Posted: 12/21/2008 11:14:08 AM EDT
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Hey everyone, I work night shift (9p-7a) for almost 4 years now and I love this shift and they guys I work with. After shift, I'd go home and go to bed around 730-8am and not have a problem going to sleep. Here lately (pass 2 or 3 months), I've been having problems staying asleep. Used to, I'd sleep till about 3pm, get about 7 hours of sleep and I'm great, now I wake up around noon. It's killing me at work. We all know we need 110% attention and alertness. Guys have any tips or remedies?
Side Note: This may be the cause of my sleep issue: I've been seeing a girl that has "normal" people hours and would spend a couple nights together during the week. So...I find myself going to bed at some what "normal" people time. So on my days off, I'll sleep semi-normal hours for 7,8, or 9 hours. I'm not saying she's the totally cause of my issue but who knows. I really enjoy being with her and don't want to give that up and I don't want to change shifts. Thanks guys, be safe. |
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Must be the girl....
I'm one luckey SOB... we change every 3 months, work 6am-6pm or 6pm-6am. When I am on nights, I go right back to "normal" sleep mode on my days off. When I get home after a night shift, I'm right to bed and sleep until about noon, do my daily run, then back to sleep until about 4:30pm. Never have missed a beat. Others on my shift say they stay up on their nights off... screw that!! It must be the fact you have something (the girl) going on in your life... |
| Tylenol Simply Sleep worked for me before I got my stripes and moved to days. They contain no pain releif, only a sleeping aid. I never had any side effects, except for when the my vol. fire pager went off and I didn't get at least 6hrs sleep, but I was drowsy only. Try them on your off days so you can know how they will effect you. Also, there is a cheaper knock-off that works the same... |
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I was just talking about this with a friend of mine today. He is on the job also, and could not get his sleep normal/healthy. His doc seems like a cool guy so he wrote him a script for a non-narcotics drug. Ask your doc? Personally, I would stay away from anything narcotic for long term anyway with our line of duty (LEO/FIRE/EMS). I guess I'm just scared of the stuff showing up. After surgery/injury is another thing, I'm talking about long term stuff.
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I don't have any problems sleeping on night shift. I keep a little pillow and blanket in my car and can usually get 2-3 hours a night.  Just kidding.......
I used to work out in the morning when I got off. I would then come home and fix breakfast for me and my wife and read for about an hour before going to bed. I would usually get into bed around 1030 or 1100. I would get about 6-7 hours sleep and be good to go. Court days were different and would usually not get to work out before I got to bed and would sleep later. On my off days, I didn't change my schedule much at all. If I had stuff to do, I would do it in the mornings after staying up all night, sleep for about 5-6 hours and get up when my wife got home. |
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consider some sleeping meds. over the counter stuff will usually be the same active ingredient in benadryl. it worked for me for a while, but i ended up building up a fairly respectable tolerance to it.
i use lunesta now, when i really need to sleep. i can usually sleep alright but sometimes it just doesn't work. |
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I worked the 2100-0700 shift when i was a kid..fucking hated it! I was always sick, grumpy and totally useless on my days off.
Your bodies sleep cycle is regulated by Melatonin––which can by synthetically produced. Run down to your local drug store (it's non prescription) and grab a bottle. Shoot for th 3 or 5 mg. WIll run you about $5-$7.00...try it for two weeks. Shit saved my life. I work 1500-0100 now and don't wish the late shifts on anyone! T1 |
Yeah, just wait until you're married with a couple kids. You have probs staying asleep? Try just getting to sleep. When I was on nights by the time I got home it was time to get to work. Assist with the wake up routine, kids up, dressed, fed etc. Then the Mrs would need some chat time(can't ignore the Mrs dude) then off to bed. Hopefully uninterrupted but usually not. 
Firstly, where is your sleep room? Regular bedroom? Well lit? If so get some darkening shades. I found once I did I slept better. I found when I went down to the basement where it was darker and more insulated noise wise from the house I slept even better. No TV before bed is better for some. It's stimulating and you're staring into a light. I'd avoid the benadryl and other OTC meds (save for melatonin)to fall asleep. It'll work but you may feel like you "need" them. Adjust your environment first. My schedule was 7p-7a. 3 on 4 off. I had to readjust every set of days off for the family and their "normal" schedule. I'd stay up late the night before my first shift back. I'd get home from my last shift and stay up all day and go to bed earlier to reset to the family schedule. Kinda brutal but it worked. |
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when I worked nights (did 1800-0600 for about 10 years) I would go through periods where I would have problems staying asleep or getting to sleep after work. It's insomnia (just during the day, which is our night, LOL) I found that it usually revolved around something else (problems with the wife or kids, extra stress at work, etc). I could usually figure out what the problem was though.
