Night shifts

[ScalpHelp]

Hi all,

If you work shifts, how do you get your routine back to normal after a week of nights? I had the day off today (yesterday!) but as you can see by the time, I’m struggling to adjust back to a normal sleeping pattern.

It's hard. After my last night shift I sleep only until lunchtime and then force myself to get up. I then try to go to bed at a normal time in the evening. I end up feeling like I've got jet lag. Avoiding alcohol helps

I have just the same trouble as you OP. I rarely manage to find the answer!
Sometimes I will stay up after my last shift and then go to bed around 9-10pm if I can make it that long and try and get a good nights sleep on that first night off. That has worked on occasion and can set the pattern then for the rest of my nights off. The rest of the time I usually end up dozing off at midday and sleeping for a few hours and then have trouble sleeping on that first night off.

But mostly I just seem to be a night owl (like now!) and I just stay up til the early hours and sleep in on my days off. But obviously this isn’t always possible.

Nights are a tricky thing to manage for many people and really I find I just have to sleep when I can and make the best of things.

Are you new to nights? If you are you might just find it takes you time to find out what works for you. Everyone is different.

I've been on nights for nearly 3 years, don't have much of a routine. That's why I look like a zombie half the time lol

I hear ya! Just done 3 nights and have been mentally fed up and irritated all day! I slept for 3 hours, 10am till 1.30pm felt ok but then fell asleep at 19.00 till 21:00! So here I am!

Usually I stay up and go to bed about 9pm after 4 hours kip from the morning and get up at lunch to reset to daytime but today it didnt work :( I will go to bed just after 4 and sleep till 7.30 to wake kids for school then try stay up will 9pmish then hopefully bed and a proper reset.
Hate shift work! Destroys the soul! People think you have days off after 3 on but you are trying to struggle through life!

I also only sleep for a few hours after my last nightshift, usually till about midday. Enough to keep me going until kids go to bed at 7 and then
I go to my bed anytime I feel tired after that

I shower and have a good breakfast when I get home after my last night shift. Dress in comfy clothes and rest quietly the rest of the morning. I'll have planned a quiet day at home, a 'pottering' day, catching up with washing etc, doing meal planning.
Have an early night about 9ish. Usually awake about 5.30 or 6 the next morning but that's ok, I go shopping when Tesco opens at 7 which gives me more time to myself/leisure time/bike ride time/sofa time later in the day and week.
Working nights can turn your life into a blur of work/shopping/housework and it's especially hard this time of year and important to get outside during proper daylight so doing chores such as Tesco when it's dark helps.

Iv worked nights for the past 2 years 5 on 3 off and I have totally gave up with trying to sleep a normal pattern on my days off. I get up around 1 pm ,shower and get on with my day as if I were working . I only go back to sleeping nights on annual leave and only then after a few nights of bag sleep/ grogginess. Like said above its soul destroying

Finish at 7am and often pop to Sainsbury's on the way home to get it out the way.

A couple hours of sleep help, previously I would have booked a shopping delivery, haircut, chiropractor appointment or whatever to force myself out of bed. I also change the bed and shower before turning in which is blissful.

Nothing too taxing during the day, but no sitting on the sofa if I can avoid it. Go to bed anytime from 6.30pm and generally sleep until 6-7am. It's definitely got harder as I've got older, but I don't have young children in the house so there's less pressure overall. If I cock this routine up I find my whole run of rest days is out of sync and I'm back at work with nothing achieved before I know it.