Shift work and sleep

[hcsvader 1]

Anyone have a tricks or advice for readjusting sleep schedules after doing shift work?

Im 2 days out of working night shift for the last 6 weeks. I worked everyday for the last 4 weeks straight so its safe to say I had a very normal sleep schedule for the last month. I got 6 hours of sleep everyday, In bed at the same time and awake at the same time everyday for a month.

Well now it's over and my sleep schedule is TOTALLY screwed up

I used to swing shifts every 2 weeks from days to nights and it wasn't nearly as bad as this. When comming off night shift I would usually stay up all day the following day to get back onto a dayshift schedule.

I did this after my last night shift and I was sure I would sleep for at least 12 hours to catch up on some rest.

Nope, sure enough, even though I had been awake for 26 hours and hadn't had a day of rest in a month I was wide awake 6 hours after I went to sleep. it sure is fun being waking up at 1am ready to start your day...

Thought I would go for a nap yesterday afternoon to help make it thru the day... well I made it thru the day and most of the night. Slept for 12 hours and woke up at 3 am

I guess I should be alright in the next couple of days. Just in time to spend 18 hours of fun hanging out in airplanes and airports. Yay, lets add some jetlag to this equation

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[btvr 0]

I work 12 hour nights. Rotates so we have a 3 day weekend every two weeks. I find that just sleeping for just 3 or 4 hours the morning I get off helps me. Sure I am a little tired but able to make it to like 10pm then be back on a normal schedule the following days off.

[pincheck 0]

i have done continental shifts, 4 day-shift 4 off and 4 night shifts for 15 years. the way I learned to adjust was basicly to stay up after a last night-shift

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[missbrz 0]

I worked a summer where Tuesday - Thursday i would have normal 8-5 hours and Friday, Saturday and Sunday I worked 11pm-7am. I blocked my window with a sound dampener that also blocked out light. So it was pitch black and quiet whenever I wanted to sleep. It really did the trick. Spend a little time in a pitch black room and you'll want to sleep. Also, be careful with the caffeine. Don't drink it for a few hours before you want to sleep. Even if you're not really feeling the effects anymore, it can still make it harder to fall asleep.

Good luck & sweet dreams

[mutumbo 0]

Quote

I work 12 hour nights. Rotates so we have a 3 day weekend every two weeks. I find that just sleeping for just 3 or 4 hours the morning I get off helps me. Sure I am a little tired but able to make it to like 10pm then be back on a normal schedule the following days off.

im on the same schedule, and do the same thing. seems to work for me.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Quote

Im 2 days out of working night shift for the last 6 weeks.

my sleep schedule is TOTALLY screwed up.

Nope, sure enough, even though I had been awake for 26 hours and hadn't had a day of rest in a month I was wide awake 6 hours after I went to sleep. it sure is fun being waking up at 1am ready to start your day...

Thought I would go for a nap yesterday afternoon to help make it thru the day... well I made it thru the day and most of the night. Slept for 12 hours and woke up at 3 am

I guess I should be alright in the next couple of days. Just in time to spend 18 hours of fun hanging out in airplanes and airports. Yay, lets add some jetlag to this equation

Is this what you mean by your life totally rockin'?

Try a little pill called Benadryl.
I've got 27+ years in doing shift work. It ain't fun sometimes.

[mutumbo 0]

Ohh i forgot about benadryl!! ALOT of my nigt shift cohorts take 50mgs to help them pass out during the day. Seems to work well for them.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[Hipwrddude 0]

Here's a quick run down of findings in several studies on sleep. One, conducted with the US Army, was particularly revealing.

