graveyard shifts

[GazKL440]

Anyone got some good ideas re dealing with the bodyclock issues that come from rotating shifts and specifically graveyards? I dont mind the shift so much but lack of sleep and the booze and pills ive resorted to probably arent the best solution

 

[Screaming Pressman]

Best advice I have is to swap your whole schedule over. Sleep till you have to get up for work, and when you get home spend a normal amount of time doing other things just like a day shift. When you get home, a really good workout helps tremendously. Eat well, cut out the crap and fast-foods that your body craves on night shift. I used to wrap a black t-shirt over my eyes and wear some ear plugs when sleeping. When on the clock, keep the coffee/tea to a minimum, drink more water, and when you get home try not to have more than a drink or two. Much more alcohol than that, and even if you get some shut-eye, it won't feel like it when you wake up. Smoking doesn't help either, if you do smoke, keep it to a minimum the last couple hours you're awake. Lastly, there's a very common herbal sleep remedy called "Valerian", that works fairly well with virtually no side effects. Bottom line, swing shift is a nasty thing to do to your body, and if you don't take extra care it can lead to increased risk for a whole bunch of illnesses in addition to screwing up your sleep.

Hope this helps
SP

 

[jschrieber]

Reminds me of 20 years or so ago our Elec. Mnt. group of 6 had to cover 7 am to 2 a.m. every day but Sunday, and Sunday's were 6 pm to 2 am .... our Mgr at the time felt that those working full-time nights never got the same training or job experiences as the day shift (and he was probably right!) so he instituted a rotating shift that lasted about 6 or 7 years.

Everyone had to work the 6 pm -2 a.m. shift for two weeks about every 4 weeks (assuming no illnesses or vacations).

Talk about a screwed up digestive system!! .... and being predisposed to migraines, I could count on at least a couple of them during this 2 week stretch.

jack

 

[GazKL440]

we rotate from days(6am-2pm) to afternoons(2pm-10pm) to graveyards(10pm to 6am) on a weekly basis, so next week im on days which will be a whole new struggle gettin out of bed early in mornin! On graveyard maybe got 6/7 hours sleep and was able to run/walk about 4ks before breakfast on my treadmill but gettin over a knee rebuild trying to balance work and sleep with my family is possibly the most difficult part of this shift get too grouchy with missus and kids and its not fair on them..

 

[SpeedKing]

i do the same pattern,late shift,early shift and night shift changing each week,it is tough,the best advice i can give is to keep fit,walking,gym work and to eat a good diet,fresh fruit and veg,dont use alcohol to aid sleep as you will feel even worse.
a good restful six hours sleep is better than an interrupted ten hours so use ear plugs.

 

[Tpyo]

About 10 years back I worked 7pm to 7am shifts, 3 on, 4 off, 4on, three off. I did that for 8 years. Putting aside the obvious benefits (like being able to take 3 days off and having 10 days off straight) the long hours and trouble being able to sleep especially in the summer time eventually started to wear on my health. I work in prepress, where you stare at the computer screen much of the time, not physically moving, but needing your brain turned 'on' to be able to perform well. Melatonin supplements did work for me; didn't make me go to sleep, but did allow me to sleep more than 2 hours at a time. That and making myself exercise more than I normally would did the best trick.

 

[otherthoughts]

we rotate from days(6am-2pm) to afternoons(2pm-10pm) to graveyards(10pm to 6am) on a weekly basis, so next week im on days which will be a whole new struggle gettin out of bed early in mornin! On graveyard maybe got 6/7 hours sleep and was able to run/walk about 4ks before breakfast on my treadmill but gettin over a knee rebuild trying to balance work and sleep with my family is possibly the most difficult part of this shift get too grouchy with missus and kids and its not fair on them..

The shift rotation you described is a recipe guaranteed to insure progressive performance deficits among all who participate, seriously.

Who came up with such a demented schedule?

This schedule insures that your circadian rhythms will never reach equilibrium. The sleep/wake cycle is only one facet. Your liver function, endocrine system, hormonal balance, digestive function, etc. will continuously be in a state of disharmony. This schedule, in my humble opinion is a greater means of abuse than anything else I can conceive of. This schedule will kill you long before alcohol abuse or smoking will.

The only worthy remedy is to change the schedule, not only for your own behalf but in the interest's of your employer as well. I will state unequivocally that no man can perform at his best if subjected to such abuse.

Just for reference, it takes roughly a day to adjust for every hour of time-zone change. Do the math, you are never allowed to catch up with this rotating schedule.

I am writing this in the hopes you will show it to your employer.

To the employer,
If you don't believe me? Perhaps you are considering me the Father of all Lies? Lets settle this with an objective test shall we?

