Where my graveyard workers at? vol. I feel fresh as a daisy

[Mokorider]

Sup NT fam, been a while since I've been on here hope all is well with all of you.

Just curious for those working the graveyard shift, how do you adapt your sleep schedule and functioning with the transition when you first started or how you manage.

Recently started the graveyard shift in my apprenticeship in aviation and I know in this field graveyard will be the long term shift due to low seniority but trying to balance time and schedule as far as social life, gym, sleep, hobbies, etc.
People are telling me to take melatonin since it's already been 3 months and I still cannot adapt going to sleep early enough to get at least 4-6 hours of sleep. There's days where I'm up almost 2 days straight until I end up knocking out. I can function normally and focus on my job since it's fast paced and I will not lie with caffeine and those bang/celsius drinks but, I'm thinking long term and its effects. I've been slowly implementing eating healthier, taking daily vitamins, and working out enough to stay active. I do know I need to cut out the caffeine intake.

 

[jaypesoz]

Oh damn, I started in Aviation in 2006 myself so this sounds deja vu to me. I know all about the overnight aviation grind. I did it for the first four years of my career and I don’t really look back at it fondly. Seems like you’re at least aware of having your caffeine intake in check and needing to exercise.

I didn’t need caffeine but I remember 3/4am until 7am was absolutely brutal. My sleep cycle was damn near non existent and pretty much consisted of 2-3 multi-hour naps throughout the day.

So I know exactly what you’re going through but like you said, doing the job while there is the easy part and with your focus on caffeine intake and exercise already in mind, you at least have the main aspects down.

Other than that, you just sort of have to do what works best for you and just keep to that routine. Just use these beginning months to monitor how you body feels and make the necessary adjustments. It doesn’t exactly become easier but having a schedule will help make it more manageable.

Hopefully, you can get bumped up to a better shift sooner rather than later. Good luck, bro.

 

[TURBO UNO]

Shout out to all the overnight and graveyard shift people. That’s a hard job I tried and didn’t like.

Op, please don’t pick your nose.

 

[Mokorider]

Oh damn, I started in Aviation in 2006 myself so this sounds deja vu to me. I know all about the overnight aviation grind. I did it for the first four years of my career and I don’t really look back at it fondly. Seems like you’re at least aware of having your caffeine intake in check and needing to exercise.

I didn’t need caffeine but I remember 3/4am until 7am was absolutely brutal. My sleep cycle was damn near non existent and pretty much consisted of 2-3 multi-hour naps throughout the day.

So I know exactly what you’re going through but like you said, doing the job while there is the easy part and with your focus on caffeine intake and exercise already in mind, you at least have the main aspects down.

Other than that, you just sort of have to do what works best for you and just keep to that routine. Just use these beginning months to monitor how you body feels and make the necessary adjustments. It doesn’t exactly become easier but having a schedule will help make it more manageable.

Hopefully, you can get bumped up to a better shift sooner rather than later. Good luck, bro.

You EXACTLY know what I'm going through haha. You couldn't have described it any better. Once 8-9am hit, that's when I start feeling it the toughest once the plane's have taken off and we have the layovers left.

I appreciate the motivating words! Loving this career but hopefully the generational gap with all the upcoming retirements will allows us to move up to a better schedule.

 

[DB Cooper]

I worked grave for about 8 years. What’s worse, the last 6 years, my week schedule was half day shift/half grave. Sleeping during the day, my best advice is try and get your room as dark as possible. I had blackout curtains. I read the trick to this is to try and make it feel as if it’s night time. I was always tired. It’s just something I learned to live with.

 

[Mokorider]

I worked grave for about 8 years. What’s worse, the last 6 years, my week schedule was half day shift/half grave. Sleeping during the day, my best advice is try and get your room as dark as possible. I had blackout curtains. I read the trick to this is to try and make it feel as if it’s night time. I was always tired. It’s just something I learned to live with.

