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Anyone ever work third shift before?

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ Anyone ever work third shift before?
Mohican00's avatar

Mohican00

Dirty White Boy

3,394 posts
May 17, 2011 7:21 PM
Any suggestions on making the transition to nights easier? I just started 10 - 6, Monday thru Sat mornings so I'm looking for any kind of advice on working late at night.

I've already got my coffee card from the all night gas station
May 17, 2011 7:21pm
Fab1b's avatar

Fab1b

The Bald A-Hole!!

12,949 posts
May 17, 2011 7:23 PM
I am night owl so I have and am used to it. I would say if you have two days off before you start, the first day stay up 24 hours, then the 2nd day go to bed with enough time to get a full "nights" sleep before getting up to head in at 10pm if that makes sense.
May 17, 2011 7:23pm
GoPens's avatar

GoPens

Senior Member

2,339 posts
May 17, 2011 7:31 PM
Worked overnights for 8 years. Has it's pluses and minuses. Get blinds for the windows or heavy curtains to make your bedroom as dark and night-like as possible. Turn off the ringer on the phone--let the answering machine get it. Stay on the schedule as close as possible on weekends.
May 17, 2011 7:31pm
M

mrtinkertrain

Member

76 posts
May 17, 2011 7:45 PM
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day and do not drink caffine after 2 or 3 in the morning.
May 17, 2011 7:45pm
Mohican00's avatar

Mohican00

Dirty White Boy

3,394 posts
May 17, 2011 7:48 PM
I tried staying up as late as possible Sunday/Monday night and sleeping in and was doing ok last night until about 2 am when I hit a wall. Hopefully tonight will go better.

And yeah, I've already got heavy curtains over my windows in my apt. Unfortunately I live right off a heavily trafficked street so car noise is an issue
May 17, 2011 7:48pm
Belly35's avatar

Belly35

Elderly Intellectual

9,716 posts
May 17, 2011 7:51 PM
Is it a Union shop ... just work the first 4 hours and sleep the rest..........
May 17, 2011 7:51pm
sherm03's avatar

sherm03

I go balls deep.

7,349 posts
May 17, 2011 7:52 PM
It will take some getting used to. I worked third shift in a warehouse the summer after my freshman year in college. In all honesty, the hardest thing for me to get used to was coming home at 6am and eating dinner food.

After about a week of the schedule, you're body will get used to it. Just do what you can to keep close to the same hours on your off days. You don't want to have to readjust every Monday night.
May 17, 2011 7:52pm
Iliketurtles's avatar

Iliketurtles

Senior Member

8,191 posts
May 17, 2011 7:55 PM
I worked nights for 2 years. The first week or 2 really sucks trying to adjust to sleeping during the day and all. Things that I tried to do:

Try going to sleep around the same time everyday
Try having the room you're sleeping in be as dark as possible
This was just something I hated but I wouldn't take sleeping aids or anything like that they always made me feel worse waking up after taking them
Turn your phone on silent while you try and sleep
If you workout or anything I always found it better to do in the morning right after getting off work.

Good luck man.
May 17, 2011 7:55pm
SportsAndLady's avatar

SportsAndLady

Senior Member

35,632 posts
May 17, 2011 8:00 PM
Iliketurtles;771797 wrote:If you workout or anything I always found it better to do in the morning right after getting off work.

I've always wondered if 3rd shift workers get off work in the morning and stay up for 4-5 hours before falling asleep; like regular shift workers do.
May 17, 2011 8:00pm
sherm03's avatar

sherm03

I go balls deep.

7,349 posts
May 17, 2011 8:09 PM
SportsAndLady;771809 wrote:I've always wondered if 3rd shift workers get off work in the morning and stay up for 4-5 hours before falling asleep; like regular shift workers do.

I did when I did it. I basically just flipped my AMs and PMs. I would go to bed around 10am, and then wake up about 7:30-8:00pm to be at work by 9. Then I'd get off at 6am...go home, eat "dinner", and watch a little TV or do any type of running around I had to do before getting back home and going to bed.
May 17, 2011 8:09pm
gerb131's avatar

gerb131

Senior Member

9,932 posts
May 17, 2011 8:14 PM
Never liked 3rd's, I worked them several years ago but the shift differential was 2$. I almost killed a guy who lived next door and would always start something whether it was a mower, weed eater, motorcycle or car at like 9am.
May 17, 2011 8:14pm
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

Senior Member

7,809 posts
May 17, 2011 8:28 PM
Been working 3rd shift for a year now, plus a part time job in between, so my sleep schedule is all jacked up. before the part time job, i would work 10pm-6am. come home, eat breakfast and goto sleep. wake up around 4pm, eat lunch then eat dinner at about 8pm before i had to get ready for work. i would also pack a light "lunch" for work too for about 3am.

during off days i keep the same schedule if possible. i never had a problem sleeping during the day, so i never had to worry about covering up my windows.

now that i have a part time job after my full time job, i stay awake in the mornings till around noon before i goto bed and wake up at 8pm for work.

i actually dont mind 3rds. i like being able to run to the store even during the days i work because most places are empty, makes it easier to get things done.
May 17, 2011 8:28pm
Cat Food Flambe''s avatar

Cat Food Flambe'

Senior Member

1,230 posts
May 17, 2011 8:57 PM
When I did them, staying awake at work was the easiest part. I had the most trouble after the shift ended, especially once it was full daylight.
May 17, 2011 8:57pm
T

tuskytuffguy

Senior Member

615 posts
May 17, 2011 9:32 PM
Belly, I'm union, and I work my ass off all 8, 10, or 12 hours I'm there, so get the fuck off your non-union high-horse.
May 17, 2011 9:32pm
Hb31187's avatar

Hb31187

Senior Member

8,534 posts
May 17, 2011 9:38 PM
When I worked 3rd, id get off at 7am and go to bed immediately, then wake up about 3 or so and have some time to still do things during the day
May 17, 2011 9:38pm
GoChiefs's avatar

GoChiefs

Resident Maniac

16,754 posts
May 17, 2011 9:40 PM
tuskytuffguy;772072 wrote:Belly, I'm union, and I work my ass off all 8, 10, or 12 hours I'm there, so get the fuck off your non-union high-horse.

