Coping with Night Shifts

I stocked shelves from 10pm – 7am, five days a week for three months. And it definitely can be hard on the body. I always thought that night shifts were for me because I am a night owl. I like to sleep in until noon and stay up until around 4-5am. But working a graveyard shift is a whole difference thing than just staying up extra hours to play a video game.

Here are some tips on helping you through those late night shifts.

Avoid Long Commutes
There are two fast reasons why I can think of this being an importance. One is that you are going to be very tired after work. Some of you may be returning home when it is still dark with other tired drivers. It is not a good idea to be driving while you are tired, ever. The other reason is that a long commute is keeping you from precious sleep time. When you get off work you will probably still be restless enough to not want to pass right out. If you are driving for an hour after work you are losing time to relax before sleep.

Avoid Caffeine
It is going to be hard to fall asleep at times. Caffeine should be avoided as much as possible. It always sounds great to have a soda or a strong cup of coffee to keep you up during the night hours, but caffeine will also make it harder for you to fall asleep which will contribute to being even more tired.

Preparing Your Bedroom
It is important to set your bedroom up so that it will be dark when you plan on going to sleep. When I got off work it was 7am. I would get home and not be settled for bed until around 9 – 10am. It was so light out that unless my blinds were shut with dark curtains it was very difficult to sleep. I suggest that you get both blinds and dark thick curtains that will keep the sunlight out. I had the biggest problem with this and complained a lot about it. But my co-workers told me with good blinds and curtains you will feel like you are sleeping at night.

Also do your best to make your room noise free if at all possible.

Set a Schedule For Yourself
Obtain good sleep hygiene and decide on a schedule that works for you. If you can find a good schedule for yourself you will be able to set time to still do other things like pay bills, clean your house, and spend time with family and friends. If you do not find yourself in a good routine you could end up feeling like you are wasting all your free time figuring out when to go to bed and when to do other things.

Don’t forget about your friends
This was another struggle I had with this. A lot of my friends started hanging out for the evening at 10 and that was when I had to go to work. Try to still make time for your friends. If you don’t you could really become lonely and depressed with your job. If you find you are having a hard time spending time with your friends, let them know your situation and perhaps they will make more time with you. If this is not possible try filling your time with friends that work with your hours too, but remember to not forget about your current friends when finding new.

Take Sleep Classes if possible
There will be some companies out there that will offer classes on how to help you through your night shifts. It will teach you good sleep hygiene and how to help your family cope as well. If this is available, I suggest that as well. Where I worked these courses were not offered.

Health Tip
There can be serious health risks involved with sleeping during the day instead of at night. If you are having troubles sleeping consult your doctor.

Always keep yourself rested up and socialized. The night shift doesn’t have to get you down. But if you are really struggling with it, it may be time for new hours or a new job all together.