People seem to make so any assumptions.
working nights again
- Thread starter krsmith58
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Ill be 62 in December. Work as a carpenter. We have an addition to frame shortly, probably my last. Hope to work to 65 if my body lets me! Usually 730-4 No weekends unless we are holding the subcontractors up.
I don’t know how anyone works rotating shifts without loosing their minds.I worked for myself starting at thirty. and did well.My health forced me to quit by my mid fifties. That ,the recession and a divorce wrecked my retirement funds and plans .12 years on,I’ve learned,if you use your wits,you can live well and have fun on very little [emoji16]
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When I was a much younger lawyer I could find myself many days waking up at 6:00 in the morning, doing a one hour commute to work, and working till past midnight before a one hour commute back home. Now in my mid-60's those days are long behind me. On the rare days I need to work past midnight it's from home, and I let myself sleep in the next morning if at all possible.
I've been told that combat soldiers are trained to be able to function at a high level when sleep deprived for days on end. That is one of many good reasons that they take 18 year old men and women into the military.
I've been told that combat soldiers are trained to be able to function at a high level when sleep deprived for days on end. That is one of many good reasons that they take 18 year old men and women into the military.
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Model 19 6"
Member
My first job out of HS was in small shop. Every month you went to a different shift. Spent 6 yrs doing that. Hired into GM spent 30 yrs there 27 of them on night shift. Have been retired 14 yrs, still keeping night shift hrs going to bed 3-4 am.
hemiram
Member
Rotating shifts are a death sentence, IMHO. I turned down a great paying job at a local factory when I found out it would be monthly rotating shifts.
Day shift is just my worst nightmare. From birth, I always wanted to stay up all night, and go to sleep at around dawn or 5am. Needless to say, school was just an unending horror show. I was sick constantly, and many times by the time Friday came, I was such a mess from lack of sleep that I just refused to go to school. I missed over half of K,1,2,3,4 and almost half of 5th and 6th. I missed 37 days of freshman year of high school, but only 17 my senior year, and 10 of those was when I had the flu and then came back too soon. I would repeat the flu nightmare the first year of college, when I got the flu vaccine and about 12 days later, got the worst flu ever. I ended up dropping a lot of classes due to that flu bout.
I've worked from 1130pm to 8am for the last 12 years, and 12am-830am for almost 10 years before that. My only day shifts were the result of people dying, or me getting severely hurt. Both times were near disasters. The first one, my boss's mother and brother died a day apart, and he had to go about 450 miles for the funeral, etc. I worked as the boss for 14 days in a row. On the way home from the last day, I fell asleep twice and the first time I just missed hitting a railroad overpass support by inches, and less than a minute after that scaring the hell out of me, I fell asleep again, and blew a red light at a very busy intersection. I swore I would never work more than one day shift in a row again. I couldn't keep that promise. When I got hurt and had to have knee surgery, the HR head decided that I needed to work day shift. I explained to her that that wasn't compatible with my basic life functions, but I ended up doing it for 3 months, complaining constantly and fighting the urge to sleep all day. Finally, I was able to go to 2nd, which I didn't like all that much, but it was tolerable. Finally about 8 months after my knee nightmares began, I went back on 3rds.
You day timers have my respect. I don't know how you can live like that!
Day shift is just my worst nightmare. From birth, I always wanted to stay up all night, and go to sleep at around dawn or 5am. Needless to say, school was just an unending horror show. I was sick constantly, and many times by the time Friday came, I was such a mess from lack of sleep that I just refused to go to school. I missed over half of K,1,2,3,4 and almost half of 5th and 6th. I missed 37 days of freshman year of high school, but only 17 my senior year, and 10 of those was when I had the flu and then came back too soon. I would repeat the flu nightmare the first year of college, when I got the flu vaccine and about 12 days later, got the worst flu ever. I ended up dropping a lot of classes due to that flu bout.
I've worked from 1130pm to 8am for the last 12 years, and 12am-830am for almost 10 years before that. My only day shifts were the result of people dying, or me getting severely hurt. Both times were near disasters. The first one, my boss's mother and brother died a day apart, and he had to go about 450 miles for the funeral, etc. I worked as the boss for 14 days in a row. On the way home from the last day, I fell asleep twice and the first time I just missed hitting a railroad overpass support by inches, and less than a minute after that scaring the hell out of me, I fell asleep again, and blew a red light at a very busy intersection. I swore I would never work more than one day shift in a row again. I couldn't keep that promise. When I got hurt and had to have knee surgery, the HR head decided that I needed to work day shift. I explained to her that that wasn't compatible with my basic life functions, but I ended up doing it for 3 months, complaining constantly and fighting the urge to sleep all day. Finally, I was able to go to 2nd, which I didn't like all that much, but it was tolerable. Finally about 8 months after my knee nightmares began, I went back on 3rds.
You day timers have my respect. I don't know how you can live like that!
been working "swing shift" for 27yrs. now and to tell you the truth I don't think you ever get use to it. It takes until Thursday to start feeling somewhat normal. to me its like really bad jet lag I do nothing but eat sleep and work for that whole week. can't wait when that day comes when I don't have to do it no more. Now if you just have to work night shift only, than it does have some advantages. you have to live your days off like your still on night shift though.
Used to work an “unofficial” 24 on 72 off. Plus….. you never worked the whole weekend, minus….. you worked all day on Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc, if scheduled, unless someone took your shift.
I am 61 now and worked nights when I was young throwing freight at a grocery store. Swore I would never work graveyard again.
Fast forward about 30 years and I started my business. Worked nights for 11 years along with partial day shifts at the same time to build the business.
Now I have employees who do the night shift. I rarely work at night. It is too much for me anymore. Physically I can still do it. I just hate it and avoid it.
