living the night shift

“Cemeteries: the shift where you get up for dinner and go to bed after breakfast.”

The choice of words for the title here is intentional. We don’t “live with” the night shift. we live it. It will not bend or mold itself to live. Life has to do the bending, but it can be done successfully with the right maintenance plan. And each aircraft is custom made.

Existing on the other side of the clock will challenge almost every part of who we are and what we do. It doesn’t fit everyone’s abilities – life for some might just refuse to fit into this kind of schedule. We wrap our lives around this schedule, and it only works one way. The most difficult thing to manage is the family, especially the youngest children. Pets, noisy neighbors, and inconsiderate passers-by complete the myriad obstacles to the seemingly “simple” task of sleeping on a sunny day.

The night shift is sometimes balanced with a weekday/weekend schedule, but more often we will have the weekend Tuesday through Wednesday. It is always difficult to organize a social life with friends who have weekends free. School schedules, depending on the length of shifts, are perhaps the biggest challenge. Drop off time in the morning and pick up time in the afternoon can conflict with a sleep schedule most of the time. Having a patient spouse, a good family friend, or even a helpful grandparent can make all the difference. But aside from the obvious family and social challenges, there are a few other factors that need to be addressed.

The Body and Health: this change is not for everyone. Circadian rhythms can “learn” to be awake and asleep at unusual times if one arranges the variables in the best possible way, but for some, these rhythms are much more difficult to modify, and they are. If your system cannot accommodate this schedule, design the variables as best you can. If you can’t tailor a schedule, you may want to go back to days or even an evening shift.

Variable Engineering: You need to create your own darkness. This means dark shadows and a sleep mask. The sun rises and sets on the most precise time known to man, but instead you need to create your own light and dark periods to work well. The pituitary gland at the base of your brain needs darkness. The light through your eyes (even with your eyes closed) will confuse her. The sun provides us with transitional light at dawn and dusk, so we need to create a transition from active to passive. A period of relaxation helps us disconnect from “the Zone”. A noise-free environment is essential (earplugs can be helpful, as long as you can wake up to an alarm when you need to). Learn to breathe in downward shifting patterns to reset your brain for sleep.

Diet: Rule number one is firm: carbohydrates make you sleepy. Avoid sugar and junk food, because your stomach is used to resting for hours at night, not trying to sort out a rush of random calories. It’s best not to eat anything during the shift, if you can. A hormone called ghrelin makes you hungry (especially at night), even if you don’t need to eat. Please note that we are usually fasting between dinner and breakfast. Try to keep it that way. On the other hand, eating can keep you awake, but weight gain will be a real problem. Some have left the shift for that very reason.

Reality does not change, although life is constantly changing. The more structured your days are, the better you will manage the schedule. Discipline is key. Are you tempted to shop with friends for the day and “hope to take a nap before work?” It will most likely backfire. At 3 am you will hit the Wall. Also structure your days off as best you can. Holidays? take them Live like a normal human for a while, but the day before your shift, go back to the grind.

Some terms to learn (and live)…

The Wall: Usually around 3am, the Wall strikes if the routine during the day is compromised. You’ll know when you experience it.

Ghrelin: This hormone is activated in your system to make you feel hungry. Her alter-ego, Leptin, makes you feel full. If you can, allow a fasting period of at least six hours (everyone’s clock is different, so find a window that works for you) and ignore the ghrelin prompts. Is lying to you. Yes, eating will help keep you awake, but weight gain lurks on the dark side of ghrelin.

Graves Brain: Enough said.

Zombie Shift: Another common term for working at night. Historically, the turn was created in cemeteries. Night watchmen used to literally keep an eye on zombies, or those in coffins who might wake up from comas or other conditions that made them appear dead.

The “Q” word: never say it out loud. If you know what it is, you know what this means. If you don’t know what it is, don’t ask.

The Zone: Family and friends should be less strict about this. Night shifts will switch to the Zone approximately one hour before the clock strikes. It can take the same kind of time frame to get out of the Zone. Relaxation periods after work are golden for some grave shift employees. Let them unzip.

Dead Time: Fly ten times faster than work time. We work. We sleep. Interleaved time in between is appreciated.

Life: Laundry, dishes, shopping, exercise, paperwork, family visits, vacations, holidays, playgrounds, and all other aspects of life that this change can sideline at any moment.

Jet-lag: back to work after vacation. Yes, it means the same thing for the same reason.

Nanodreams: Sometimes associated with jet lag or a compromised routine. Your brain needs to defrag itself by dreaming. If you’re experiencing these little lapses in your dreamscape (open-eyed dreaming), you’re not getting enough quality REM sleep.

Exercise: choose something and do it. At least three times a week. Exchange new air for old in your lungs. Move on. Section. Stay strong. Give your body a chance. In most cases, exercise helps us sleep better.

Caffeine: use it wisely. Caffeine, simply put, shuts down the “sleepy” receptors in your brain for a while. Find a source that agrees with you, but don’t overdo it. Hypercaffeinated beverages can do more harm than good. It should be an axiom: caffeine does not replace sleep.

The Bedside Clock: This can work both ways. Some experts recommend moving reading away from bed to eliminate light. However, leaving it in front of you is worth observing. For some grave shifters, seeing the time will tell them how many hours are left until the alarm goes off. This can have a calming effect and is great for mental math skills.

The night shift needs to be experienced to be understood. At all times on this planet, someone, somewhere, is at work. This shift exists in almost every field and employs the select few who can function and work efficiently at 2am while the rest of the population sleeps. If you are assigned a night shift, keep in mind that whether or not it works for you, it can be done with proper planning. If he agrees with you, go ahead to the best of your ability. For 24-hour facilities, whether it’s law enforcement, medical, fire, travel, or the hundreds of businesses that need someone in charge through the wee hours, cemetery workers are vital. They may not see you except passing by in the mornings, but your value is immeasurable. Keep working in the dark hours – the “daytime world” is counting on you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *