Night shift

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BrotherMike

Be Still and Know
Jan 8, 2018
1,617
1,671
113
#1
Anyone else worked night shift? If so what was your experience? Did you keep the same schedule on your weekends? I just accepted transferring to nights and start this Friday. I missed the extra pay.
 

kinda

Senior Member
Jun 26, 2013
3,759
1,456
113
#2
Don't recommend it all. What do you do on your days off?

I don't really like the vampire life style. It messes up my sleep. I did it during college, so surfing was possible in the mornings, but I was to tired after work to enjoy it.

With my chronic insomnia now, the graveyard shift will never be possible again, it will tax my mental health to much. I'm just thankful to be able to sleep every night.

I take herbal supplements like valerian root extract and melatonin to sleep at night. Getting sleep and living a normal lifestyle is more important than the increased monetary benefit.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,341
8,371
113
#3
If you're young and strong, night shift can be a boon to your wallet.

The older I get, the more it killed me. Last time I did it, I swore I never would again.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
15,158
4,689
113
#4
Anyone else worked night shift? If so what was your experience? Did you keep the same schedule on your weekends? I just accepted transferring to nights and start this Friday. I missed the extra pay.
Hi Mike,

It's funny how God shows us things we don't even know about ourselves.

I always thought I was a morning person. Even as a kid, I'd go to bed at 8 and be up by 2 or 3 AM to do my homework. I followed that pattern all through college, and often worked early morning shifts (usually around 5 AM.) During a chain of events over the next several years, I worked every shift there is EXCEPT the night shift, until I had a boss who asked me if I'd try it out during seasonal events.

I honestly didn't think I could do it, but I wanted to try. It did take a lot of getting used to, but I found out that I absolutely loved the night shift, and even fought to stay on it when they tried to move me to something else. In the places I worked, the night shift meant that I could get twice as much done because I didn't have to worry about other managers trying to get me to work in their departments instead of my own. I'm very task-oriented, so I never feel I've done a good job unless I can cross as many tasks off the list as possible.

After all those years of getting up so early, I just kind of told myself, "What's the big deal about getting up just a few hours earlier?"

Right now my schedule is a bit all over the place, but I would go back to nights in a heartbeat. In fact, even when I'm not working, I still love to try sleep early, then get up at midnight or around 2 AM by choice, because even in my personal life, I find that I get so much more accomplished in the still, quiet hours.

Granted, my sleeping seems to be permanently broken, but I honestly think it was due to various life events and constantly changing schedules, so that is a constant challenge. But the one advantage is that I don't seem to get jet lag, and can usually adjust to any time zone I'm almost immediately (but I'm still up at odd hours no matter where I go.

I also didn't make it a physical church building very often, but I would listen to podcasts or watch services online, which has ironically become the norm nowadays.

And, good news, in case anyone was wondering: I went to the dentist early this month, and unless she was lying to me, she apparently didn't find any fangs, though I can neither confirm nor deny that I may or may not be part vampire. :)

P.S. Just saw Lynx's post... I'm neither young nor strong, but I'd still work nights if given the choice, depending on the nature and safety conditions of the job.
 

BrotherMike

Be Still and Know
Jan 8, 2018
1,617
1,671
113
#5
I get how it can be a challenging lifestyle to live. I personally don’t do much in the mornings anyways so what’s an extra few hours? Waking up at 5am was rough since I am a nite owl. I don’t adjust on the days off, it hurts the body. On my days off I see the kids at 1 pm which would be about when I get up. Red rocks church use to have sat night service and hopefully they get that back. The extra 1k net a month will be nice to save for the future.
 

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
May 23, 2009
15,158
4,689
113
#6
The extra 1k net a month will be nice to save for the future.
Holy Chamoly.

If my job would have offered me an extra 1K a month for working nights, I would have been there 7 nights a week for as long as I could stand it, lol (since my job was hourly.)

But I don't have kids, so I know that makes all the difference.

Kudos to you, Mike! I know night shift is a rough going, but may God bless your endeavor. :)

Let us know how it goes.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
25,341
8,371
113
#7
I get how it can be a challenging lifestyle to live. I personally don’t do much in the mornings anyways so what’s an extra few hours? Waking up at 5am was rough since I am a nite owl. I don’t adjust on the days off, it hurts the body. On my days off I see the kids at 1 pm which would be about when I get up. Red rocks church use to have sat night service and hopefully they get that back. The extra 1k net a month will be nice to save for the future.
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Granted, my sleeping seems to be permanently broken, but I honestly think it was due to various life events and constantly changing schedules, so that is a constant challenge. But the one advantage is that I don't seem to get jet lag, and can usually adjust to any time zone I'm almost immediately (but I'm still up at odd hours no matter where I go.
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BUT...
There are downsides. Like when you go back home...


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BrotherMike

Be Still and Know
Jan 8, 2018
1,617
1,671
113
#8
Holy Chamoly.

If my job would have offered me an extra 1K a month for working nights, I would have been there 7 nights a week for as long as I could stand it, lol (since my job was hourly.)

But I don't have kids, so I know that makes all the difference.

Kudos to you, Mike! I know night shift is a rough going, but may God bless your endeavor. :)

Let us know how it goes.
7 nights a week! No way I need to relax lol. I figure if we get the proper sleep, eat healthy and exercise, it can be accomplished with less side effects. I’ve done it for a few years already. When I went to days my body really hasn’t changed but it was challenging to adjust.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
#10
I do late nights at bookshop. Its only one shift.
At the library I would do a late night every two weeks or so. Its much quieter, which I like. Less pressure.

some jobs they paid you extra and included meal but my current job theres no perks like that.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,179
113
#11
I honestly dont know why malls have late nights theres nothing to do at the mall on a late night at the mall. After youve spent your hard earned money on a movie (expensive) who wants to go shopping?!

Plus its open on saturdays and sundays anyway. If it was closed for the weekend, sure, late nights make sense but otherwise why would you want to go shopping in the dark.

Friday nights are DEAD. Everyones exhausted at the end of the week and wants to go to sleep.
I work on Thursday nights and only a handful of shoppers but thats only cos most peoples pay goes in. by then.
 

phil36

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
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#12
I worked night shifts for 20 years, well not all the shifts were night shifts.

It was a double edged sword for me really, on the one hand it was quite as busy as day shift and no big bosses around lol...but day shift may have been busy but I didn't feel as knackered (tired).

I always found trying to adjust to a day pattern after a stint on night shift quite hard..it felt like jet lag lol.

But hey ho that's work life.. I forgot to say that a plus for night shift was i actually got more of a chance to read more..:oops:

If I was given a choice to do nights again i don't know how I'd feel to be honest.