Shift work can wreck sleep and sleep patterns in many ways. First, keep well hydrated. That may sound funny, but if you're not urinating regularly and your urine is dark, drink water. You don't want sleep interrupted by a tinkle. If you start to feel run down, that's often one of the main reasons. Lack of hydration is a blood thickening, energy depriving, mental acuity stealing condition. Serious shit, seriously active prevention is necessary.
Blacken your sleeping quarters. Period. Light filtering into the room can bring one out of REM sleep--the deepest, most replenishing sleep your body gets. We dip into REM a few times a night -- make it count.
Do not work out before sleep. Vigorous exercise triggers the 'fight or flight' recticular activating mechanism in the brain, and it will phuck your sleep up. Work out at the start or early in your day.
Quiet your sleeping quarters--if at all possible, wear ear plugs--have someone wake you up. While one sleeps, part of the brain stays awake. Sleep is a descent and ascent through stages, sound and light can keep someone in a light sleep reducing their ability to 'recharge' their batteries.
Sleep regulates hormones ghelin, leptin and several others. Insufficient sleep depletes serotonin which increases sensitivity to stress, emotions and affect confidence. Sleep deprivation has been equated to impairness caused by alcohol -- both physical coordination and cognition.
Stay on schedule! Ask your doctor about laurazepam or some other tranquilizer/sleep aid. Use extremely sparingly as you don't want to take drugs for anything if possible. Unfortunately, shift work can wreck you, and once in a while you need help. If one can't calm their mind, restful sleep doesn't come.
Diet--reduce caffeine, no more caffeine of any kind after wake up. No tea, no stimulants of any kind, no energy drinks, no alcohol. Alcohol is a known REM sleep pattern inhibitor--a night drinking means a night of unrestful sleep. Take a great vitamin/mineral supplement in the AM, consider melatonin 45 mins. before bed (3 mg to start) as well as Sleepytime or Sleepytime extra tea (theanine) and relaxing herbal teas like chamomile. One must learn to wind down when the sun comes up.
For accumulated sleep deprivation, one needs 18 restful sleeps to fully recuperate and put hormones back in balance. If dragging, nap! Naps work.
In the end, you have to sleep and one must be disciplined about doing things to get a good sleep. If one doesn't maintain that discipline, they sentence themselves to suffer the run down, irritable, unclear mind, endless march, sit still and head drops world known unto the sleep deprived.
Rock on Dog, make every day count!

You're always the starter in your own life!

[dropdeded 0]

I've been on the same schedule for just over 5 years now-2 days on, 2 off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on 8 days off. a lot of those 8 days off I do day 12 hours, night 12 hours, a 24 here and there, whatever I can pick up (OT is where the $$'s at). I work in emergency services so those 48 hour shifts are generaly nights of broken sleep, naps when I can.
I found that temazepam works for me. If I need it. I do get to the bitchy stage but its generaly only for that first day off.
I dont know, dont really have any suggestions....the way I look at it is My deal is absolutely voluntary so if I dont like it, I need to just get the hell out of it.
Good luck. Ed

*Edit to add===Im working a 24 in Taft, lets hope the dz stays safe (and sane tonight)

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The Dude Abides.
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[mutumbo 0]

Quote

I've been on the same schedule for just over 5 years now-2 days on, 2 off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on 8 days off. a lot of those 8 days off I do day 12 hours, night 12 hours, a 24 here and there, whatever I can pick up (OT is where the $$'s at). I work in emergency services so those 48 hour shifts are generaly nights of broken sleep, naps when I can.
I found that temazepam works for me. If I need it. I do get to the bitchy stage but its generaly only for that first day off.
I dont know, dont really have any suggestions....the way I look at it is My deal is absolutely voluntary so if I dont like it, I need to just get the hell out of it.
Good luck. Ed

*Edit to add===Im working a 24 in Taft, lets hope the dz stays safe (and sane tonight)

2on 8 off!? where the hell are you working?

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[dropdeded 0]

2 on, 2 off, 2 on, 2 off, 2 on, THEN 8 off.

Kern County Ca. Private ambulance (Hall) in Frazier Park (Top of the Grapevine). ALS unit. Borders LA County and Ventura County.

And actually 6 off with a 12 metro Bakersfield and yesterdays 24 in Taft. OT's slow right now

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The Dude Abides.
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[mutumbo 0]

still you get 8 day soff in a row!!!

we work 2 on 3 off, 3 on 2 off

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.