Is working nights really bad

[Foxes157]

I have an opportunity to work night shifts, it'll be a bit more money and a shorter working week.

Currently I have a short commute and although I start early, I'm home for when the kids get home.

I think of all the things I could do with the extra time. Is it worth considering?

I have to do nights (nurse) and absolutely hate them. I only do one at a time as I never get good sleep due to kids, neighbourhood noise or waking up early. I build up to each one, am anxious before it and it ruins the day before as well as the days after.

It takes me days to get over each one - I eat at weird times, struggle with insomnia and feel hungover and grumpy.

I have handed my notice in so I don't have to do nights and don't intend to ever put myself in a position where I have to again. We only get paid a tiny bit more for nights and it's the same supplement for working a Saturday, which I would much rather do!

I think if not a commute it's ok I do two nights per week that's enough as does tyre you out but with one 6 hour day shift I get my 30 hours a week in 3 shifts so enjoy free time during the week shops cafes everything's much quieter and I can sleep in the day I have no kids to worry about though so u sleep when I want xx

I,ve been working nights for 11 years. I am a night owl though. But some tips that help
Blackout curtains. Your room needs to be dark to help with getting and staying asleep
An electric blanket in your bed. You often feel really cold after a night shift and it can be difficult to fall asleep, a warm toasty bed really helps.
before your first night either get up late or go for a nap in the afternoon
on nights you dont produce as much urine and can feel bloated. I find not going straight to bed after getting in helps. otherwise your sleep is disturbed by a full bladder around midday and once your awake it can be hard to get back to sleep. Waiting to go to bed allows you to have the 'big wee' before you go to sleep, so your sleep is less disturbed

I would say stick to your current perfect hours of 7 - 3 esp if you have school age children.

You won't have any extra time because you will be knackered so no do not do nights.

Given the substantial health risks and shortened life expectancy associated with night shifts, the Wellcome Trust (a charity that works to improve public health) has poured a lot of money into a programme called The Night Club. It has lots of information about how you can minimise the damage to your health if you do choose to go down this route.

www.the-liminal-space.com/all-projects/nightclub

Agree with pp night shifts are the devil- I can maybe manage about 4 hours during the day. I'm pleased if I do.
Can you do it on a trial basis to see how you get on?

Are they three nights in a row?

What are the hours/times?

What type of work is it?

I’m about to do this! Don’t really have a choice as previously I worked the same shift as you and work were no longer offering this, so it was nights or 7.30am-9pm, which was impossible as DH works until 7.30pm and there’s no childcare in my area after 6pm. I’m nervous but will make it work!

But at least I can sleep anywhere, anytime. So fingers crossed it’s ok...

I worked full time 6 on 4 off, 2 days 2 lates 2 nights from when DS was 3 till 6 and im now on mat leave and ill go back part time but doing nights when i go back to accommodate child care. Everyone finds there own way of doing it and depends on support. It is do able and id work shifts over 9-5 any day

Oh and blackout blinds AND curtains are a must!

Plays havoc with your body clock, you feel like you have a hangover/jet lagged without the memories of a great night out/holiday.

When you need to sleep, the world will want to ring you/knock loudly for you to sign next doors delivery and your children/neighbours children/keen gardeners will wake you up when you're having the best dream ever.

But apart from that - go for it!

DH does a mix of 12h day and night shifts. He hardly sleeps before his 1st night and is so knackered when he comes in, goes straight to bed. We have thick curtains, switch the phones off and he has earplugs. He gets a good 7hrs before waking for school pick up. After his last night he sleeps for about 5 hrs, I never organise anything for us that night as he's in a weird jet lag fog of tiredness that nothing registers with him. He's fine the day after.
It's tough when he's working on the weekend as the kids don't see him and we spend the days creeping around the house.

I'm a night owl and found nights really suited me providing I didn't do them as part of a mixed shift pattern. I managed to sleep well during the day though, which is probably the most important factor. It does kill your social life a bit but I mostly did them as an agency worker so could pick and choose shifts to a certain extent. I find they suit my body clock way more than early starts. We're all different though, so it depends on what else is going on in your life, and how well you can adapt.

I worked nights for 20 years or more. The sleep deprivation has a shocking effect on your mental and physical health especially if it's hard to sleep because of family noise etc.

