It's not too bad, but I do usually sleep a lot on my days off, especially if I don't have ish to do.

But I do look forward to getting out.

 

[tdrizzle]

You really have to be able to force your body to either sleep or stay awake when it doesn't want to.

I've done a few stints of 11-7 and if you can work it right it's great.
Sleep is the key. Always sleep when you get off. Right away. I usually shoot for 7 hours so I'm up at 3pm.
Hit the gym.
Eat
Then you have the rest of the evening to yourself.

On the night you have off; try to only sleep 4-5 hours after work then you'll have from 1pm forward to get things done. Sleep your night off. Only sleep for 7 hours. Then get up at like 8am and enjoy having the rest of the day.


If you can't sleep; don't take anything like NyQuil or sleep tabs. You'll mess your whole sleep system up.
Instead if you can't sleep, just lay there. Get up when you need to. Don't nap. Only sleep when you've scheduled your sleep. After a month you'll be able to tell yourself that it's time to sleep and if you don't sleep now... No sleep for another 24 hours.

Dudes at work have the system down. I'll stay up for 38 hours or so to double dip those days off.

 

[mr marcus]

Just started the 6-6..

There are clearly levels to this.

Haven't been able to make it to the gym at all.

I work 7p-7a

3 nights a week unless I pick up OT

I love it ..

But you should hit the gym after work...that's what I was doing when I used to go. Even if it was back to back nights

But I only sleep 5-6 hours if I'm working back to back nights

 

[superblytrife]

Been working nights for almost a year now. And I wouldn't have it any other way (at my current job, at least).

Pros:

-I get to go to work when there's no traffic. And when I go home I'm going the opposite way of everyone coming into town to work. After fighting rush hour traffic for 3+ years at my prior job, not having to makes me see how much it stressed me out. No more driving 90 mph just to make up time lost because of an accident.

-Not having to deal with management is a HUGE plus for me, considering a lot of them are a-holes. The night supervisors aren't ours, so they don't bother us at all.

-Sleep. I sleep at my job. Just slept tonight for almost 2 hours. Unless you're doing some non-stop factory, manual labor type of work, you're gonna sleep a little at night.

-I get home just in time to see everyone off for the day and then I get to spend about an hour with my young one before I take her to daycare. If I worked days this wouldn't be possible. I also get to pick her up after I sleep and spend more time with her, which also wouldn't happen working days.

Cons:

-Not sleeping in the bed with the wife 5 nights outta the week. This really sucks and is probably my biggest gripe.

-Being tired. Inevitably you'll be tired at times when you work nights. Some days you just don't get enough sleep. And sleeping during the day isn't the same as that good, solid nighttime sleep.

-Having to will yourself to work at night. I can't even count how many times I just wanted to chill on the couch and play some video games until 2 AM. Instead I had to get ready for work. This feeling sucks.

-Off day sleep can be weird. I've found myself wide awake at 3 AM after dozing off on the couch at midnight. Then I'm screwed the next day because I didn't get enough sleep AND my sleep cycle is telling me it's time for bed at 9 AM.

TL;DR your sleep and sleep-related details will change (and suffer). But that's the only con I can find so far. Positives far outweigh the negatives IMO.

 

[heliumclinton]

I been working overnight for awhile, it's cool to me. I usually take naps here and there but my body still feels tired just from commuting I guess. I honestly felt miserable when I had to wake up early in the AM for work waking up for overnight shifts are great

 

[dabottom305]

Been doing it over a year now. It used to be 2 double shifts a week. Im currently on 14 days straight, i hate it. Yesterday i slept from 10am to 6pm. Cant wait to change my shift or company.

 

[Top Boy]

I work at a datacenter, but its still required I be awake unfortunately

Was able to cut out a little early today and hit the gym.. Feeling much better than I usually do, although im sure my body is just adjusting to the new schedule.

I do 4-12's, so im interested to see how I bite myself in the *** this weekend trying to flip my schedule back to normal just to try to flip it back again for work Monday.

Noticed my sleep duration hasn't really been the same either.. I only manage about 5-6 now instead of the 7-8 a night I normally got.

