Night shifts

[Chocolatebox11]

Has anybody done them before? I work in a care home and I’m struggling with them.
I manage to get enough sleep the next day so that’s not an issue, it’s the actual shift. It’s 10 hours with no allocated break and we aren’t allowed to sleep at all or else we risk being dismissed.
About 6/7 hours in I really struggle to stay awake. I’ve fallen asleep a couple of times, albeit for a few minutes. Some of the other staff do it , but there are other staff who will report you if you do.
I feel awful but really struggle. I don’t drink any caffeinated or energy drinks and don’t want to start for this.
Colleagues always tell me I look exhausted, they get tired too but don’t seem as bad.
Does anyone else manage them? I don’t mind the actual work, just feel so rough on the shift.
Has anybody had any strange side effects from them? I always get very bloated on and after a night shift.

Just read that it’s harder for our bodies to break food down during the night which leads to bloating that we get on nights, great. When I get home I’m puffed up.

Try lighter foods - salads, fruit, rice cakes.
I might be lucky - but nights see me losing weight not bloating etc. But I don’t eat heavy foods like pasta and rice or burgers at night as they make me sleepy - not good when trying to stay awake!

I do night shifts all the time. They are horrendous for your body in all sorts of ways. There is a great book called why we sleep by Matthew Walker. In it he goes through sleep in general and why it’s important but a real take home for me from the book is that all people who work night shifts have a significantly increased risk of hearts disease (independent of diet) diabetes, and strokes. Scary stuff huh.
You get used to them after a while. It helps if you can sleep in the day effectively. To to this I:

1. Make sure you have a good eye shield and ear plugs
2. Buy black out blinds
3. Try and exercise in the morning (I usually cycle hone from work at full pelt) this means when I get hone I am knackered.
4. Eat proper and full meals - rather than snacking through the night. If you can have a big breakfast that usually also helps.

Also for what it’s worth:
I would insist on a break, it’s actually illegal to not have one in a night shift, and if they still don’t give you one, personally I would quit.

I worked nights for a few years and was the same - by 4am I'd feel delirious and suicidal! Dramatic but it really was brutal for me. That was almost 20 years ago and I'd never do nightshifts again, sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. It doesn't suit everyone.

Look at The Working Time Regulations 1998, Part II Rights and Obligations Concerning Working Time, section 7 Health assessment and transfer of night workers to day work.

(1) An employer—
(a)shall not assign an adult worker to work which is to be undertaken during periods such that the worker will become a night worker unless—
(i)the employer has ensured that the worker will have the opportunity of a free health assessment before he takes up the assignment; or
(ii)the worker had a health assessment before being assigned to work to be undertaken during such periods on an earlier occasion, and the employer has no reason to believe that that assessment is no longer valid, and
(b)shall ensure that each night worker employed by him has the opportunity of a free health assessment at regular intervals of whatever duration may be appropriate in his case.

(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), an assessment is free if it is at no cost to the worker to whom it relates.

(6) Where—
(a)a registered medical practitioner has advised an employer that a worker employed by the employer is suffering from health problems which the practitioner considers to be connected with the fact that the worker performs night work, and
(b)it is possible for the employer to transfer the worker to work—
(i)to which the worker is suited, and
(ii)which is to be undertaken during periods such that the worker will cease to be a night worker,
the employer shall transfer the worker accordingly.

Another who couldn’t do it (NHS) - I ended up vomiting one night at 4am and another I recall phoning Samaritans at 1am on my break . It was just hours and hours of paperwork - or horrendously unsafe and dangerous situations, it was never middle ground. Occ health intervened eventually and switched my contract to days only - much easier . If you can avoid it at all I would .

Some people's bodies just don't ever adapt to night shifts.

Even if your body does adapt well, it still takes a beating. Night shifts do impact on your health even if you sleep well during the day

Keep up with the no caffeine, otherwise you can become reliant on it. My colleagues think I'm mad as I don't drink hot drinks, but when they're lagging because they haven't had caffeine recently, I feel quite happy with a bottle of cold water.

Same as with junk food, it really is tempting but its not worth it. You may get a temporary boost, but it doesn't last long and you'll crash afterwards

Thanks everyone. Only 2 hours into a 10 hour shift currently and already knackered even though I slept well last night. Plus I’ve just scared myself reading about the increased risk of breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease etc.
I’ve decided this isn’t for me, and since the manager has said I can’t do any day shifts instead then I’ll have to move on. I will miss the residents a lot but I have to think of my health.

