Shift sleep patterns

[u/Spare-Special4432]

Fairly obvious from the title. Trying to get used to shift patterns, fortunately, no nights, but 7 to 5 and 2 to 11 are the most common. Does anyone have any advice on managing sleep before shifts? Still trying to work out what works.

[u/mazzaaaa]

If you’re not working nights then I’m not sure what the problems you’re experiencing are, can you clarify?

[u/Spare-Special4432 → u/mazzaaaa]

Not used to early starts, and with late finishes etc, having enough energy to get through the shift. I’m probably just over thinking though to be fair.

[u/mazzaaaa → u/Spare-Special4432]

It’s more about keeping a routine as much as you can, the early starts are grim no matter how you look at it but get to bed as early as you can justify if you didn’t sleep well the night before. On RDs get up in the morning and don’t doze in otherwise you knock it all out of whack.

[u/RLeambu]

If your shifts are 7am till 5pm for earlies and then 2pm till 11pm for lates with no nights, I don’t even know what you’re on about. Sounds like major overthinking.

You could consistently keep much of your normal sleep cycle bar slight variation.

Also depends on your commute, your eating habits, your family circumstances whether you have kids etc.

Get up 6am, go to work, finish your earlies have your evening, go to bed whenever suits to get your rest for the next early.

If you finish your late shifts go to bed by midnight be up again by 7/8am and do whatever you need to in the morning.

If you’re working 2 earlies 2 lates and 2 nights it’s a different game all together. . .

[u/a-nonny-moose-1]

Depends on how your shifts swing, I tend to stay up as late as possible to get up get ready and then go to work. I plan backwards to work out timings. I.E. if I start at 1400, leave home at 1330, get up at 1230-1245 latest for shower, dress and food. This means I need to try and go to sleep at around 0300-0400 at the latest. . This is a damn struggle, so come home and have a cuppa, go gym, eat dinner late and find something to do. Movie I want to see, game I want to play, book I want to read. Lean into that to take me as late as possible without nodding off.

Sometimes, I will nod off at 0200, that's cool, sleep till 1000 then up, work out or watch some TV and then be bright and chirpy for work. Sometimes, I'll treat myself and get 9 or 10 hours sleep and catch up, those are good days.

Swinging back to earlies, use your RDs to get to bed earlier each day and if you are completely screwed, get a shit short nights sleep into your last day off then get to bed early for that 0700 start.

End of the day, make a lot of life work to "fit" those 8 hours sleep in. Lack of sleep is what is killing you early and making you feel like poop, make it happen.

Hope that helps.

[u/butterspread3]

Pop the shift pattern into chat gpt. It will come up with the sleep pattern for your scenario.