I used to be able to do upto 7 or 8 - 12 hour nights in a row no worries.
However over the last 6 months its a real struggle.
I do two and i'm moody, irritable, miss out on life etc etc
Anyone else have this trouble.......
As long as I get 4 to 5 hours kip during the day after any N/S it's sort of ok .... it's when you get no solid sleep that it's a real struggle.
Beauty of my Nites is that there are no bosses to convolute the job & stop common sense prevailing.
another bonus is that I get to go down the beach during the weekdays if I want and that = no crowding (mostly)
The body clock thing makes it tricky though mate - hope you have some good luck with it all too
P.R how much sleep are you getting each day? Real sleep uninterrupted?
I have no idea how anyone can survive on Bulldogpup's system 
I used to do 5 or 7 x 8hr nights and sleep minimum 8hrs in the day. Cold dark winter days, up to 12hrs
Back to P.R: if you only do 2 it is worse as you don't get a system going. The more nightshifts in one roster, the better.
- a nap before work really helps - like 1hr sleep after dinner, then shower and off to work
- sleep as much as possible after 1st n/shift to get body clock reoriented. Sleep as long as you can, might mean a bit dehydrated in the day though but I used to do 6hrs at least, up for a couple of hours then back to bed for 3 or 4 hrs even if I didn't feel 'that tired'. Invariably, I slept.
- no caffeine in the latter part of your shift!
- some people say maintain the same eating patterns regardless of time - so eat breakfast before work and dinner after work (I never tried it but many swear by it. I can see how a roast dinner and beer at 0600 helps one sleep though... mmmmmm)
^^ LOL
I think its something that gets worse with age, y'know the older you get the more difficult nights get and the more interesting your garden becomes.
^^ Some good tips from Mark. (though I used to have brekky when I got home)
If possible, try to stay out of bright light in the morning. It 'resets' your body clock to be awake.
I have worked a few different start/finish times, including a night shift that went from 4pm to 4am, it was actually fairly good as I would scamper home and get to bed while it is was still dark.
Wear dark sunglasses in the morning if needed. Make sure your bedroom is very dark. (I used total blockout curtain backing, secured to window frame with drawing pins. Also draft 'sausage' to seal gap under door). Earplugs and aircon or fan.
Eat good food and try to maintain some exercise...
Good luck 
(these are the sunglasses I mentioned)
Hope I don't get like that when I get old Reli 
12hr nightshift last night, 20k SUP downwinder today and I am back at it tonight, hope it's a quite one. 
I don't agree with the 2 nights only is worse Mark, I work 2 days then 2 nights, but ocassionally I do a shift swap and do 4 days in a row, or 4 nights in a row.
I find I am knackered after 4 nights in a row as I dont get a lot of sleep during the day and the accumulative effect of lack of sleep knocks me around then, if I only do 2 nights its over before I know it.
My job is not very physical or stressful (usually) though, I find if I have two busy stressful nights it knocks me around heaps more.
I agree about avoiding the bright light in the morning skid, I used to finish at 7 but the roster has been changed and now it is 6am M-F (10hr shift) and 8am (12hr)sat, sun.
I hate the later finish you are driving home in full sunlight and I find it heaps harder to get to sleep.
Staying awake through the night is the way to go. Spent too many nights working sleeping as a security guard in an office block which really screwed me. Would get home at 9am and spend all day awake and then only sleep when i should of been working.
You'll get better sleep in the day wearing ear plugs and eye mask.
26 years of shift work has taught me a couple of things (8 hour shifts):
Night shift does not get easier as you get older - it gets harder.
I now try to get 4 or 5 hours in the morning and an hour or 2 before work - many years ago I would go straight to work from whatever party etc was on 
I don't need the room to be totally dark but I do have one of those airline eye masky thingys that gets used in summer and earplugs if it's noisy outside.
In winter I need an electric blanket to stay or get warm when I do go to bed after a NS and in summer generally a fan does the trick if it's not a howling hot easterly.
Also I don't mind doing one or two nights and then dropping off the nights and then going back out on them - what I DO hate is doing nights and then straight onto days after that.
It has been stated that shiftwork shortens your lifespan but I've gotten to 50 odd without any major problems unless you count stuffed knees - I put that down to Dutchies famous chop.
Other than that you just put up with it or get another job......
I try to do less and less..... without much luck
My current routine is to try and have a quick kip on nights during a break just to refresh a bit then straight home and straight to bed.
I used to be able to sleep for at least 8 hours get up in the arvy and feel ok.
Now i sleep til about 11am and feel like ****, cant sleep after i awake and an hour before work is impossible.
I think when i get up i'm going to try the exercise thing - go for a run or a ride or whatever and try and get an hour in in the afternoon.....
Nights suck 
Select to expand quote
look out, you're due to die any minute. Can I have your windsurf gear?
haaaaaa .... gold
Welcome to my world and about 80 percent of the workforce!!!.
Just be conscious that fatigue related injuries increase significantly within the last three hours of a shift. Namley afternoon shift and more importantly night-shift.
Also working in an environment that is producing 24/7 has heavy social implications weather it fifo or local based.
For the drive home i usually open the driver window and let the cold air hit my skin rather than a warm heater that will send you to sleep.
You'd have to explain more about your shift roster including (rotation)relative for me to comment any further. Where i work every 2 weeks we change shifts but fortunately the company allows us to make shift swaps so if i have a stretch of nights ill try and pick up 4-8 week stints then on the flip-side on days.
So insted of doing 2 days 2 nights shift swap and do 2 nights 2 nights for a few weeks the 2 days 2 days etc. if you get the adjist
Also the 12/24/7 being a attached without kids i often shift-swap workmates during times like Xmas and important dates to give them time with here kids its big Kudos$$$$ for the single man .
Your going to hit a wide variety of persona and moods on shifts because of sleep deprivation and personal factors but staying calm and being diffusive is always the best resolution. Those that are normally placid can become aggressive and require time alone. (keep quiet and support them)
There is a plethora of ways to tackle a shift work and manage personal fatigue but it comes down to the individual.
many people drink coffee all night then cant sleep during the day.many turn to eating and diet abuse other drinking (like myself)
Anyways good luck if you find the answers you seek let us know ;-)
ps: the "experts say to have a shut eye during long night-shift as it reduced fatigue
My night shifts were a peace of pxss! Get to work, stoke up the BBQ. Fry up a feed. Have dinner and a yarn. Quick checks (work - 10 min) Then the news would be starting, back up to the recliners. Then another 2 min console task then whatever was on TEEV. Usually hve a bowl of icecream. Watch TV till sleepy, then off to bed. (3 on shift - took turns week about.. One guy had to get up every couple of hours until 3am for 2 minutes of console work, the other guys slept through) so even if you were the one getting up u still got heaps of sleep. 2nights, 2 days, four off, so only worked 2 days out of eight really.
Google 'Ken Davis'.
You need some rainforest sounds.
I go to sleep to it every night.
Btw I haven't done nightshirt for 18 years and don't miss it one bit.
the next job i got (and still have) is pretty slack also. I dont seek these jobs out, they just seem to find me.
Alot of guys in mining rely on restavit from the chemist for their sleep when doing nights.
I do 14 hr night shifts on Shutdowns in PNG and the Philippines fairly regularly. Tried lots of methods but I find 30 mins to 1/2 an hour in the gym after breaky then wack in the earplugs in and I usually get a good solid sleep. Of course if the Mary's start cacklin and carrying on around the dongas it is a waste of time
W
send me an appo form will ya cobber 