It's interesting that a lot of people's mixed rotas that include night shift also include unsocially early day shift starts. 11/12/13 hour shifts are much easier for managers to rota- you know, those folk who are at home for 6.30pm for dinner with the family; then free from 5.30pm Friday til 7.30 am Monday, while you're starting work at 7am after an hour's drive for a 12-13 hour shift; or arriving at 7pm for a night shift.

HCP.

Back 'in the day', in my line of work, you escaped nights by specialising. Not any more. I got an exemption once nights were reintroduced into MRI. (Oh, and everything else medical imaging in a DGH) But my colleagues, all much younger than me, thought 'great'! Three night shifts then freeeeedom. Then pull sickies every second week. And suddenly realise there's no overnight day care once they have DC if their partner has gone.

Those who prefer permanent nights, and yes, obviously they're out there- great. But for everyone else, I believe they damage your health, mental and physical. And can wreck relationships as you tag team your family.

However, years ago I worked in a DGH in Australia. 'Night' shift, was midnight to 7am. You did one seven day stretch of them 2 or 3 times a year. There was a twilight shift of 4pm to midnight, too and they came around 4-6 times a year, as two of you were on.

So maybe the issue isn't so much night shift, it's that they're 12-13 hours long? And/or the commensurate morning shift starts too early?

I’m on night shift just now and it’s horrible. I have an almost 2 year old though and he doesn’t really nap during the day and no family who can take him so I get very little sleep. Thankfully I only do 4 out of 12 shifts as nights and I work 4 on 4 off so I don’t do that many over the year so I’m just getting on with it til he’s big enough for nursery. It’ll be fine then (I hope!)

I should probably add I’m a grumpy mare when I’m on nights because my dp is a bit selfish and thinks me sleeping a morning away on a weekend when I’m on a night shift is bvu

I’m a night owl and done a stint of night shift a few years ago. Lasted about 7 months before it took its toll and I called it quits. I done 3 nights 7pm to 7am with option of overtime to do 1 or 2 extra nights per week.
I found by 2/3am most people hit a slump. I always felt really cold around that time. It was easy enough to work at night and the time passed fairly quickly as we were busy. I usually got home in time to do the school drop off and then head to bed to sleep. The day I came off night shift was always the worst as I had to sleep but still try to adjust back to day time schedule for my days off (then re adjust again on Monday).
I worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Spent most of Thursday asleep. Friday, Saturday, Sunday back to normal and had a nice long weekend. Monday was tough as I had to try to sleep enough before going to work but was never really tired enough as I had slept all night Sunday. In the end I felt like I was missing out on too much. Working days I seen DD and DH for about 30 minutes in the morning and about an hour in the evening before I had to head out to work again.

I'm a night owl, rarely sleep before 4am so thought nights would be great for me, 3 years down the line I am so glad I'm back to day shifts, it's been 6 months since my last night shift and my sleep pattern is still messed up.

It doesn't seem so bad at first but over time it's drags you down physically and mentally. It's draining and I don't think I'd ever want to go back to doing the night shifts again.

Listen to Prof Walker and you'll never want to take a night shift again.
Sleep Podcast
Bottom line, UN/WHO have declared shift work carcinogenic.

Plenty of people have no choice, but if you do...

Yes, it’s really bad. I’m a natural night owl (hence still awake now), but I hated it.

On my days off I've had times when I've been wide awake at 3am. Because this is when I've had my lunch break on Nightshift, so my body must have been expecting food

Nightshift does not suit everyone

I work in a care home, 12 hour nightshift, three nights a week (there is no extra pay for nights, stil min wage, but I do it as couldn’t afford childcare for 12 hour day shifts).

It’s honestly killing me.

I can’t sleep well in the day and in the school holidays I can’t sleep at all as I have to look after dd - childcare would cost more than I earn. I work every other night or there is the risk that I would be awake for three nights/four day’s straight if I wasn’t able to sleep in between.

Traffic in the mornings means that it’s a one hour drive home as well. I drink a hell of a lot of redbull.

Other people also don’t realise that you need sleep in the day - I’ve had family loudly complain that I take 4 hour ‘naps’ after a 12 hour nightshift for Christ’s sake.

I wouldn’t do it if I had the choice. I’m a zombie.