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[wristtattoos]

Those of you who work overnight shifts, do you prefer to sleep right after work and get up a few hours before work...or stay up, sleep, and get up and go right to work

Comments

[gravebug]

I work 7pm-7am Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and I work 7pm-11pm Thursdays (for a total of 40 hours a week). On my work days, I am in bed by 9am at the latest and I'm usually up by 4pm most days, or if my boyfriend is off that day I will sleep in until 5pm

[wristtattoos]

Thank you very much!! That schedule kind of sounds awful!

I'm going to try these ideas....I have these terrible sheer white curtains that are gorgeous...but sheer and white curtains + an eastside rising sun at 5:45am was absolute god-sent torture! I think I ended going through my xanax prescription in a week because I was so miserable and I hadn't tried melontonin. It works SO well and I get very restful sleep on it.

[gravebug]

It's really not too bad. I've been doing it for nearly two years, so I guess you get used to it. I really enjoy having a three day weekend every week!

Definitely get blackout curtains... they can be expensive but they're so worth it. Melatonin is a godsend. Sleepytime tea is, too!

[punkymcmunky]

Get black out curtains, a white noise machine, and melatonin pills. I worked overnights for years. I went to bed as soon as I got off work. I worked 7 nights on 7 nights off 9pm to 8am. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it.

You are probably sleeping so long because you aren't getting restful sleep.

I would go to sleep as soon as possible after work and ease back when I get up day by day. You say you sleep in until 8pm, set an alarm for 7pm, then in a couple days 6pm, a few more days 5pm, etc.

[soberloki]

I did 11p-7a for 2 years, and I always used my mornings for errands and grocery shopping and such, and went to bed noon-ish, getting up around 9pm. Blackout curtains and quiet are invaluable, and also cool temperatures in your room.

Trying to sleep during the day when you're too warm or there's too much light is insane and impossible.

[wristtattoos]

I actually really like going to bed at about noon and waking up at 9pm. I can shower, eat dinner and get ready to leave...however staying up until 12pm can be tricky.

[soberloki]

Exactly! I had about a thirty-minute commute, so there was time for a shower and a meal, and off I went.

But I was really glad when they pulled me off graves and gave me evenings instead.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

:nodding: When I worked overnights I did virtually the same thing, except I never kept a strict "You must be in bed by noon" schedule. I'd go to bed around 2PM and wake up around 9PM.

I also found it incredibly difficult to sleep in the morning. It wasn't so much light (I had blackout curtains) as it was knowing it was morning and my family was up doing everyday morning things.

[lrio]

I sleep right after work... but I do so with the aid of prescribed ambien.

Good luck, I'm new to overnights myself. It's a bitch.

[wristtattoos]

Good luck to you as well! I feel a little off balance but I'm getting used to it...I'm just so tired all the time right now.

[bottledjayme]

My husband works 12am-9am. He gets home at 10am, has something to eat, goes to sleep. Wakes up about 2pm. He then stays awake until 9pm, then sleeps until around 11:30pm.

It seems to work for him.

[wristtattoos]

That's a pretty good schedule actually. I wish I could be as disciplined, but I don't have many obligations aside from work and occasional dr's appointments....This overnight business is making me quite lazy.

[bottledjayme]

I think it just becomes easier over time and you get into a pattern that suits you. He's been doing the same sleep schedule for 10 years now, so I think it would be very difficult for him to get into an 8 hours straight a night type of pattern. Don't try to think of it as what you "should" be doing, just do what your body lets you.