Can you handle a night shift?

[Hyperblaze]

I've done it in the past myself and couldn't wait to get out of it.

And by nightshift, I mean working till at least 5 am.

I did measure how long my body could go for though.

After 24 hours of being awake, my body starts breaking down.

 

[fustercluck]

You just have to change your schedule a bit for working the night shift. Say, waking up at 3 PM or something like that after getting at least 8 hours of sleep. You don't need to stay up any longer than you normally would just because you're on a night shift, unless you choose to.

Do night shift jobs usually pay more than day time jobs? Seems like they should of they don't. Though i heard studies show that night shift workers are much less effective than day time workers, which isn't hard to believe.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Night shift was a neat movie.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084412/


Tagline: Ever since two enterprising young men turned the City Morgue into a swinging business, people have been dying to get in.

I have worked nights before, and been at work for over 24 hours a few times,
too. Its hard to take a nap at lunch break, ugh.

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: jacktackle
You just have to change your schedule a bit for working the night shift. Say, waking up at 3 PM or something like that after getting at least 8 hours of sleep. You don't need to stay up any longer than you normally would just because you're on a night shift, unless you choose to.

Do night shift jobs usually pay more than day time jobs? Seems like they should of they don't. Though i heard studies show that night shift workers are much less effective than day time workers, which isn't hard to believe.

Most places will have some kind of night shift differential, anywhere from 5-15% usually.

 

[Desslok]

19:00 to 07:00 Wed Thr Fri and every other Sat.

Great to get days off when everyone else is working. Plus Wal Mart is empty at three am so it makes grocery shopping a breeze!

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron
Night shift was a neat movie.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084412/


Tagline: Ever since two enterprising young men turned the City Morgue into a swinging business, people have been dying to get in.

I have worked nights before, and been at work for over 24 hours a few times,
too. Its hard to take a nap at lunch break, ugh.

 

[wasssup]

I worked a 4pm-12:30am shift for a good 6-7 months...then a 1pm-10pm shift for another 6 months...

I'm finally back to working a real job during normal hours (8-5)...

 

[aircooled]

I've done it regularly in the past. You get used to it.

I occasionally have to pull an all nighter now and then. Thats pretty hard when you are on a daytime scedule.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: vegetation

Originally posted by: jacktackle
You just have to change your schedule a bit for working the night shift. Say, waking up at 3 PM or something like that after getting at least 8 hours of sleep. You don't need to stay up any longer than you normally would just because you're on a night shift, unless you choose to.

Do night shift jobs usually pay more than day time jobs? Seems like they should of they don't. Though i heard studies show that night shift workers are much less effective than day time workers, which isn't hard to believe.

Most places will have some kind of night shift differential, anywhere from 5-15% usually.

My differential is 75 cents/hr, which is still factored into overtime pay, vacation pays, and holiday pay.

As far as getting used to it? No. You don't. You never do. There are guys there that have worked that shift for 20 years that aren't used to it. Even people who claim that they usually stay up late have trouble making it through the whole shift. It's a whole different world when you are talking neffing at night and working at night. Most people spend their lunch breaks trying to sleep a little bit instead of eating. There have been plenty of nights where I stop to do something and wake up 10 seconds later and start doing it. Don't even try and sit down or it's all over.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Gonna be some sweet sounds coming down
On the nightshift
Nightshift, by the Commodores

Never had a problem with slingin' it at night - in fact, it was pretty fun. That was years ago, though.

 

[jupiter57]

In the Construction business, it's common to have to work different shifts on some jobs.
I always could handle a "2nd" shift (~4-12) pretty well, but once I was forced to pull a "3rd" shift (11 PM -7AM) and I simply could not do that.
(Seems I can't sleep once the sun rises, as I've always been an early riser anyway,always up before the sun comes up!).

Ended up quitting that project after a couple weeks on 2-3 hours sleep a night, and after some genious decided that in order for us to be able to work on Saturdays, we would have to work 11-7 Fri. night & Sat. morning and then return at 3 PM Sat. afternoon and work until 11 PM. Just so they could avoid paying Double time for Sundays (Union rules, time & 1/2 on Sat., Double time on Sunday, beginning at midnight)!