Don't waste your time.

I'm on midnights now myself, 10:30 to 6:30. I get home and am asleep by 8am. Then up around noon to 1pm. I'll doze off normally around 3pm again and the wife will wake me up when she gets home about 4:30 so I can spend the rest of the night with the family or do whatever I need to get done. Definitely takes some getting used to until you get on a schedule.
May 17, 2011 9:40pm
S

sportswizuhrd

Senior Member

3,215 posts
May 18, 2011 2:03 AM
I have been on nights for about the past 3 years. I have had some sleeping problems, where I would wake up after 3 hours of sleep and be fine. It would kick my ass about halfway through my 10 hour shift. I rely on energy drinks a lot and more than I should. I get thrown off schedule pretty easy when I get a night or two off. Often times I will go see my gf(two hours away) and then be up for 24 hours to be on the same sleep schedule as her. Again my ass getting kicked from it.

Basically follow what has been said already..Stay on the same sleep schedule, eat healthy, close your blinds or get a sleeping mask, dont answer the phone and definitely have fun on your nights off. A LOT of times during the week, i will get up at about 8pm and go out with some friends and the night would be over really early for me(1-2, which is late for them due to working mornings), then if you go to bed, you are thrown off for the next night.
May 18, 2011 2:03am
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

Senior Member

5,888 posts
May 18, 2011 11:25 AM
I worked swing shifts for 6 months last year. So I was rotating from days to afternoons to nights every week. I usually found it best to go to bed as soon as possible when I was on nights that way I could sleep as long as I wanted and got a full nights rest. made nights super easy and wasn't tired at the end. I wouldn't have more than a coffee at the beginning of the shift either.
May 18, 2011 11:25am
Fab4Runner's avatar

Fab4Runner

Tits McGee

6,196 posts
May 18, 2011 11:33 AM
I was seasonal at a factory during college and we had to swing shifts. Six weeks on 1st, six on 2nd and six on 3rd. I didn't mind 3rd shift but I noticed that my body was out of whack the entire time. My balance was off, I would bump into stuff...it was weird.

I was off at 7 am and would be in bed by 10. I'd sleep until 3 or 4 and then sometimes I would take a short nap before going back in at 11. I never really had problems staying awake. I don't drink coffee but would have a soda occasionally if I was feeling super tired.
May 18, 2011 11:33am
Iliketurtles's avatar

Iliketurtles

Senior Member

8,191 posts
May 18, 2011 12:57 PM
SportsAndLady;771809 wrote:I've always wondered if 3rd shift workers get off work in the morning and stay up for 4-5 hours before falling asleep; like regular shift workers do.

I would sometimes but other days I wouldn't just would depend on my mood. I normally was only up for 3-4 hours though I always liked to try and be asleep by 10am because I would wake up at 2-3pm just so I could do stuff.
May 18, 2011 12:57pm
G

georgemc80

Senior Member

983 posts
May 18, 2011 1:19 PM
I always made sure I had some sort of meal, prior to going to bed. It helped me get into a more sound sleep.
May 18, 2011 1:19pm
M

mallymal614

Senior Member

3,746 posts
May 18, 2011 2:06 PM
I would rather work 3rd instead of 2nd. I think 2nd shifts are the worst. It literally takes away your whole day. By the time you go home it's sleep time and then when you wake up at 11 or noon, you have to be back at work in a couple hours.
May 18, 2011 2:06pm
T

thavoice

Senior Member

14,376 posts
May 18, 2011 2:10 PM
Worked 3rd for 3 weeks before I quit. I was working 11-7am, and I had a PT job from noon to 430 PM. jobs were hour and a half away and I tried to do both becuase I was unsure if I would like the factory job.

I got tired but that mostly was becuase IF i slept every second I could I was only going to get 6.5 hours total sleep a night...and that was if I slept from the second I got home until I had to leave for the other job and that woulda been split up in 2 three hours stints.
May 18, 2011 2:10pm
GoChiefs's avatar

GoChiefs

Resident Maniac

16,754 posts
May 18, 2011 2:30 PM
mallymal614;773026 wrote:I would rather work 3rd instead of 2nd. I think 2nd shifts are the worst. It literally takes away your whole day. By the time you go home it's sleep time and then when you wake up at 11 or noon, you have to be back at work in a couple hours.

Agreed. I had the choice of afternoons or midnights. If I was single, afternoons would be great. But with a family, I'd never see my son on afternoons except for Sundays and in the summer when he was out of school.
May 18, 2011 2:30pm
oberhaus's avatar

oberhaus

Senior Member

868 posts
May 18, 2011 2:56 PM
I worked 3rd for about a year. Got off at 7-7:30 and home by 7:15/7:45. I stayed up till 9 or 10 then slept for 2 or 3 hours. I would get up and do stuff like golf etc. Then a couple more hours sleep in the evening. I really never required much sleep.
May 18, 2011 2:56pm