If a single beer didn't help I found that "pullin a relaxer" always did the trick, LOL. J- |
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I sleep in a bedroom. I live in apartment complex and my brother as a roommate. He's off to work before i get home in the mornings so i have no noise. Neighbors are all gone at work. My room is blacked out with blackout curtains.
i tried the melotonin and it works, got full sleep. I'm not gonna try to depend on it though. I'll try without it when I get home in the morning. |
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I'm probably one of the lucky few (if you want to call it that) who sleeps better during the day than I do at night. With that said, I make my bedroom as close to completely dark as possible. I purchased some foil-backed foam insulation board (comes in 4x8 sheets) and cut it to size for my windows. This not only eliminates the light, it cuts a substantial portion of exterior noises. I also use a small desk fan for white noise.
HTH |
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Quoted:
I'm probably one of the lucky few (if you want to call it that) who sleeps better during the day than I do at night. With that said, I make my bedroom as close to completely dark as possible. I purchased some foil-backed foam insulation board (comes in 4x8 sheets) and cut it to size for my windows. This not only eliminates the light, it cuts a substantial portion of exterior noises. I also use a small desk fan for white noise. HTH Insulation board-works great. Going on 4 years with mine. Also keeps the sun out during the summer. |
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Decades of night shift experience here.........I feel your pain.
I have found that any change to my routine disrupts my sleep cycle. (Keep in mind that I am 50 years old, it did not bother me so much when I was younger) I have always tried to keep a schedule akin to what a "normal" person would have. Most folks do not go to bed as soon as they get home from work and they do not get up 6-7 hours before work. To put it in perspective, Joe that works at a bank from 0900-1700 does not go to bed at 1730 and get up at 0130. Why do we? When I get off at 0600 I go home, eat and do my projects around the house until noon. I go to sleep at 1300 and get up at 2000. Report for duty at 2200. Of course when the DA calls me to court, I have to teach or go to training it messes up my schedule. Starting next week I am going to the 1400-2200 shift which is cool with me. Good luck, stay safe and stay rested. |
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Quoted:
I sleep in a bedroom. I live in apartment complex and my brother as a roommate. He's off to work before i get home in the mornings so i have no noise. Neighbors are all gone at work. My room is blacked out with blackout curtains. i tried the melotonin and it works, got full sleep. I'm not gonna try to depend on it though. I'll try without it when I get home in the morning. I blacked-out my bedroom with aluminum foil (zero light), hung a small window-unit A/C in the window and cranked it up. The humming of the A/C blocked out the outside noise, and crawling under a blanket just felt "good", kinda like hibernating. If you have to turn to sleep-aids, take what works (legally). Like others have said, try Melatonin, Benadryl or a non-narcotic prescription like Lunesta. Just tell'em what you're taking before the pee-test and nobody should have a problem with it. As you get older, it gets harder to manipulate your sleep-times. If you're running calls, just the activity will keep you alert. The most dangerous thing is just driving around patrolling and falling asleep at the wheel. Taking a sleep-aid is WAY safer and smarter than that. |
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+1 to the melatonin
Very little if any side effects, and I have no problem getting up and functioning normally when I take it. I work every 3rd night part time as a firefighter for a fairly busy department, and go to school full time during the day. We average around 25 calls in a 24 hour period, and the dispatch tones are the same for the whole department, so even if I am riding one of the slower units I get woken up a lot. I really had a hard time settling enough to get to sleep in the first place, and when I did finally get to sleep it wasn't long until it got interrupted. I usually caught a 2 hour nap before class, but that wasn't enough to make the next day anything but miserable. I finally started taking melatonin supplements about a half hour before bed, and it has really improved my ability to relax enough to get to sleep, both on duty and off. I have noticed no ill side effects as far as getting up for runs and being alert either. However I am a pretty light sleeper to begin with. The only issue is when I come home and take my nap I could sleep till 1 or 2 in the afternoon if I let myself, regardless how well I slept at work the night before. |
| Try and get in to see a counselor and have them work with you on some guided imagery. Do you have an EAP for your department? If so, it should be free and confidential. Use the EAP and avoid using insurance if at all possible to avoid a diagnosis of any kind going on your record. May need to try a hypnotic like Ambien for a short period of time...may call your PCP and ask them. Your EAP counselor will be able to help you. Give me a pm if you have any questions. Good luck. |
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I've worked the better part of 12 years on Mids and Valerian Root has worked pretty good for me. Melatonin didn't work with me too well. You can find it at most grocery stores with the vitamins etc...it's natural and has not only helped me fall asleep but I sleep more soundly.
