Any nightshift workers care to share their sleep/eating routine?

[BinBandit]

Son will be starting some night shift work at the weekend - 3 shifts in a row, 11pm to 8 am with 2 half hour breaks.

None of us have ever worked nights so just wondered if anyone had an idea of when to sleep/eat on that shift or just any good ideas. I appreciate that what suits one might not suit another.

I used to basically reverse my day (worked 7.30pm - 7.30am)
So I would get up at 5pm, shower, eat, as if it was breakfast time, go to work
Eat on breaks (lunch type foods) and I always took something sweet as you often crave it!
Get home, watch TV, eat "tea" and relax and then go to bed after a few hours

Otherwise you're trying to eat stew or something when you get up and it wasn't for me!

Thanks PeleFondo. He is a later start so wondered if he would go to bed when he gets home, up for dinner and then relax time before going to work and as you say, lunch type stuff for his breaks.

It might be a case of just trying and seeing but it's only for 6 weeks so by the time he works it out he might be finished :)

I work 10pm - 7am shifts.
I stay up as late as possible the night before to acclimatise and shift my body clock, although I'm a natural night person which helps. I then don't set an alarm and stay in bed as long as possible. I have a white noise machine that makes sleeping in the day a lot easier. I normally wake up any time between 1 - 3pm for the first one and that gets me though the night.

I eat a proper meal at 8pm before I go, take a meal with me that I have at 1am, and then a lighter meal at 5am. I take healthy snacks too and a sugar free energy drink in case I'm tired - I try to avoid sugar on a night shift or I end up binging on chocolate!

The second one is always easier as my body clock has shifted a bit more by then.

I do 7-7.30. I have a nap 3-5 in the afternoon before my first night. Then try and sleep 8.30-5 in between. Then get up at 1 after my last night. It works but it's not The same sleep as at night.

thanks @rubydoobydoo He is a student so is already semi nocturnal and goes to bed about 3am and up for lunch so the transition might not be too bad. He currently really has 2 main meals (e.g. big bowl of soup and several sandwiches for lunch and whatever I make for dinner (normally eat about 5)) and then he'll maybe have a bit of toast or a bag of crisps or a croissant or something around 9/10pm.

Thanks @Toddlerteaplease it's not really natural is it? My dad used to work a lot of nightshifts when I was a child but he's been dead over 20 years and I really can't remember what he did.

He already has a white noise machine (for tinnitus) but might also get him some earplugs just in case.

I used to do 10-6 when I was much younger.

First night you can just push through especially if you're young!

I used to go to bed straight away (after breakfast) and get up late afternoon. Some other people did the opposite - stay up till midday then sleep till 8. Either way winter is more difficult with no sun.

I'd have a big meal then go to work, you can even go out as long as you play the Cinderella at 10 and don't get drunk.

You really need a decent pack lunch to see you through the small hours otherwise you get a bit useless around 3ish.

At the end of a shift (I did two weeks) I'd just stay up as long as I could to reset my body clock!

It's OK for a bit but long term it is bad for your health.

Thanks DiDonk, We are a family of routine and fixed habits so we will definitely need to be a bit more flexible on the meal times etc He's not one for going out much to be honest but he will still have Friday nights free with first shift starting on a Saturday night so a late Friday bed is probably ideal anyway. As you say not ideal permanently but this is just "festive" hours and he'll be looking for something else afterwards.

It'll be an experience!

If you get on with the people you're working with you can have a good time at least, something about being up when everyone else is asleep can be cool.

Thanks Didonk. He is commencing a diagnosis for ASD and has crippling anxiety so It's a big step for him and hopefully gives him some confidence. I hope he gets on with the the team and enjoys it, it's a bigger step than it might be for lots of people, but it's a step that he needs to take. I think that he'll find the contact with people and being out of his room very tiring even without the physical work so hoping he'll be able to sleep regardless of the time.

Fingers crossed!