I forgot about blackout curtains
Luckily I work 4-10s so I get 3 days to somewhat recuperate the exhaustion I start feeling on my 3rd day of work.

 

[deusavertat]

Yea I work a combination of nights, days and evenings. It's rough.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

 

[danikerhino]

I started working overnight recently(8:30pm-5:00am) after I left my last job. Fortunately, I don't have a job that I have to work the entire shift so I could fill it in with working out, down time, and naps.
When I get home, I usually sleep from 6-7am to 1-2pm. I'm getting accustomed to it and I like the peace at night, but the bad part is food selection is extremely limited if I don't bring anything in and I miss being around alot of people during the day.

But I absolutely make sure that I sleep overnight on my off days so I could actually enjoy a full day out. I'm actually alot more adaptable to this compared to when I was younger. I also prefer it over the alternative shift at 5:00am-1:30pm because I hate sleeping early.

Edit: In my scenario, I try not to drink any caffeine past 10pm, I try to exercise before 3am, I try to finish my work early so I can start my 'sleep' before I get off and 'continue' when I get home, and most of all, I try to wind down mentally before I get off so I'm not wired before I attempt to sleep. I don't know if you could incorporate all of this in your field, but I know that everyone is different so try some things out that may work for you.

 

[TURBO UNO]

Much respect to you danikerhino
I feel you on that lack of options for lunch. I ate instant ramen noodles several times, lol.

 

[danikerhino]

Much respect to you danikerhino
I feel you on that lack of options for lunch. I ate instant ramen noodles several times, lol.

Lol one night I worked out, got hella drained and filled myself up with protein bars and ramen from the vending machine and still was hungry. It was depressing.

 

[TURBO UNO]

Lol one night I worked out, got hella drained and filled myself up with protein bars and ramen from the vending machine and still was hungry. It was depressing.

Aye, no shame in it. We had to fill up on whatever was available so we could move on to the next portion of the job 💪

 

[ForNarnia]

I worked grave for about 5 years in my early twenties while I was in college. Worked 10pm-6:30AM and would be in class starting as early as 11 AM some days and would be at campus as late as 9 PM, and then straight to work lol. Now that I look back at it I still don’t know how I did it lol.

I think me just naturally being a nocturnal person helped. And being young. But for anyone 30 years old and over I don’t think it’s feasible long term. Any kids? Then forget about it lol.

At the end of my shift I would either study/do homework, or if I didn’t have class till later in the afternoon then I would be at the gym. That way I was either mentally or physically tired after a night shift and those 3-5 hours of sleep would really recharge me.

My coworkers were opposite. They would get home as fast as possible so they can sleep. For me personally I wasn’t ever able to fall asleep straight after work. That’s like working a 9-5 and then going to bed at 6 PM sharp.

You just have to find a rhythm that works for you

 

[deusavertat]

I'm off this week but still on a night schedule. Slept all day up all night.

 

[wayniac211]

 

[deusavertat]

 

[MakeNTGreatAgain]

in college i had to work overnight a couple black fridays and man that was the worst

much respect to dem night owls

 

[shotsrangout]

Work an overnight shift for a month or two every year.

Feel the life draining out of me every time I do it. That **** just is not healthy at all. Never get adequate sleep, always tired when you get out of work and at work. Just a miserable existence for me. Kudos to anyone who does it year round. My buddy has been a cop for a decade now and he’s been doing it since he started. Dude is damn near zombie like at this point.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Work an overnight shift for a month or two every year.

Feel the life draining out of me every time I do it. That **** just is not healthy at all. Never get adequate sleep, always tired when you get out of work and at work. Just a miserable existence for me. Kudos to anyone who does it year round. My buddy has been a cop for a decade now and he’s been doing it since he started. Dude is damn near zombie like at this point.

 

[deusavertat]

I'm back on nights 9pm to 7am on Monday for 7 days then 2 day break then back to evening 3pm to 11 pm shift for 4 days.

that switch to day or evening shift is always brutal.