not sure how long i can keep this up

[Murph12334]

With money issues and dh losing his job i had to get a job. My bright idea was to get a 3rd shift job so i could take care fo kids during the day and dh could still search for work, then i would work over night.

I work 10pm-6:30am

then come home, feed son, hand son to dad, and sleep from 7 or 7:30-... sleep until time varies. I'm always so exhausted. I had planned on only sleeping until 2, but i'll go until 4 and could go later. I never feel refreshed.

Mind you at least twice while i'm sleeping i get woke from 3 year old or screming 5 month old, or dog barking or dh

So i get up between 2-4pm and am in a daze with the kids while dh gets on the computer to search for a job.

i pretty much an in a daze until i get ready for work at 9pm

at work itself i'm fine and awake though

will it get better and i'll get use to it?

[MaWhit]

How long have you been on this schedule?

[BetsyS]

I used to work nights (but 3 twelve hour shifts), and I pretty much lost the days in between. I could sleep 8-4 or so, then by the time you get ready for work, eat supper, it's 6:15, and time to leave for work again.

Some of my friends managed it differently, though, and they stayed awake in the morning. So, they'd stay up until 11 or so, then sleep 11-6. It worked better for them.

[Murph12334]

i've been on this shift a little over two weeks now - so i might just need some time to adjust

i wondered if the staying up when i got home then sleeping later would work

i never seem to be eating or can figure out when to eat anymore either.

[shayinme]

For starters I think you need to give yourself more time to adjust. I had a similiar schedule 12 years ago, I was working at a homeless shelter and I would get off at 7 am. I found what worked best was staying up for a few hours (like you would if you got off at 5 pm) since it was too hard to come home and go to sleep.

I recall that I would sleep 11-2, go pick ds up from school, stay up a few hours and sleep 6-10 and then go to work. So rather than 8 continuous hours I had 2 shorter sessions of sleep, I admit I was fortunate that my job sometimes allowed me to doze off at work and the nights I could steal an hour of sleep from say 4-5 am made the day so much better. Of course I realize most night jobs don't allow that.

Shay

[Murph12334]

oh geez i wish i could get that amount of sleep!

at work it's in food and i'm constantly on my feet prepping and cleaning - exhausting in itself

[marilynmama]

I work the 3rd shift (10p-7a) and have for the past 2.5 years as an RN, but I've worked nights like that for years off on on at other jobs too. It takes a few months IMO to totally adjust to it! It is NOT an easy shift and not everyone can do it. I have always done it so one of us (me or dh) is always at home with the kids. You haven't given yourself enough time to adjust.

Also the sleep you get during the day is NOT the same as night sleep. It's just the way it is, but it does get easier. I know I feel better sleeping 6 hours at night than I do sleeping 10 hours during the day. It's just different, our bodies are not made to work at night (but someone has to). I'm an RN, someone has to be there. Thankfully I'm one of the ones that can do it.

Here is what I do:

-I try to be asleep by 9am and sleep until 4pm. Sometimes I take an Ambien (generic is about $6 month).
-White noise machine. A good machine can really help, I don't usually hear the dogs barking or the kids running through the house screaming anymore.
-Sleep mask (Brookstone makes the best one ever!)
-Curtains or blinds (find something that works for you) to block out most of the light. That way when you lay down to sleep, it's nice and dark. Block out as much light as you can!! Soooo important!
-I like to come home, eat breakfast with my family, go lay down in bed (in a dark room with my bedside lamp on) and read for awhile (reading really helps me relax). Sometimes Ill drink a glass of wine before bed.