Document and track your employee's performance, attitudes and the Plant production rate using the current unhealthful rotating schedule for one month's time.

Then implement a more reasonable schedule(no shift changes) for at least one and a half months time. It will take at least two weeks for your employee's to reach an equilibrium. After your employee's reach their equilibrium, track the same items you did with them on the rotating schedule for a month as well.

I suspect that you will see an improvement in all regards with the more reasonable schedule.

This is not to suggest that shift changes are inherently evil. I am suggesting that continuously rotating shift changes are inherently evil and bad for business. Allow your shift changes to occur as needed, but also allow your employee's the time to adapt. To do otherwise is simply abuse and wrong-headed.

If your employee's were Surgeons, would you be willing to go under the knife with them on the rotating schedule? Think about it...

Best Regards
Otherthoughts

 

[SpeedKing]

The shift rotation you described is a recipe guaranteed to insure progressive performance deficits among all who participate, seriously.

Who came up with such a demented schedule?

This schedule insures that your circadian rhythms will never reach equilibrium. The sleep/wake cycle is only one facet. Your liver function, endocrine system, hormonal balance, digestive function, etc. will continuously be in a state of disharmony. This schedule, in my humble opinion is a greater means of abuse than anything else I can conceive of. This schedule will kill you long before alcohol abuse or smoking will.

The only worthy remedy is to change the schedule, not only for your own behalf but in the interest's of your employer as well. I will state unequivocally that no man can perform at his best if subjected to such abuse.

Just for reference, it takes roughly a day to adjust for every hour of time-zone change. Do the math, you are never allowed to catch up with this rotating schedule.

I am writing this in the hopes you will show it to your employer.

To the employer,
If you don't believe me? Perhaps you are considering me the Father of all Lies? Lets settle this with an objective test shall we?

Document and track your employee's performance, attitudes and the Plant production rate using the current unhealthful rotating schedule for one month's time.

Then implement a more reasonable schedule(no shift changes) for at least one and a half months time. It will take at least two weeks for your employee's to reach an equilibrium. After your employee's reach their equilibrium, track the same items you did with them on the rotating schedule for a month as well.

I suspect that you will see an improvement in all regards with the more reasonable schedule.

This is not to suggest that shift changes are inherently evil. I am suggesting that continuously rotating shift changes are inherently evil and bad for business. Allow your shift changes to occur as needed, but also allow your employee's the time to adapt. To do otherwise is simply abuse and wrong-headed.

If your employee's were Surgeons, would you be willing to go under the knife with them on the rotating schedule? Think about it...

Best Regards
Otherthoughts

Good posting,15 years or so of doing this shift pattern is enough time for all sorts of nasties to manifest theirselves,thats why i would suggest only doing it short term,3 years max.

 

[appstro]

The advice you have from others here is pretty good but unless you are enjoying working nights, I suggest getting a new job. Working nights screws with your life bad. I was on graves for 7 years and I hated it to the core. Earplugs, sleeping pills, blacked out windows, 4-5 hour sleep nights, messed up diet, messed up holidays and weekends, being grumpy to everyone, not sleeping with the wife..... I would never work nights again for any amount of money.

 

[GazKL440]

i argued for a minimum 2 week rotation, and a reverse rotate so the mornings followed afternoons rather than graveyard to mornings which turns your whole system upside down in the space of 2 and a half days.. its not worth the extra 150/week and i do believe that productivity has suffered a little on average but its probably too early to tell..

 

[Screaming Pressman]

This thread has brought back some memories for me! At the last swing shift pressroom I worked, the usual rotation was 8a-8p for six days, then in Sunday night at 8p-8a till Fri night- two weeks a whack. Out of 12 men on two presses round the clock over a two year period, only two of us managed to escape taking time off for an injury, with several of the guys out for a week or more. I realize multiple shifts are the only way to get a return on a press investment, but I'd have to be in real dire financial straits to work that schedule again. At least the foreman (who also owned 30% of the company) rotated shifts with the rest of us. He also had the same drinking/marital problems too.

 

[SpeedKing]

i argued for a minimum 2 week rotation, and a reverse rotate so the mornings followed afternoons rather than graveyard to mornings which turns your whole system upside down in the space of 2 and a half days.. its not worth the extra 150/week and i do believe that productivity has suffered a little on average but its probably too early to tell..

There is the problem,you cant do graveyards to mornings,you just cant,my company started out doing this pattern and we said NO! so now we do graveyards to afternoons to mornings and it is so much better.no wonder you feel like shite,have a word mate surely your colleagues are also suffering with this? get together and DEMAND change.

 

[GazKL440]

tell ya whats not going hurt is that i got married on sat and am off to vanuatu for a week all good bit of rest certainly cant hurt!!