I've used one of those eye sleep masks so I don't have to worry about blocking out the light from the window. I also have used ear plugs (from the range) most of the time because I tend to wake easily if I hear anything (like the wife and kids). Just my 2 cents. |
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I tried melatonin, and it didn't work for me. I hated how it took me most of an hour to fully wake up. Black out the windows and get a white noise machine. I still use my white noise machine even now that I'm back on days. I think it's called the "Sound Screen", got it off Amazon. |
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Hey everyone, I work night shift (9p-7a) for almost 4 years now and I love this shift and they guys I work with. After shift, I'd go home and go to bed around 730-8am and not have a problem going to sleep. Here lately (pass 2 or 3 months), I've been having problems staying asleep. Used to, I'd sleep till about 3pm, get about 7 hours of sleep and I'm great, now I wake up around noon. It's killing me at work. We all know we need 110% attention and alertness. Guys have any tips or remedies? Side Note: This may be the cause of my sleep issue: I've been seeing a girl that has "normal" people hours and would spend a couple nights together during the week. So...I find myself going to bed at some what "normal" people time. So on my days off, I'll sleep semi-normal hours for 7,8, or 9 hours. I'm not saying she's the totally cause of my issue but who knows. I really enjoy being with her and don't want to give that up and I don't want to change shifts. Thanks guys, be safe. I'm in my 15th year of steady nights. About once every 4 months or so i go through a period where i just cant relax and sleep. I think part of it is the fact that even after all this time, our schedule is just NOT natural for us. Let me guess on your off-days you switch back to a Human sleep-cycle to try and match the Girlfriend, right?? When I was single i just stayed on the Mushroom (Kept in the dark, and fed shit ) schedule and had very few problems, but of course that wasnt really conducive to dealing with "Normal" people Either. Something you can try is Valerian Root, most Vitiamin stores will havw it, it's a natural Ambien-type herb they will help you get to sleep in the first place, without just knocking your ass out like sleeping pills or other drugs would.
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Those of you who have found quality foil-backed insulation board, where did you find it?
All I could find at Lowe's was a styro-foam type of board (regular white or easier-to-work-with blue). I know I've seen foil-backed insulation board used for making AC ducts, but I was quoted a price of $57 a sheet, and that just doesn't sound right for what it is. |
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Quoted:
Hey everyone, I work night shift (9p-7a) for almost 4 years now and I love this shift and they guys I work with. After shift, I'd go home and go to bed around 730-8am and not have a problem going to sleep. Here lately (pass 2 or 3 months), I've been having problems staying asleep. Used to, I'd sleep till about 3pm, get about 7 hours of sleep and I'm great, now I wake up around noon. It's killing me at work. We all know we need 110% attention and alertness. Guys have any tips or remedies? Side Note: This may be the cause of my sleep issue: I've been seeing a girl that has "normal" people hours and would spend a couple nights together during the week. So...I find myself going to bed at some what "normal" people time. So on my days off, I'll sleep semi-normal hours for 7,8, or 9 hours. I'm not saying she's the totally cause of my issue but who knows. I really enjoy being with her and don't want to give that up and I don't want to change shifts. Thanks guys, be safe. Just rub one out and roll over....back to sleep in seconds if you're manufactured to specs. |
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Try and get in to see a counselor and have them work with you on some guided imagery. Do you have an EAP for your department? If so, it should be free and confidential. Use the EAP and avoid using insurance if at all possible to avoid a diagnosis of any kind going on your record. May need to try a hypnotic like Ambien for a short period of time...may call your PCP and ask them. Your EAP counselor will be able to help you. Give me a pm if you have any questions. Good luck. +1 Anything you take will always have side effects, whether intended or not. I worked graveyard (2200-0800) for more than 8.5 years, and am going back to it next month...the only thing that would keep me from sleeping were the thoughts running through my conscious/subconscious. Resolve your issues/worries, and you'll be fine. Your lack of sleep wouldn't have to do with the presidential election, would it?
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