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It's the first time I've been put on this type of shift (on call between 6pm and 6am). Working at St.Paul's hospital.

Is there any members working/have worked that type of shift ?

How did you adapt ?

I'm on my 2nd week and having a difficult time adjusting.

If you guys who are/have experienced this, I would really appreciate any advice on how to deal with the odd hours.

Cheers (sleepy but have to be alert)

Crack-a-chino!

saying that really fast can mean so many different things

and no red bull. That kind of stuff will rearrange your insides !

I have been on night shift for over a year now. I find I am most productive/awake if I stick with the same schedule; sleep in the evening, work from 11-7am then I can work around the house till 2-3ish. The biggest dealbreaker for me is if my sleeping pattern gets thrown off. Are you on all night shifts or just the odd one?

Odd ones.

2-3 weeks norm 9-5. Then rotating between 5-6 others and with vacations and people shifting around my 1 week on call shifts may be 1 week a month and it varies

It's tough so far. Throws off my eating schedule too

I have worked those shifts and routine is the only way to handle it.
My wife is a nurse and used to do those shifts as well as split shifts and late early.
They were very difficult for her.
It would be much better to have permanant nights and early etc.
Far more productive for all concerned

I work at Victoria Hospital in London, ON and when I have to work overnights I try to keep my routine the same as if I was working days. Example. If I work a 9-5 I wouldn't come home and go right to bed. I stay up, eat dinner etc then go to bed approx 8 hrs before work. So when I work a night shift and get home at 7:30am I stay up for about 5-6 then go to bed.
It works great!

I have worked 6 until 6, 4 on 3 off at a lumber mill for about a year. We usually worked one week days then one week nights. Sucked so much going from nights to days - very hard for the body to adjust - I found. Did become quite good at stealth sleeping though.

Craig

CREGAN wrote:Did become quite good at stealth sleeping though.

unfortunately there is no way I can pull that off in this environment.

bells go off, I have to run.

It's funny I'm not having a difficult time adjusting between the night and day shift. I'm just having a hard time keeping awake but more important, alert during the night shift.

I'm not a coffee drinker. Caffeine doesn't do anything for my system. The power drinks are out of the question. I'm up for something herbal if it's good.

Get your sleep. Seriously. You need to figure out when the best time to sleep is and then make time for it.

I get up between 00:30 & 02:00 all week and force myself to be in bed by 18:30 even though there is still a lot of "life" going on. I used Melatonin at first but find I rarely need it these days. Also, take a nap when you need one. Even a half hour can add a new perspective to the rest of your day. If it matters, I'm a professional driver, I never sleep on the job.

Thanks for the advice.

I will try the naps.

Hey Jesse, feeling your pain. I was amazed to hear that some people stay up until 5pm after working a night Shift as everyone at my work seems to agree that you hit the wall around 9-11am. So you are on call during your shift, does that mean you are onsite or at home. I know that nurses work together and usually combine their breaks for a siesta but that may not be possible if you are the only "go to guy". On night shift, when I work it, a routine is definitely better. Having adequate sleep prior to the shift is important, if you are getting sleepy waiting for a call then try staying active as I find helps. Maybe giving someone else a hand or a little exercise. For me the hardest thing about nightshirt is the sleep afterwards, often I get home at 7am and I am only able to sleep until 11 or noon but taking an over the counter sleep aid gets me into a routine in a couple days and that helps immensely. I usually try to sleep until 1-2pm then i will try to have an hour sleep before work but a 12 hour shift makes it hard. I do notice I get cranky without proper sleep so it is important for all that I work at it :)

Cheers and best of luck working it out

Back as a young teenager I worked rotating shift work.....ie 7-3, 3-11, 11-7. My shifts changed every week. The only way I did it was trying to keep some schedule. Which was increasingly difficult when all of my 16 year old friends wanted to stay up late all the time. Also if coffee does nothing for you try to find a good green tea( I find that does wonders but then I really like green tea. Sleeping patterns I found made a difference but more importantly a meal schedule like always eating a breakfast, lunch and supper regardless of what time of day.

Also, lay off the coffee, other than your usuall whatever that you would normally have. I have my 2-3 cups at breakfast and water the rest of the day. Water does not make you pee more frequently and generally helps your body function.

I do enjoy tea. I may try a good black tea although I'm not a tea connoisseur.

I eat regularly and drink water often throughout the day so lack of either won't be an issue.

The hospital can get spooky during the late hours in places that are void of humans. I find myself walking briskly through those areas. Good exercise.