working nights

debrag

on my old ward that could give you a 12.5hr day shift then 3 or 4 night shifts the next day!!

paddyrg

Go to a curtain/fabric shop and ask about blackout material (which, oddly, is white, and a couple of quid a metre), get a bit of stick-on velcro, and make some removable blackout window covers for your room (nothing posh, stick some velcro to the frame and stick some oversize bits of blackout fabric over the top of the windows, very quick and very easy)

In terms of sound, you may find some gentle white noise (sounds a bit like one long crashing wave) may help - de-tune a mediumwave or longwave radio, or make a CD of white/pink noise and let it play gently in the background - it has a strange effect of helping other noises seem quieter. A combination of real dark, lower sound levels, and do your whole normal bedtime routine, it can help somewhat. It's the changes day to night to day shifts etc that knock you for 6 though.

Raksha

If you have the attitude that you won't be able to sleep, it won't help. My OH works shifts - he tries to get a few hours in the afternoon before the night shift, then a full 6-8 hours between shifts, after his last shift he will often sleep 6-8 hours again, and then sleep a full night. He has the window of the bedroom closed, our bedroom faces North, so no sunlight problems. Eating a carb high meal before bed can help sleep, as can the sound recordings - personally I like a sea waves, but others like the drone of air con or similar (you can get an app for your phone for these) Learning to relax and breathe properly can help too.

dawyldthing

when i worked at Sainsburys on nights while at uni I would try and sleep most of the day before starting them then after work i'd have a lecture so went to that and went to bed from 12pm until 8pm, wake up have something to eat and go to work. Did similar when not going to lectures as I can't function without loads of sleep

amyb_2

paddyrg wrote: »

Go to a curtain/fabric shop and ask about blackout material (which, oddly, is white, and a couple of quid a metre), get a bit of stick-on velcro, and make some removable blackout window covers for your room (nothing posh, stick some velcro to the frame and stick some oversize bits of blackout fabric over the top of the windows, very quick and very easy).

I have done exactly this - make sure it is up before you go in the room to bed (i.e before you go to work) and avoid turning the main bedroom light on. This should help with sleepyness.
I far prefer balckouts to wearing a mask.

paddyrg wrote: »

In terms of sound, you may find some gentle white noise (sounds a bit like one long crashing wave) may help - de-tune a mediumwave or longwave radio, or make a CD of white/pink noise and let it play gently in the background - it has a strange effect of helping other noises seem quieter. A combination of real dark, lower sound levels, and do your whole normal bedtime routine, it can help somewhat. It's the changes day to night to day shifts etc that knock you for 6 though.

I have a fan on low as the white noise helps me sleep.

I work a row of 7 nights every four weeks so get into a routine although the first couple are hard. I wouldn't like your roster pattern. Although we work 14 days in a row (without a day off) so i don't like my roster much either.

For me; i have a 'breakfast' of something slow releasing like oats at around 5.30 am, i then go striaight to bed when i get home at 07.30ish. The oats keep me full so i don't wake up hungry.

I normally sleep through until 15.00ish. I then get up have a slice of toast and wake up. I like to sit outside if the weather is ok to get a bit of sunlight although in the winter this isn't always doable.
I normally try and fit some exercise in before having dinner at around 18.30 (with my partner).

Shower, tart myself up I leave again then for work at about 19.45. I normally take a light 'lunch' to eat around midnight. Crackers or a sandwich. Nothing to heavy but enough to keep me from rading the vending machine.

On my first night i do a 13hr shift (15.5 hrs including trav). I try and sleep in until around middayish (i leave at 15.45). I'll have a decent luch/dinner before i leave and then take 2 smaller lunches to work - one for around 19.00 ish and one for around midnight. Then obviosuly my breakfast in the morning.

My last night again is a little longer aswell as i don't get home until about 09.00am. I always try to keep busy and stay up so i get a decent sleep that night as i'm back at work (12.00 leave home) the follwing day.

For me the most important thing other than sleeping is eating properly - i've i don't i get terrible blood sugar troughs/peaks and feel tired the whole week. I'm lucky in the fact that although i don't get a luchbreak or time away from my desk i can eat at my desk (whilst working).