2 hour drive home, shower, eat, try to sleep, then 2 hours drive back for another 8 hours!

 

[TBone48]

I worked the 3rd shift (11:30pm - 7:00am) for 6 years. It was brutal, I never got used to it.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Been on a form of the night shift for about 5 years now. Either 2nd or 3rd shift, currently on the 3rd shift 12:30am-9am.

It sucks but your body gets used to it. 3rd shift is kinda nice if you can get your room real dark to sleep during the day since you can get a ton of crap done once you get off and the just sleep till you have to go in the next shift.

 

[AgentJean]

I just finished my last day of a month exilled to the 8pm - 5am shift.
Now for a 5 day vacation!!!!!!!


WOOO HAAA!

 

[FeuerFrei]

Just say no. It's life destroyer. I worked 3rd shift for 4 years and NEVER could sleep much at all. I became a zombie and I was in no shape to do the job search thing to find myself a day job. You go stretches of 5 days without any sleep. After a while your brain starts feeling fried and you have massive headaches, your overwhelmingly exhausted and your brain function steadily deteriorates. I switched back to day work and still cannot sleep everynight. Maybe every 10 days or so I get good sleep. MRI shows brain inflammation. Sleep drugs don't work like they should.
I'm not sure what the solution is because I'm still suffering from it.

 

[CStan]

Last summer I had a job in a corrugated cardboard plant. Hours were: 1 week 7am-3pm, next week 11pm -7am. Basically alternating between days and nihgts every week. Surprisingly, I didn't have a problem with it.

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: CStan
Last summer I had a job in a corrugated cardboard plant. Hours were: 1 week 7am-3pm, next week 11pm -7am. Basically alternating between days and nihgts every week. Surprisingly, I didn't have a problem with it.

that's brutal and cruel......why would they alternate someone with a schedule like that?!?!?

 

[KrillBee]

I think such a shift would be hard because on the weekend you'd probably want to be awake during the day. (whereas during weekdays you'd probably sleep during the day time)

How can one have much of a social life with a shift like that? They cant stay up late, cuz they have to work at 11pm. and theyd want to sleep during the day on weekends.

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: Hyperblaze
I've done it in the past myself and couldn't wait to get out of it.

And by nightshift, I mean working till at least 5 am.

I did measure how long my body could go for though.

After 24 hours of being awake, my body starts breaking down.

I used to easily work 24 hours at a time at my last job, a couple times staying up for multiple days with only a few hours of sleep. sucked a$$

 

[clickynext]

I would refuse to work a night shift unless I had no other options.

 

[Chrono]

I work night shift at my job. I work from Midnight - 11am. I've been working nights for the past 5 years. It's not that bad once you get used to it. ++ for me is that I get to sleep at work too though. haha.

 

[jrenz]

In the military, most shifts are a night shift.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I've worked 11pm-7am and that was okay. I've worked 6pm-4am and that wasn't too bad. I'm currently working 9pm-8am and this is the hardest one so far. The minimum 11hrs is what does it, I think. If it was a regular 8hr shift it wouldn't be as bad. As long as I have stuff to do time flies though, it's the slow nights where you are trying to stay awake that suck.


Lethal

 

[MX2]

I worked the night shift sporting a bunny suit for years while I was in College. Thats was of course right out of high school in my teens and early twenties. I wouldnt want to do it now

 

[Sphexi]

I work 10:30pm to 7am, been doing it for a year, some people get used to it and some don't. I've found that I only need about 4 to 5 hours of sleep a day now, and sometimes I feel a bit tired but nothing too horrible.

Also, there's only 6 guys working that shift with me, and currently we're doing the work of 12 people. We're far more efficient than any of the people working during the day.

 

[han405]

I work the third shift too, normally form 8pm to 8am for 7 days, then I have the next whole week off, its quite good.