I worked night shift and I hated it. I was miserable and always feeling sluggish, Lethargic, irritable, I just couldn't focus or concentrate. These symptoms were just due to lack of sleep.

Working night shift causes your body to not work in conjunction with the earth's time cycle. As a result, that throws a lot of things off. Especially it's ability to effectively produce and release hormones like melatonin.

When you work night shift you are more exposed to light than normal. I do know that light inhibits the production of melatonin. You need that hormone to help relax you so that you can sleep better. The only way your body produces this hormone effectively is at night when there is no light exposure. But, when your body does not work in conjunction with the earth's time cycle, expect to deal with the consequences of having insufficient melatonin production. And that will affect your quality of sleep.

Plus, working night shift for 7 days on and then having 7 days off will most likely mean that your body will follow an inconsistent sleeping schedule. Chances are you will sleep during the day when you work, and at night when you don't work.
That will disrupt your sleep. Your body won't be able to adapt to whatever sleeping schedule comes your way because it is always changing from week to week and has to constantly adjust in the process.

That's tough. I wouldn't do the night shift if I were you. I'd rather do the afternoon shift schedule from 2 to 11. If you have that option to choose from, then that's a lot better for you and your health. Nightshift is kinda scary. Working night shift increases the risk of accidents. Think about it? You have a sleep deficit and a lack of concentration not good especially when driving home. Something to think about.

The only thing I liked about working nights....there was nothing like the feeling you get when you can crack a beer at 7 am and throw a steak on the grill while everyone else is heading off to work.

I dunno, but working until 10 every night will drop AIDS on your social life for sure.

I absolutely loved working evenings (referring to your 2:30pm-11pm shift). You may lose some social opportunities at night, but it's not like you're working every night, and the nights off vary. Seven days on and seven days off may sound appealing, but I hated the overnight shift. You'll be non-existent the weeks you work, and probably spend more time than you think sleeping on the weeks you have off. Everybody's different though. I was at my sharpest in the evenings, and the scene was more laid back once the front office left at 5pm.

That ain't working nights thats not even 2nd shift

Graveyard shift is really hard on your body. It's for young people, that's for sure.

When I was in radio back in the 1980s I worked Midnight to Six air shift for three straight years, six nights a week. I was going to grad school at the same time, and working at a TV station on the weekend as a camera man. Very hard to get decent sleep during the day, especially if you live in an apartment. I'd never do it again, that's for sure.

Dear god. Did it come with free access to a suicide hotline?

I did the same thing. In the summer time when I came home at 5:30 - 6am I would stop at the local supermarket, pick up a steak, stop at the liquor store for beer (they don't sell beer or wine in supermarkets in NJ) and grill a steak and drink Heineken's on the back porch. My Mom would just shake her head when she saw me out there pounding a few beers.

:clap:

I worked 2nd shift for a while at my first job out of college. Sucked balls. It was bass-ackwards. I like to wake up and go to work. In my 2nd shift rotation I woke up and sat around watching the clock tick until it was time to go to work. Oh, I'd do the errands thing, but going to work was hanging over my head.

My dad worked the 11pm - 7am shift at a care facility a few years ago. He worked that shift Tuesday through Friday. The problem was that he tried to sleep on a "normal" schedule the other days. He was a complete zombie for the year he did that.

I kept telling him he had to sleep at the same time every day whether he worked or not or his body would never get used to it but he wouldn't listen. I'm only his kid; what would I know? :shake: I was surprised it didn't kill him as he's in his 60's and has heart problems.

Some good information in this thread.

Thanks guys.