Night Shift - New job

arrianalexander

Looking for advice or guidance

started a new job, it's shift work 12 hour shift at night Monday night at 8pm to Wednesday night, finishing up Thursday morning at 8am

It's fairly intensive work, though I seem (in my head anyways) to be struggling more than others, though no one has suggested to me I'm slow but I'm going non stop where I see others in another section having a sit down (not often but the odd time)

On my days I work I feel that's all I'm capable of, once i get home sleep as much as I can ,eat and get ready to go back in.

On Thursdays I am wrecked, this Thursday in particular I was wiped, and did something to my back which has stayed with me all weekend, though it is improving.

I felt I was more on top of things and at ease with job at the beginning than now though im only there 6 weeks now

Wondering anyone else made a switch and found it tough at start but got there in the end

sorry if this post seems as self pity, part of me knows I just need to suck it up but a big part of me right now is mentally wrecked which partly down to sore back all weekend , presumably its nerve related as my whole body just feels off.

We all need time to adjust to a new environment.

Take your time, relax and stop putting yourself under pressure!

Plasandrunt

I've been working nights since January 2019 and it's tough but I moved from days in the same company so it wasn't as much of an ask regarding workload.

How have you managed to get a job working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays though. I'd absolutely love that.

Rubberchikken

I've worked nights 6pm to 6am 4 nighs a week on a rolling roster for the past 4 years.
The tiredness can be a killer, especially on the first day off. It's constant go on the nights with the break taken in one go of an hour and not any chance of stopping in between due to patients etc.

But I've gotten used to it and don't think I'd go back to days.
You will get used to it, eventually:)

Car99

I did 7 years of permanent nights 4 on 4 off , 12hr shifts until covid shut down my industry. For the last 6 months i have felt better than I did for any of the last 7 years . I thought I tolerated nights pretty well but it turns out I didnt. Do nights for as short a period of time as possible your body will never think it's normal.

CH3OH

I worked 2 day 2 nights 4 off for a few years.
I used to go to bed in the afternoon before my first night shift.. It. meant I wasn't up for 24 hours. Some people try and sleep on the morning.
I'd suggest having a sleep on Monday afternoon.
At first i was eating quite a lot on the nights, but eventually settled on eating my main meal before I went in and didn't eat a huge amount during the night.
I also found that I slept better if I didn't drink too much fluid late in the shift, as initially I was waking up to go the toilet at 11.
Working 12 hour shift, you don't really have any time for anything else. Work sleep eat..
I also found it useful to sleep with earplugs. .and black out blinds help during the summer

Takes time to get used to it , and people who haven't worked 12 hour nights just don't understand how your body can be put out of kilter.
but if you persevere there are a lot of advantages to the shift you are working.
Good luck

se25

I worked nights for 6 months and could not get used to it...was in my fifties and found that my younger colleagues adapted to the change a lot easier.
My biggest problem was not getting a good days sleep, 3/4 hours max and was usually feeling wrecked late on in the week.
try to get your meal times sorted and invest in earplugs and blackout blinds. People at my work swear by night work and would never change back...horses for courses I suppose...Good Luck

arrianalexander

Thanks for all the replies

Had to go to doctor today about my back

About to start my week now , got to be positive about the week and the time off

Plasandrunt

May I ask what job you're doing that only requires you to work 3 nights a week?

TheadoreT

I did nights for about 3 years and while there are upsides and downsides I think the negatives outweigh the positives.

If you want to have any normal life you kinda need to go back to normal hours on days off so it's like you're constantly in a jet lagged state switching between day living and night living the whole time.
So you're always a bit jaded and it tends to affect other areas of your life. I find a lot of people who work nights are overweight. Probably harder to care about being healthy when always tired.

Wouldn't reccomend sticking at it longer than you need to if at all avoidable.

Be right back

Having been doing nights for way too long, I usually do very little before my first night. Eat the main meal before work and small snack during work. Try not to drink coffee etc after work. I find peppermint tea great.