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United States24737 Posts
It was requested that I write up a short guide on managing irregular work schedules. See my Guide - Sleep and Insomnia.
Introduction
Imagine the following scenario: Your job requires you to work for one week in the United States. Then, you fly to Europe, and work for one week. Next, you fly to Asia, and work for another week. Finally, you fly back to the USA and work for a final week. This would be a very difficult month of work due to the extreme jet lag you would need to overcome (I can discuss jet lag more upon request). And yet, this is actually easier to deal with than having a rotating shift (nighttime and daytime) with hours that change significantly from week to week (because at the very least you are waking in the morning sunlight and sleeping in the evening darkness). The human body is essentially not "meant" to change schedules abruptly. First I'll address night shifts, and then rotating shifts.
Night Shifts
The majority of people who work the 'graveyard' shift (~11pm-7am) have sleeping problems. If you read my previous guide, you are undoubtedly aware that the body undergoes a temperature cycle which helps to regulate sleep. As your body temperature rises, you become less tired, and vice versa. Light triggers wakefulness, while darkness triggers sleepiness. The problem with night shifts is that you (generally) need to go to bed in the bright morning light, and wake up in the darkness of evening.
Here are some of the dangers of having sleep problems while working the night shift:
- Most night workers feel drowsy during their shift and many admit to having fallen asleep on the job.
- Reduced alertness impairs performance.
- In addition to a decrease in overall work quality, chances of error or safety problems increase, including on-the-job accidents.
- Night workers often doze off at the wheel on their way home from work.
- Night workers are inclined to use alcohol or other sleep aids (which are usually not a long-term solution) as well as caffeine and other stimulants to stay awake.
- Night workers are either asleep or tired at times when they are most likely to socialize or spend time with their family.
Note this list of accidents that have been attributed to sleepiness from night work:
Rotating Shifts
Even worse than consistently manning the graveyard shift is to alternate between daytime and nighttime working hours. People who are prone to insomnia, as well as elderly people, are most likely to experience difficulty adjusting to changing schedules. If the cycle of rotating schedules persists for an extended period of time, the body's temperature cycle will almost be guaranteed to remain out of sync. Generally, workers on rotating shifts experience more severe symptoms than those stated above for graveyard shift workers.
Tips for managing with night shifts and rotating shifts
- When possible, maintain the same sleeping and awake schedule, even on your days off. This can be very difficult if you socialize during daytime hours when you should normally be asleep.
- When leaving work in the morning, wear dark sunglasses to prevent your eyes from triggering your wakefulness system. Your body prepares for sleep better if it feels like it is nighttime.
- Do not try to go to bed shortly after getting home. Allow yourself a wind down period. Even if you get off from work at 7am, you should not plan to be asleep by 8am.
- Be extra careful to create a peaceful/quiet/dark sleeping environment. Prevent noises from waking you up if possible (you can use a fan, noise machine, or even earplugs to assist you). Make sure your room is dark and use eye shades if necessary. You can even use carpeting/rugs to deaden the footsteps of occupants of your living area.
- Ensure that your work environment is very brightly lit. Not only will this help you feel awake at the proper time (solidifying your temperature cycle) but it also can improve the performance of you and other workers.
- When planning to change to a significantly different shift, advance or delay your bedtime and wake-up time by a couple of hours each day to gradually adjust to the new schedule.
- Whenever you wake up, expose yourself to bright light (either the sun or artificial) immediately to trigger your wakefulness system.
Conclusion
For the most part, the suggestions in this blog fall out of the principles that were explained in the main guide. Unfortunately, for many people, there is no fully effective solution for managing changing shifts. I would personally advise you to try to avoid frequently changing shifts whenever possible.
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Ugh what do I do if my schedule looks like this?
8 PM - 8 AM = Security Job
8 AM - 3 PM = Free Time
3 PM - 8 PM = Math Tutor
That's how it's going to be for me from July 1 - July 15.
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On June 23 2009 07:01 kOre wrote:
Ugh what do I do if my schedule looks like this?
8 PM - 8 AM = Security Job
8 AM - 3 PM = Free Time
3 PM - 8 PM = Math Tutor
That's how it's going to be for me from July 1 - July 15.
Since it's only short-term, use alcohol, coffee or w/e stimulant neccessary to keep yourself awake.
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United States24737 Posts
On June 23 2009 07:01 kOre wrote:
Ugh what do I do if my schedule looks like this?
