Question for the night shift guys

[beerwolf]

How in the hell do you get to sleep once you get home after a night shift?
It's light out and just not right to be trying to get a few hours sleep. I've tried the non thc pot which did nothing, melatonin..nothing, a few beer as weird as they tasted did nothing. Couple shots of whiskey a no go. Anyone have any secrets besides doctor prescribed sleeping pills?

 

[RXN]

How in the hell do you get to sleep once you get home after a night shift?
It's light out and just not right to be trying to get a few hours sleep. I've tried the non thc pot which did nothing, melatonin..nothing, a few beer as weird as they tasted did nothing. Couple shots of whiskey a no go. Anyone have any secrets besides doctor prescribed sleeping pills?

Ear plugs in
. Dark blinds and curtains over the window.
Out like a light

 

[MK4TDI]

Ear plugs in
. Dark blinds and curtains over the window.
Out like a light

All of this, especially ear plugs. Melatonin for me the first couple nights some times. 10 mg under the tongue and another fuel action 10mg down the hatch. Can toss in an ibuprofen too haha.

 

[firstdoo]

You need to treat it just like day shift. Get home, shower, eat, get a few things done around the house. Relax and watch a show. When you’re ready for bed or you need to start work in 9-10 house crawl into bed. Try not to think of anything and get a good blackout blind for your window or you can get a good eye mask to block out the light. I have one that looks like a mini bra (I sh!t you not). It doesn’t put any pressure on your eyes and you hardly notice it. Works wonders.

like I first stated, biggest think is treating night shift like dayshift, just 12 hours apart. I’ve prob did 4 years of night shift over the last 15 years.

 

[fredw]

How in the hell do you get to sleep once you get home after a night shift?
It's light out and just not right to be trying to get a few hours sleep. I've tried the non thc pot which did nothing, melatonin..nothing, a few beer as weird as they tasted did nothing. Couple shots of whiskey a no go. Anyone have any secrets besides doctor prescribed sleeping pills?

Back in my youth did night shifts, can’t imagine how many days it takes off your life ..

Found if I could do nights, do it for a month rather than a few days of nights and then day shifts..

Not something I want to do again

 

[gotboost]

What he said I did 6 years of straight nights did the same thing as he explained

 

[Cyle]

I don't know how anyone does it long term. I lasted 4 weeks doing it one winter working outside and it was brutal. Impossible trying to sleep before you go for first night shift so insanely tired and never sleep well during the day. The only time it would be good is when you are young and in the summer and just not sleep much and get more done.

 

[Bogger]

You need to treat it just like day shift. Get home, shower, eat, get a few things done around the house. Relax and watch a show. When you’re ready for bed or you need to start work in 9-10 house crawl into bed. Try not to think of anything and get a good blackout blind for your window or you can get a good eye mask to block out the light. I have one that looks like a mini bra (I sh!t you not). It doesn’t put any pressure on your eyes and you hardly notice it. Works wonders.

like I first stated, biggest think is treating night shift like dayshift, just 12 hours apart. I’ve prob did 4 years of night shift over the last 15 years.

^^^^^^THIS.... I LOVED night shift and the key is to get into routine just like a normal day.... We used to go for a round of golf from 6am-9 or head out to the lake and go fishing for a few hours. Other times we would just go home BBQ a steak dinner, play cards and drink beer until 10am. It was likely easier because I had roomates on the same shift and our evening was from 5:30 am to 10 am. I used tinfoil and heavy black garbage bags on my window and used a fan for white noise, never needed any sleep aids but woke up a little hung over at 5pm a few times.... And you need to keep the same routine on days off, the only chitty part was that it was tough on the family life but I don't think I could have done it if I was home every day - I had a house full of night shift folks in fort mac.

 

[Bogger]

I did an "evening shift" last year for a few months working from 3:30pm to 1:30am - I liked the shift but it was rough on the family, I would get home at 2:30 watch TV for a bit and be in bed by 3:30-4.... wife got up at 5:30 and left for work at 6:30 so I would get interrupted and at that time we had 2 kids and 2 grandkids at home so my sleep suffered a bit.

 

[FatGuy]

14 years of nights. Loved the every bit of it. See some wild stuff around 3:50 am. That seemed to be the time always.

I was 6:30 at night till 5:30 am.
I would get up at noon- one ish And by the time you work and go home and have a good tug it’s lights out. Haha

 

[Pedaling pete]

When I was younger I worked on a drilling rig. 2week shift, 1Week of days , 1 week of nights. Brutal

 

[Bogger]

14 years of nights. Loved the every bit of it. See some wild stuff around 3:50 am. That seemed to be the time always.

I was 6:30 at night till 5:30 am.
I would get up at noon- one ish And by the time you work and go home and have a good tug it’s lights out. Haha

I couldn't do it that way, I can't stand being up for hours waiting to go to work, I'm wired to wake up and go to work then relax & leisure after work before bed..... I guess everyone is different.

 

[E-Zmoke]

Like others have said the secret is staying up as late as you can when your finished work. Just flip your clock 12hrs. Your 9AM is now 9PM. How many days a week would you normally go to bed at 6pm? If you finish early go and do something and enjoy the day. I always try to be in bed for midnight or high noon, after a few days your body just accepts the rollback and it’s like everyday life. It’s all in your mind that you can’t sleep. The ones who try to sleep when they are done after work will fail at night shift, just treat it like any other regular day am is pm though

 

[FatGuy]

I couldn't do it that way, I can't stand being up for hours waiting to go to work, I'm wired to wake up and go to work then relax & leisure after work before bed..... I guess everyone is different.

i liked going to bed when still kinda dark. And getting up and not rushing doing all chores when stores are open.

I will say though the sounds of birds chirping at 6-7 am trying to sleep sucked. Or kids playing out side during summer vacation haha the little things I tell ya.

 

[rebel]

Was farming at the time so I would work a 7pm to 7am. Go home sleep till noon. Farm till 6 and then head to work. Was great. Did it for 7 years. When I didn't have anything planned or if I couldn't sleep I would have the room as dark as I could get it and put on baseball. 5mins and done.
To this day if Baseball is on TV all it takes is 5 mins and I'm out.

 

[Grinder]

I did nights for 11 years straight at iol and im back doing it again. The longer you are on the shift the easier it gets. Its the switching back and forth days nights that fubars you. My shift is 730 pm to 4am. Drive home hot shower go to bed wake up around noon 1. Rinse and repeat. My window in room is blacked out you close the door and its darker than the inside of a cow.

 

[Stompin Tom]

Get home, shower, have a light meal, a quick piece of tail and off to dreamland.

 

[CountryRider]

1hr in the shop, shower beer/whiskey, lay in bed, youtube some projects lights out

 

[TDR]

Good advice here. Have to find what works for you. I found that dark room and ear plugs work best for me.

 

[Clode]

Just get the other half to suck the awake out....insta sleep