Working/Living some strange hours

[Brian Jackson]

Hi everyone.

This post needs no response. It's just to say that I'll show up or be conspicuously absent at odd hours from now on (as if people cared to begin with ). My wife, Cindy, just accepted and has been working a part-time job, working nights to help us make ends meet, and my own clients usually make requests for next-morning delivery. So a nocturnal schedule has its advantages I suppose.

Tonight, or rather this morning, I was just finishing washing the dishes and vacuuming when my wife got home from work at 4:15 AM. Though uncontestedly an odd-ball schedule, I think it could work. The least I could do to help her is housework and adjust my sleep schedule such that we've more time to spend together. Besides, left to my own devices I'd sleep 'till noon anyway... Typical guy thing eh?

An early morning for me now will be a 10:00 AM meeting, but I'd like to maintain some balance. Have any of you guys went from days to nights as a work schedule? If so, did you find any tricks or methods to keep from getting burned out during that transition process?

Brian

 

[PW_Plack]

Brian,

I'm subsisting temporarily on free-lance projects, punctuated by occasional temp jobs for local broadcasters. This means I'm mainly a night-owl, (note time of this post,) but two weeks ago I got called to do a week of morning drive news at a radio station in Portland, starting at 4:30am each days for five days.

The best advice I can give you is to avoid caffein, and eat three regular meals a day, and make them healthy stuff. Find a way to make eating good food convenient and quick, so you won't be tempted to shortcut. If you spend a couple of days living on cold cereal and cola, you'll feel much more exhausted for a given number of hours of sleep. Caffein is like giving your metabolic pendulum a big shove...great for about four hours, then you'll be way more sleepy than if you weren't going thru caffein withdrawal.

I make up a week's worth of balanced dinners in Rubbermaid dishes, and stack them in the fridge. They're like homemade TV dinners. They're ready in less than 3 minutes in the microwave oven. Tonight I had corned beef, diced potatoes, spinach and carrots. I also have two weeks worth of plastic bowls of oatmeal in the fridge for breakfasts, another great nuclear bachelor food.

Otherwise, I found NO trouble transitioning to late-night hours, except that late-night TV will rot your brain. The trouble for me comes when I have to transition back to radio morning show hours! Fortunately, I think my dependence on that whole declining industry is about to end.

 

[StanFoster]

Brian: I am self employed in my stair business...and literally can come and go when I please. However....it takes self discipline or I would not be in business long.

I am an early bird and usually am in my shop at 6 a.m. and done at 3 p.m.....unless I want to go FLY...

I love this freedom I have to be able to go fly on a whim.......on the other hand I appreciate this benefit I have and use it as a motivator to keep a step ahead on my stair projects......no pun...

Stan

 

[Mike Hook]

Brian

I worked midnights for 19 years off and on in the coal mines and never did get used to it. Had a habit of cleaning ditches out on the 42 mile way home from work, even tested bark strength on trees ewwwww that one hurt. Some adjust to night shift schedule better than others. Meeeeee I am a day person.

Good luck

 

[scottessex]

Brian, I hear you, I used to work 12 hour shifts on a 3 on 2 off 2on 3 off schedule, I had to keep that routine during off days or I would be burnt. But we rotated every month Days to Nights. 7 to 7. You just have to find what works for you.

 

[Jonvee]

Hey Paul

Hey Paul

Otherwise, I found NO trouble transitioning to late-night hours, except that late-night TV will rot your brain. QUOTE]

I work the late shift at the WB just to make sure there is plenty of brain rotting shows for your pleasure. All the Friends, Frasier and Cheaters you can stand.

 

[Vance]

What is normal hours? For that matter, what is sleep? Thank you, Vance

 

[GyroRon]

Brian.... Get a Lawnmower, make money, and all is well and good!

 

[Jerseywing]

There have been studies done that prove rotating shifts reduce productivity and shorten lifespan. Despite what you may think you will never catch up on lost sleep. It just doesn't happen. In my younger days playing on Subs when in port I'd frequently have a schedule like this
8AM Monday-4PM Tues working straight through
8AM-4PM Wed
8AM Thu-4PM Fri working straight through
etc...

There were alot of 30 year old men going on 50 as it would burn you out.

Eat well, and get catnaps when you can, they help immensely to recharge your batteries.

Most of all try and establish a routine and keep to it even on your off days.

Good Luck

 

[KenSandyEggo]

Maybe it's improved now with more emphasis on healthy eating and activities, but at one time, a retiring cop would last about four or five years and the average age of death was something like 58. All the crummy hours, crummy food, crummy divorces and crummy stress would just eat you up. When I first started, we would rotate shifts every month. I'd just get used to one and we'd switch. On every night shift, I'd get sick with something....a cold, the "poops," or some weird stuff. I never could adjust and I hated the night shift.