8 PM - 8 AM = Security Job
8 AM - 3 PM = Free Time
3 PM - 8 PM = Math Tutor
That's how it's going to be for me from July 1 - July 15.
You are working 17 hours a day. Your problem isn't shift work lol. Do you get overtime for that 12 hour security shift?
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I used to work 12/24. Work 12h and then have 24h off. Was by far the best time of my life. Got plenty of time to do stuff with 24h off and 12h night was really sweet, love working night shifts.
Totally wrecked when starting working ordinary hours.
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On June 23 2009 07:06 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On June 23 2009 07:01 kOre wrote:
Ugh what do I do if my schedule looks like this?
8 PM - 8 AM = Security Job
8 AM - 3 PM = Free Time
3 PM - 8 PM = Math Tutor
That's how it's going to be for me from July 1 - July 15. You are working 17 hours a day. Your problem isn't shift work lol. Do you get overtime for that 12 hour security shift?
In those 16 days I get about ... 3000 from the Security one. The Math Tutor one pays once a month so yeah ... but yes I do get overtime pay 
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I work 8-5 mon-friday and I have a hard time being awake even for that. I think it would be worse to work really early in the morning like 4-7am then working late at night.
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My dad worked various shifts for 16 years, and you never really get used to it.
When he was in his mid 40s, he had to get a different job with normal working hours.
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I work shift. Morning - Night - Evening
Its not a problem to stay up late. My problem come, when I have to turn back your rythm to work morning. Even a week wont do it properly. Glad I only have one of these 3weeks shift left, before I'm done at that work. Really tiresome in the length of it. My eyes gets totally owned, I get those eye tics constantly now after I started shifts. And they have been going on for months now, really annoys me. Not like once and awhile, but almost all day long.
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On June 23 2009 07:05 NonFactor wrote:Show nested quote +On June 23 2009 07:01 kOre wrote:
Ugh what do I do if my schedule looks like this?
8 PM - 8 AM = Security Job
8 AM - 3 PM = Free Time
3 PM - 8 PM = Math Tutor
That's how it's going to be for me from July 1 - July 15. Since it's only short-term, use alcohol, coffee or w/e stimulant neccessary to keep yourself awake.
Terrible advice.
1. Alcohol is NOT a stimulant - if anything, it's going to make him fall asleep on the security job and make him stink while sobering up during math tutoring. Alcohol isn't only a depressant, it will just make you unable to perform complex tasks, drive and certainly tutor.
2. Coffee is good for the time the caffeine rush lasts. When the caffeine goes away you'll get hit with caffeine withdrawal and extreme tiredness from doing things when you were already burnt out. Unless you constantly keep yourself coked up on huge lattes (or whatever), coffee isn't going to solve shit.
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Wasn't The Valdex oil thing caused by an incompetent drunkard of a ship captain? I think the sleep deprivation was the cover they tried to play off.
PS- Alcohol is technically a downer and especially when the effects are fading, but when you first start drinking it, it peps you up. Many times I've showed up at a bar or party tired and un-enthused had a couple of drinks and was ready to rock.
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If the cycle of rotating schedules persists for an extended period of time, the body's temperature cycle will almost be guaranteed to remain out of sync.
Can you elaborate? I've been on a semi-rotating schedule for a long time now, and what you wrote there makes the out-of-sync sound permanent.
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United States24737 Posts
On June 24 2009 02:32 integral wrote:Show nested quote +If the cycle of rotating schedules persists for an extended period of time, the body's temperature cycle will almost be guaranteed to remain out of sync. Can you elaborate? I've been on a semi-rotating schedule for a long time now, and what you wrote there makes the out-of-sync sound permanent.
I looked up a direct quote:
"When rotating shifts are repeated month after month, the resulting chronic disruption in the body-temperature rhythm almost guarantees disturbed sleep and reduced alertness."
The effects are more severe in some people than others, but keep in mind that body rhythms are established over a long period of time. Dealing with a short term change to rotating schedules wouldn't be bad, but if you consistently have to change your sleep schedule significantly then you are going to experience worse sleep overall.
If you revert back to a standard work schedule, it will probably take some time to get 100% back to normal but there isn't permanent damage or anything like that. Again, this will vary from person to person.
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Cool, thanks. Was a bit worried I was going to be permanently fucked up because of some sort of overly sensitive body rhythm mechanic being thrown off forever and ever. Glad to hear that's not the case. 
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EPT
