Night Shift

Night shift

Everyone has a stint doing nightshifts. Mine was 17 months, 12 hours a night with an hour commute each way on a 2 week on 1 week off rotating schedule.

There are many ways to cope with the switching over, allowing you to maximize your time off and minimize days lost for commute and lag.

Since I spent so much time on night shift I was able to try several different methods. Here’s what I’ve found.

Caffeine
Caffeine is essential. Not much needed to be said, except when preparing for the switch over. I reduce caffeine intake by an hour each day until its fully eliminated from my body 3 days before I make the switch. This allows me to skip a sleep and safe and alertly (caffeine aided) make the 12 hour drive back to base for days off and go to sleep at a regular time. By day 11 I stop drinking coffee entirely. It is important to drink plenty of water and actually get sleep. By weaning yourself off the caffeine you minimize the headaches that come with coming off extreme amounts of caffeine. I will go from 5000mg+ per day to 0 with no withdrawal symptoms.

Modafinil
Modafinil is a wakefulness drug that has been proven effective. Some refer to it as a cognitive enhancer, and one very recent study demonstrated that the user’s chess game will improve if time is not a factor. The game gets worse if it is under time constraint. Since its halflife is 12 hours, I never took it past halfway through my shift, and would take it before a drive. I ceased using it because I was told (and I felt) my temper grew incredibly short. That being said, it is very effective for shift work fatigue.

Skipping sleep
Combined with other methods, it is very important to stay up the entire night before you go to work. A nap during the day before the nightshift is allowed, but this will force your body to fall asleep easily the next morning after work. If you cheat, you will spend a drawn out 3 days attempting to switch over. Similarly, when leaving work, instead of sleeping during the day, it is important to stay awake and accomplish activities. No naps.

It is beneficial to have someone helping you stay awake. Once you spend an hour of extreme tiredness it will pass and you will enter a ‘second wind.’ If you can stay awake until you see the sun, you will also get another physical boost.

Diet is important as is regular exercise, as with everything in life. Some people rave about Vitamin D supplements as well, but It never really entered my regimen.

Good luck! Hopefully you get a premium on your night shift!

Wear sunscreen when you see the sun!