Fast forward about 30 years and I started my business. Worked nights for 11 years along with partial day shifts at the same time to build the business.
Now I have employees who do the night shift. I rarely work at night. It is too much for me anymore. Physically I can still do it. I just hate it and avoid it.
smoothshooter
Member
When I worked third shift in a factory, the working conditions were great. Only one foreman, and he would only come by maybe 3 times a week. He knew I was a good worker and left me alone. No one worked within at least 300 feet of me and they were out of sight.
But I was sleepy almost all the time. Only slept 2 to 4 hours a day. Had the house to myself all day and still got almost no sleep.
Have never been a good sleeper anyway, but that year and a half on third shift was a long one, and sometimes I thought it would do me in. Life got to where it wasn’t much fun any more.
As a side note, I have recently had some back trouble from an old injury that was bothering me about 3 weeks ago. Got a steroid injection that helped some. Still had intermittent low level pain.I could not sleep after that and went 65 hours straight without a wink of sleep, and was still able to go to work. I got to the point where I wanted to experiment and see how long I could go without sleep and keep functioning. My wife raised so much Hell telling me I could give myself a stroke or heart attack ( I’m 65 years old ) that I decided maybe that a Sleep Deprivation Marathon might not be such a good idea after all. Also, I was afraid that when I finally hit the wall I might be driving, and have a wreck, since I often have trouble staying awake driving home from work under the best of circumstances. Anyway, I finally took an extra good dose of Ibuprofen before bed, and got a little sleep that night.
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hemiram
Member
If you aren't like me, a true night owl, 3rd shift is a hard deal to tolerate. If the world was perfect, I would work seconds totally due to getting off at 12am, and going to bed right when I actually want to sleep, between 430 and 500am. Sleep until 1pm, and go to work at 4. Perfect. Problem is, nonbody ever seems to quit second shift at a time where we have anyone extra to pop into 3rd for me to switch. Days? No problem, the turnover is pretty high, but second and especially 3rds are almost rock stable. I've been here almost 21 years, one guy has been here 15+, and the other is a newbie. On seconds, they are both closing in on 7 years.
pawncop
Member
No longer working, (retired in 2017) but spent the last 19 years working 7P to 7A on weekends in the ER. I knew it was taking a toll, but did not appreciate how much of a toll it was taking.
I am not complaining, I loved what I did and it was great management rarely ever came around.
Just realize night shift does pose real issues and they multiply as you get older.
I am not complaining, I loved what I did and it was great management rarely ever came around.
Just realize night shift does pose real issues and they multiply as you get older.
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Work is a four-letter word.
A GOOD four letter word.
My son retired from a major metropolitan police force after 20 years. He stayed a patrolman for the whole time. He refused promotion to Sgt and was also offered a position as a detective which he also refused. As long as he was a patrol officer he could work days and have weekends off. He felt that his family was more important and spending evenings and weekend with his wife and kids was what he wanted to do. It shows because he has great kids who are outstanding athletes because he spent time working with them. The whole family was glad when he retired because he got out just before the whole issue with the police blew up. He now works as a campus cop at a large university so that his kids get greatly reduced tuition.
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Old_Cop
Member
I worked midnights on the PD until I had the seniority to move. Took promotional exams and every promotion moved to the vacancy, generally back to midnights. There were folks that reached day Sgt. and never took an exam again.
I never got used to midnights and would feel like the walking dead. Pass out till lunch and groggy all afternoon, sleep after dinner til 11pm and so on.
I never got used to midnights and would feel like the walking dead. Pass out till lunch and groggy all afternoon, sleep after dinner til 11pm and so on.
pmanton
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I worked 7 days of days-- weekend--7 days of swing--weekend--7 days of graveyard until I retired at 62 in 2000. I swear that it screwed up my sleep pattern for life. I have a terrible time getting to sleep and could revert to sleeping days in a flash.
That's nuts. Our rotations are four months, which at least allows some time to acclimate... for those who can.
On a side note, I bet it's plenty warm in Salome today!
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After working 30 years running 4 color offset printing presses got tired of the drive into Nashville a hour each way. I went to technical school got a maintenance technician degree. I went to work at a steel production company doing 2nd shift maintenance been at it 3 1/2 years I had hopes of going to days with the way things have happened here don't see that happening. I don't care for second shift, if I was single it would be fine. My wife works for the school system so summers are good, but when she is working we only see each other pretty much on the weekends....I may be looking elsewhere soon. As I don't see myself doing the second shift thing for 13 more years until I retire.
Work full time, but on those sweet, sweet weekday bankers' hours.
Working 3rd (11p-7a) stunk, but working 2nd (3p to 11p) ruled so hard. Wake up in the morning to hike and bike, go to work, catch late night happy hour with friends and go to sleep to repeat again. Didn't hate that.
Working 3rd (11p-7a) stunk, but working 2nd (3p to 11p) ruled so hard. Wake up in the morning to hike and bike, go to work, catch late night happy hour with friends and go to sleep to repeat again. Didn't hate that.
S&W-Keeper
Member
I was always lucky.I never had to work nights.I retired Nov. 30, 2019 after 52 years 3 months,and 22 days.
4506517
Member
Patrol rotation is two weeks of days, two weeks of nights.
0530-1730 -or- 1730-0530
I kinda like working nights.
0530-1730 -or- 1730-0530
I kinda like working nights.
I am a RN and work in a emergency department and we have 6 different shifts (12hrs) and i usually get to work all 6 in a schedule, sometimes 3 different shifts in a week. I can't wait to find a different position
LVSteve
Member
Sounds like a good way to break people without having to use an expensive piece of equipment like a rack.
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