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I have worked night shift, my girlfriend currently works a nightshift. Some people really enjoy it they like being on the opposite schedule of everyone else. WHen I worked nightshift sometimes it was kind of a cool feeling driving to work at night knowing everyone else was sleeping and I'm the only one out, just something kinda cool about that.
That said it also kind of stinks when your life and schedule are the complete opposite of everyone else ie friends, family, kids, etc. Also, I think studies have shown that people who work nightshifts have more health problems and issues, weaker immune system, etc. Most people I know who work the nightshift do tend to get sick more and stuff. Purely from a health stnadpoint I wouldn't want to do it for long periods of time but I know it often pays substantially better than the same job with daytime hours.
I worked nights forever and loved it. But you have to protect your sleep and it does take a while to adjust. You tried melatonin and it didn't work. Try some benedryl next. Dark room, and I always ran a fan for white noise. The world is noisier during the day.
On my turnaround days, I would take a nap in the afternoon and that's it.
One thing I noticed about people who struggle with night shift is that they try to live a conventional day life while working nights. For me working nights full time means I have a nocturnal lifestyle. But as a single male with no kids, a few daytime obligations it works out well for me. For most people it really won't work out.
First, stop drinking energy drinks. They're garbage. Don't quit all at once. Cut back one can a day for a week until you're not drinking any at all. Drink no more than one can of soda and no more than two cups of coffee. All that excessive amount of gingsing, caffeine, and sugar is keeping your body from resting. I drink two small cups of coffee (6oz per cup) upon waking. I have a coke within the first two hours of my shift. Rest of the shift I drink water. No sugary snacks and no eating within 2 hours before bedtime. When I get home, I take 5 mg melatonin and an herbal tea like chamomile. My house is dark using window tint, solar screens, blinds, solar curtains, and regular curtains. Lastly, no computer, no tablet, no cellphone, & no video games within two hours of bed. Some people use the tv to help them fall asleep. If you do, check your tv's brightness settings and lower the brightness and set the timer on the tv for one to two hours. If you fall asleep, it'll turn off automatically. Go to the pharmacy for ear plugs for sleeping. They're soft and if inserted properly, will cut about 32 decibels of sound. When going back to sleeping in the evening, go for a walk in the sun and take melatonin in the evening.
Nights are for sleep and daytime for work... NEVER go against the nature it will affect your health in long run.
Try to move towards day shift or change job.
I have worked night shift for 2 years and regretting now of doing it. I was young so didn't care but now realize it wasn't worth it. Doesn't matter whether you are hot shot surgeon or doing labor work... occasional nights are alright but don't make it routine.
I wonder how you stay awake on weekends morning when you are not working and your body clock is set to sleep in morning.
I work a rotating shift schedule. Constantly shifts from days to nights each week. Shortest turn around in going from 3 day shifts to 3 night shifts with only 1 day off. Happens once every 4 weeks. Usually have 3 days off between going from days to nights or vice versa. I can sleep at any time, through anything. Light and noise do not bother me as long as its natural. I can't explain how I know the difference but if someone opens the bedroom door or I hear someone else's voice I will immediately wake up enough to determine whats going on then fall back asleep just as quick. Someones kids can be running around banging on stuff while they are visiting with my wife, doesn't seem to matter to me, and I only wake up briefly when they first arrive. I can barely remember even waking up for the disturbance when its time get out of bed. Weird.
I don't use blackout curtains or anything either. Sunlight doesn't really bother me when sleeping, so long as it isn't hitting me straight in the face. The only time I even considered getting them was because for a few weeks the sun is at a perfect angle to hit those holes for the cords in wood slat blinds and hit me right in the face. I found it was easier to move my head over a few inches when that happens.
Might be years of training, I dunno. I love my schedule though for the most part. I did develop a trick that has become a habit for me, for falling asleep. I created a fictional story, as if I was writing a book or a movie, all in my head. I start every time at the beginning and go over each detail, occasionally changing and improving it. I can't get past the first few mins of thinking about it now. Been forever since I made it far enough along to worry about creating new material. Won't help much at first but after you nail down enough of a beginning and start going over it, you will train yourself to start sleeping when you do it.
Still, I do wake up sometimes after 4 hrs or so of sleep feeling like I need to get out of bed. When this does happen I usually get up and move to the couch and watch some tv until I go back to sleep.
I worked nightshift before I started college. Use daytime for sleeping only. I have no idea how people who want to have a life manage to do that and work nights, but it doesn't work for me. I found that I could stay awake for a only two or three hours after getting off of work, then I needed a nap. I would usually go to sleep at around 10am and wake up again just in time for work. On my days off, I would usually sleep during the day and lay awake at night. It's not a lifestyle for everyone. The novelty of it wears off. I'm an early bird, so I'm usually awake around 4:30 or 5:00 am anyway, but working nights wears you out. I found that I could not get enough sleep after getting off of work. You don't really ever feel normal doing the nocturnal shift.
. I have no idea how people who want to have a life manage to do that and work nights,
When i worked the occasional day shift i found there was no time in the day for me,I'd get up around 6am do the morning routine and be off to work, come home around 5pm shyte/shave/shower and supper and it was now 8pm, couple of hours of tv and its off to bed leaving me wondering wheres my time of the day.
On the night shift you have all day to do whatever you want, dont have to take days off to see the doc or take car in for repairs,you can go shopping,biking, fishing any day you like.,you'll fit that 6-8 hours of sleep in somewhere.
I loved working nights. I have worked all different shifts during my working career: 8AM-5PM, 3:45AM-11:45AM, 2PM-10:30PM (very short term), 5AM-1:30PM, 5:45PM-1:45AM, and 11PM-7AM. The hardest shift for me to work by far was the 3:45AM-11:45AM. I did not choose this shift time. This was at a job that was open 24-7, and they needed help on that shift when I was still a newbie and didn't have enough seniority to choose my shift time. I could not stay awake on this shift at all. I nodded off from the beginning of the shift for at least a couple of hours. It was just too hard to go to bed at 7AM and wake up at 2AM to get ready for work. When I was able to choose my shift time, I switched to 5:45PM-1:45AM.
I didn't like the traditional 8AM-5PM thing. I live in a huge city, and there is way too much traffic to work those hours. Working overnights, everything is quiet and nobody bothered me. I didn't have any problems sleeping, but unlike most night workers, I went home and went right to bed soon after I got off at 7AM. But I don't have kids or anything else to get in the way of sleeping. Then I was up at 1PM and ready to do whatever I needed to do before work. Now that I don't work anymore, I sleep nights again, but I battle insomnia frequently. Ironically, I now often wake up around the very time of the shift I hated the most: 3:15AM.
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