Positive I can finesse this though. Don't really have much of a choice anyways.

 

[mr marcus]

Crazy thing is on my off days I'll get off in the morning and sleep 4-5 hours...then I'll go to sleep at 12ish that night and wake up around 8-9am the next morning

When I used to work 8 hour night shifts a few years ago I would be up all night on my off nights. I don't have that issue working 12s

 

[wildout4]

it really isnt that bad if you have a set schedule.

I work 10-6 Sunday thru Thursday night and get weekends off.

And I sleep as soon as I get home so I average at least 7-8 hours of sleep everyday. Then I go to the gym when I wake up.

It doesnt really kill my social life I just cant go out at night during the week or at least past 10.

The people naming all the cons are people that have only done a couple times or for not that long a period.

 

[AZwildcats]

Last year I had to do the 11-7am shift at work for two weeks, absolutely hated it. I work as a valet so I had to be outside all night, and management insisted I stay outside the whole night. I got my only writeup at the job for putting up a closed sign one night and sleeping in the office , will never do that shift again

 

[Teknoman]

Pluses

- no traffic during commute
- minimal work
- minimal supervision
- shift differential

Minuses

- body never really adjusts
- depending on your schedule your social like will suffer. 4x10 is ideal with Thu, Fri, Sat off.

 

[nazdrowie]

have seen interesting positions that req'd overnight shifts doing media analysis for a government contractor, but i don't think i could handle a third shift...i think i could do it if my shift started 3-4am since I wake up about that time anyway (not necessarily by choice, just automatically wake up at that time)

 

[agentorange]

Best shift to work IMO. Especially if theres no traffic/distractions. Just put in earphones and go to work. I've usually done shifts like 11/12-6/7

 

[dathbgboy]

Depends on the gig. If you're working overnight stock, it could be decent as long as your boss allows you to listen to music.

I worked over night for the Post Office sorting the mail in the HASP distribution center. Goes fast if you have music

Overnight security at a hotel, has it's pluses and minuses depending on the size of the hotel. When you're security, you are everything other than front desk. You're valet, secuirty, houseman, etc. Working NYE and weekends isn't great.

Overnight stock for a local grocer, it's rough towards the end because you're still working when the store opens and you're on your last hour. They dim the lights at night to preserve energy so when they turn them on in the morning, takes time for your eyes to get adjusted.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Was this thread made to tell everyone you have a job?

If that is your schedule, work. What is there to think?

 

[dh1water]

the thread was made in 2012...settle down 

 

[DCAllAfrican]

 
the thread was made in 2012...settle down 

Well reported for bumping threads.

Settle that

 

[dipsetgeneral]

I work residential care overnights for about 2 and a half years now and it's straight. The best shifts to work are 7AM-3 PM, of 11PM-7AM.

I would never do a day shift.

But anyway, I sleep at my job so it's sweet. Getting paid to sleep is the only way. I put the clients to sleep and make sure they are knocked out cold, so I can get my sleep on.

As a matter of fact, I'm bout' knockout right now, BRB fellas.

 

[mr j 858]

I'm surprised at the number of help desk, call center, customer service jobs are still available here in the US right now today.

I did this type of work from 99 to 2002. I HATED it and will never go back to this type of work again.

I worked over night shift 4 day 10 hour with Friday, Sat, Sun off. Also did a shift where I worked 3 12 hours days where I worked Friday, Sat, and Sunday and had M-Th off.

I mean this type of work might be alright if a person can handle it when they are young, single, and going to college.

But yeah I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with a wife or girlfriend.

 

[humpasaurus rex]

I'm a RN and work 7p-7a; 3x/week. Adjusting isn't bad I just wake up at 8am my first day and then go back to sleep from 1p-5p. After that I usually am so tired when I get home I fall asleep by 9am. On my first day off I make it a habit to wake up at 1pm so I stay on a regular sleep schedule.

 

[wayniac211]

Used to do 11-7 for three yrs straight. Used to throw a big *** blanket over windows in room to keep it dark during day. Miss the open freeways and no lines at any drive thru/convenient stores