You have to do what is right for you. Fingers crossed you do well with your interview for day shift else where. Have you thought about agency work, means you can where you want and when you want. Only downside is you don't get holiday pay or sick pay.

I'm 5 1/ hrs into a 12 1/2 shift. Been busy, still not done any of the other jobs we suppose to do.

You are legally entitled to an uninterrupted break, so they are breaking the law by not allowing it.
Based on my experience with care homes, though, raising this as an issue won't make you popular.

Chocolatebox11
If you have care experience, you'll find it fairly easy to get another job! Most care homes do require nights, although not all of them. Good luck!

My exh used to work nights, he did continental shifts at first but then switched to weekly shifts. He found the nights on weekly shifts easier even though they were 12 hour shifts, the constant swapping on continental shifts was awful especially when you had a double back day where you did a morning shift & then started that night on nights even though it was only 10pm to 6am. It's not only the person who works nights but their spouse who suffer because you never really have a set routine & spend a lot of time on your own, when he was on nights he used to be walking in as I went to work & by the time I got home it was a quick meal & then he was off to work.

Thanks everyone. I unfortunately fell asleep for about 15 minutes tonight which isn’t good, but I feel a lot better now for It. However there are 3 of us and one of my colleagues has been sleeping for about 2 1/2 hours which really isn’t allowed.

I work permanent nightshift (9pm -6am) and have done for over 5 years. I sleep about 4 hours when I get home and try and end up catching up on sleep at the weekend when I get 6-7 hours.
It's exhausting and has messed up my eating as I can't eat when I first wake up and don't eat dinner before a shift as it makes me more tired, so I live mainly on sandwiches and crisps .

The only problem I find with working nights, you have no support from management. Only hear when something is not going right.

On a nightshift now and it's the dreaded 4am. I am sat on a cold floor, in the dark, awaiting a service user to settle down for sleep. 4 more hours to go!

@vodkaredbullgirl

The only problem I find with working nights, you have no support from management. Only hear when something is not going right.

I know that feeling...forever dreading waking up after a shift to a voicemail or message from management....although I'm lucky as I have a good team. Staff aren't supposed to sleep on shift however if we're quiet or a member of staff isn't feeling great I have no problem putting them in the day room and telling them to get a nap rather than pushing them to work as I know how it feels when you don't have a supportive senior staff We're 1 carer per 10 residents too and a lot of day staff think it's mental when they cover as they're under the impression all we do is sit around drinking coffee

lot of day staff think it's mental when they cover as they're under the impression all we do is sit around drinking coffee grin

Been like that in every night post I've had, they're none to sharp to volunteer again though once they've had a taste of it are they 🤣 but yeah a lot of people think it's a breeze on nights - until they do it!

Urgh split nights are the worst and your break situation absolutely needs addressing.

That wall you talk about hitting is a very well known thing, called the window of circadian low or WOCL where your fatigue is greatest and your mental ability to undertake tasks is lowest. In recent years there has been a lot more research into human factors and learning from the aviation industry. This needs to translate to care settings too for the benefit of staff and safety of those you care for.

Some of the day staff annoy me when they say they not been busy, when infact they have. It annoys me when a day carer asks why wasn't this done. There has been many times on handover, when I carer has said something about why, I have had a go at them. If I could split myself 3 ways I would, if it gets done it gets done if not we have tried.

Maybe I should bite my tongue, but when someone is moaning about something Ive not done I will say something.

@Iquitit

lot of day staff think it's mental when they cover as they're under the impression all we do is sit around drinking coffee grin

Been like that in every night post I've had, they're none to sharp to volunteer again though once they've had a taste of it are they 🤣 but yeah a lot of people think it's a breeze on nights - until they do it!

They really aren't 😂 one of our dayshift managers recently covered for a senior and by the morning she was fuming at the mess we had came into and amount of residents still up fully dressed under the guise of nightshift will sort it...now everything she's on shift we know it'll be a good night cause she makes sure her staff pull their finger out 😂😂

What I mean't to say, when day staff have to do some nights they say it hasn't been busy.

It sounds like night shift just isn’t for you

But complaining about not being able to sleep at work is just silly

Done nights for years.
Change your routine.Do not go to bed when you come home in the morning.
Do your chores or whatever and have your main meal when you get home.
Go to bed in the mid to late afternoon until two hours before your shift starts.
I always had an I've cold red bull at the start of the shift.
Because you've just got up you will be far more alert and able to do your job.
Also,because you are sleeping in the evening already,when you get a rest day you won't be struggling to sleep at night again having been sleeping in the mornings.
Try it,it may take a day or so to adjust but you'll feel so much better at work.