Shift workers.

[Nefiros]

So recently I got a new job as a shift worker at a wine bottling company. And holy crap is it messing me around. Does anyone have any tips to start a workout routine when I don't really have a set routine for anything else?

Same thing with sleeping. I have enough trouble sleeping without the constant change in sleep times but now it's just killing me. Seems the earlier I go to sleep the higher the chance to wake up an hour later and not be able to fall back asleep. But if I go to bed later then when my alarm goes off I haven't had enough sleep and I become a snooze monster. >.<

Thanks for any help guys.

[Irishrages]

What type of shifts are you working? Is it mostly days and evenings, or do you have the odd set of nights thrown in?

As a former shift worker I can suggest that there's no total cure for having your internal clock adjust along with your schedule, but you can do a few things to make sure that when it is time for you to sleep, you sleep as well as possible.

 

First of all, try as hard as you can to adapt to the pattern of shifts that you are in now.

For example, if you've finished working 5 days of nights in a row and just got home at 8am, sleep until noon, and then force yourself to get up and not go to bed until you would normally on a day off. You will want to sleep the whole day, but by forcing yourself to get up (and you'll be a zombie, more or less), you will sleep very well when you hit your normal bedtime and should wake up the next day more or less back on track.

It is important to get enough sleep, but you also can use when you sleep to help normalize your schedule.

 

Try to lay off the caffeine and big meals before the end of a late shift, so that sleep comes a bit easier.

 

If you can, talk to the other people who work there and see what they do.

Beware: not all advice is good - I had a know someone who brewed a thermos of espresso for the long drive to his night shift, followed by sleeping pills when he got home. Don't do that.

[UltanBoyd]

Just applied for a job on rolling shifts so will be subbing!

[Woodsrider]

Need more information on the shift schedule.  12hr or 8hr?  Start times?  How many days/nights in a row?  How busy are you?

I used to work 8hr rotating shifts but I've been on 12hr shifts for the last 15 years.  My sleep schedule was different for each one.

Currently I don't work any more that 3 night shifts in a row unless I pick up overtime.  I work 07-19 or 19-07.  If I'm on nights, I don't drink any coffee past 9pm.  I also mainly sit at a desk and can have a little 'me' time around 2am if I need to.  I go to bed as soon as I get home too but I usually only sleep until 1pm.  It's not too bad if you're only working 2 or 3 nights.

When I worked 12hr nights on a production line I drank coffee all night and didn't go to sleep until after noon.  I'd then sleep until 5-6pm and go to work.

Eat properly, get as much sleep as you can and find out what works best for you.  Much like fitness, what works for me may not work for you.

[alienjenn]

I work 12 hr night shifts from 7p-7a... I work 3nights a week (with two days off between shifts) for three weeks then I have 8 days off (I LOVE my schedule) 

 

for 3 weeks I stay on night schedule... I work out on my days off... I lift 2xweek and run 3x week (so usually my middle night I go for a run before I go to bed)

 

my third day before my stretch off... when I get off in the morning I usually go to the gym and then run and then stay up as late as I can... I am usually up from 5p on tuesday until 8 or 9 p on wednesday... thurs I get up at 7a or so... and I am on day time until I go back to work the next week...

 

the most important thing is to keep your routine the same... do the same thing before you sleep every time you sleep.... it's like pavlov... you get conditioned that it's time to sleep... I always do hot shower ... ten min stretching ... take my allergy meds... turn on the fan and the music.... then read for a few min with my head on the pillow... I have been doing it long enough that I usually fall asleep with in ten minutes... I do the same thing no matter what TIME I go to sleep and it's beautiful... 

 

oh... and I don't drink coffee after midnight because otherwise I am wired!!!

 

when I first started working nights I had to get my sleep schedule in order before I could worry about working out

[Nefiros]

I work 0700-1500 and 1500-2300. May have the occasional dog watch shift thrown in there too. Roster is meant to rotate so I do morning one week afternoon the next but hasn't quite worked that way lately. It's really messed me up cause I'm just used to day shifts lol.

As for the caffeine thing that's no problem. I don't drink coffee and I stopped drinking soft drinks over a month ago. I live on water and milk mostly now.

Thanks for the tips.

[UltanBoyd]

Ooh the fan is something one of the guys at work suggested for background noise during the day so you don't listen to the neighbours!

[Roughyed]

I do 12 hr shifts.  Usually its 2 days, 2 nights and 6 off.  All 8 till 8.  I don't think there is a perfect way of doing it (well I haven't found it after 5 years!).

 

Like has already been said, when you finish your last night it's better to try and get back into a 'normal' sleep pattern or you can waste your days off sleeping in the daytime!  Get home and have 4-5 hours sleep, then try and get up is the 'best'.  

[cobaltflash]

Ive worked some really crazy shift and the best advice i can give is that you kind of just have to workout when you can its really hard to get a routine going because that routine can be shot the next week so the best thing you can do is just do it when you can and hope that things end up stabilizing

[Nefiros]

Yea I think I'm just gonna try to workout before arvo shifts and after morning shifts. Only way I see it working.

[KAllen]

I'm a cop, so I do 12hrs shifts. 

 

Because I work at a University on the Quarter system, we swap day/night every quarter ( 1Q on day 1Q on nights).  Nights are rough because when I'm off I have to adjust to my kids sleep schedule which is "normal" for a couple of days then swap back to "night shift" sleep.  Plus my first "day off" of night shifts are tough because I'm up for over 30hrs. 

 

I just deal with it...only way I can explain how I get used to it.   However, I keep my same "wake up" routine no matter what I'm working.  Meaning I wake up, walk dog, shower, eat breakfast, dressed, go to work.  No matter if I'm working day or night.  That might help. 

[RoboRosie]

I work a 3 week shift pattern so do 7 days or eves/nights on the trot then 3 or 4 rest days. I would suggest getting a really good blackout curtain in your room - making sure you don't have any light is really important if you're meant to be asleep. Also, drink loads of water to keep hydrated and try not to make excuses for not going to the gym cos you're on nights - have a go before work (whatever time that is) and you'll probably have loads more energy to push through that 4am barrier!!  

[Timmy M]

sleep when you can, work out when you can, i've been on shifts for about 4 years now and i've got used to it (8 hours shifts, 6am-2pm, 2pm-10pm and 10pm-6am) so much so that after nights i can't sleep past 11 and have a nap around 4-5pm for a couple of hours (if i can, if i can't i just get all dozy at work )

i've essentially got into a routine that isn't a routine, when i'm injury free (as in not now :/) i'll train most 6-2's and 10-6's, straight after work with the former and around an hour after waking with the latter, 2-10's i'll train occasionally depending on circumstances but i have to get up at 7-8am for that (which is annoying because they're my only lie-ins)

cooking in 'bulk' helps too, recently i've been roasting joints (lamb shoulder *drool*) and cooking up veg and putting them in tupperware for a few days in a row, or hard-boiling eggs and having a tin of mackerel for 6-2's