Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I had a "swing shift" job long ago... it was a dead-end job, but the hours were great.
Finish work at midnight, go right home and sleep, and get up maybe at 9:00 the next morning..
or whenever I felt rested.
I worked 11 to 7 at an airport, all alone. Boy did I love that! Having been an entrepreneur most of my life, I didn't like too much supervision. So quiet, so peaceful. Just a cargo pilot coming in maybe twice in the shift, to be logged in.
At my last job before retirement, I worked 4:00 to 11:00 and that worked out well. We are more night owls so sleep late anyway. Your social life just has to adapt and let people know you sleep in. We ate dinner at midnight! Invitations for dinner had to revolve around my days off.
i worked the 4 to 12 shift for 17 years. I loved it. Less traffic, at the time the grocery stores were opened for 24 hours so I could take care of that without the crowds, and because i made all my doctor's appointments in the morning, I didn't have to use up my sick leave. I was able to sleep during the day because I was able to get a babysitter for my son. When he started school, I would sometimes drive up to the mountains (Skyline Drive) and spend a couple of hours up there just relaxing with not a lot of crowds.
The biggest problem? Day people have absolutely no conception of what it means to work the night shift. It is their belief that you only need a nap to get ready for your shift and you can do that day after day. Further, if you are going to do something with them on your off days, you have to decide of spending a lot of time sleeping to adjust to them or getting things done that you need to do.
It's not only Day People but often the world overall that doesn't understand you. Working the night shift is probably a big factor that killed TV for me. If you aren't watching prime time, you're nothing to the TV world. What do they show on the schedule for what's on TV during daytime? "Various programming". What do they show for commercials? Lawyers and schooling for to them, the only people watching are those injured or out of a job. Further, given how TV, at least back in 2008, was often time stamped, ie watch a show and the advertisements are telling you about the late show that you will never see, there is a great deal of disorientation even if you do record it. What's on ESPN during the day? Nothing but talking heads and snippets of what's going on in the sports world.....at least in 2008.
Finally, now that I am on day shift, the transition has been rough for one in older years. Don't have an answer how to handle that one.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 07-26-2021 at 11:28 AM..
I feel VERY Blessed to have such a great shift! I work from 10 PM to 6 AM...No drama, personalities etc.
The only issue I sometimes have is sleeping during the day! On my weekend now, and already somewhat off schedule! On a business day I would be getting ready for bed about now....
Take care..
I worked the "Graveyard" shift (10pm to 6am) off and on during 29 of my 36 year career in power generation.
The first power plant job I got, we rotated shifts weekly. It felt like my head was in a fog the entire time. My sleep patterns, eating habits, and digestion were completely screwed up that first year. As a result, I sought and found work at another power plant which was still under construction with the hopes of a "kinder" rotation. We decided on 5 month rotation between shifts. At least this gave us time to adjust to one shift before moving on to the next.
I did my 5 months on the graveyard shift whenever it was my turn, but I never volunteered to spend more time than what was required. I never functioned well on the grave shift. At best, I just got through it. It was difficult to sleep during the day 6 days/week and reverting back to sleeping at night during my 2 days off.
Fortunately, I found a co-worker within the same classification who loved the grave shift. Over the course of 8 years he worked my grave shifts and I worked his swing shifts.
Six years ago my role and responsibilities changed. As a result, I no longer work rotating shifts. The only time I am required to work swings or graves are in the event of an emergency or staff shortage.
The biggest problem? Day people have absolutely no conception of what it means to work the night shift. It is their belief that you only need a nap to get ready for your shift and you can do that day after day. Further, if you are going to do something with them on your off days, you have to decide of spending a lot of time sleeping to adjust to them or getting things done that you need to do.
It's not only Day People but often the world overall that doesn't understand you. Working the night shift is probably a big factor that killed TV for me. If you aren't watching prime time, you're nothing to the TV world. What do they show on the schedule for what's on TV during daytime? "Various programming".
I don't understand what you were trying to do, but when I worked the midnight shift, I simply swapped my work and sleep times. I worked nights, and slept days, in other words, I left work at 8AM, went directly home and had a snack, then went right to bed. I'd get up around 4PM, have something to eat, and then do whatever a "day worker" would do. At 11PM, a "day worker" would go to bed, while I went to work.....
I don't understand what you were trying to do, but when I worked the midnight shift, I simply swapped my work and sleep times. I worked nights, and slept days, in other words, I left work at 8AM, went directly home and had a snack, then went right to bed. I'd get up around 4PM, have something to eat, and then do whatever a "day worker" would do. At 11PM, a "day worker" would go to bed, while I went to work.....
A, B, ......... and C.
A: I earned degrees. Education was affordable then and I worked on and got 3 more degrees.
B: I worked a fun job by teaching as well.
In each case, my daily schedule changed each semester. Now, that I did this was, granted, my own choice.....but then there is C.
C: If you work a night shift, those who are day people don't understand, for whatever reason, that you have a real job just like they do. To them, they see you not having to work in the daylight as that you have all this free time and often, all this free time to help them on things.
To them, be it family or work (like when I was called in during the day for all hands meetings or required training), your time off is their time.
Finally, of course, what I heard for all the time I BEGGED for normal sleep was "Well, you can always take a nap.".
I worked one summer at King's Dominion on the night shift from 4pm - 6am cleaning the park with a firehouse. I lasted about 3 weeks before I got tired of spending my summer sleeping all day and working all night for $3.30/hr. That was in 1982.
When I first got hired at my job, I worked mostly evening and nights. it was nice at first because I liked sleeping in but now I hate working later in the day. I prefer to go to work in the morning and get off in the afternoon to work over with. I like to spend my evenings at home relaxing and be in bed by 9 pm.
I had a "swing shift" job long ago... it was a dead-end job, but the hours were great.
Finish work at midnight, go right home and sleep, and get up maybe at 9:00 the next morning..
or whenever I felt rested.
I never worked graveyard, nor would I want to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by floridarebel
When I first got hired at my job, I worked mostly evening and nights. it was nice at first because I liked sleeping in but now I hate working later in the day. I prefer to go to work in the morning and get off in the afternoon to work over with. I like to spend my evenings at home relaxing and be in bed by 9 pm.
Just curious, when you two worked the 4 to midnight shift, were you married or single?
All the years I was working shift work, I was single, and trying to maintain some kind of balance between work and relaxation was VERY frustrating, ESPECIALLY when working the 4 to midnight shift. Most everyone I knew was lucky enough to work "day" jobs, so when I was on the "B" shift, I never got to see my friends, and it was especially frustrating on Fridays, as Friday night in a big social night, and being at work that night is no fun, and it's even more frustrating when you switch shifts every two weeks, as you're working two Friday nights in a row......
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
