I’m a nurse and I don’t do night shifts. The few times I did it I earned a 150% differential but it’s not worth the money: I’d go back home and have to use noise cancelling headphones to sleep, 'cause people are loud, I’d wake up rested at 04:00 pm, but completely destroying my circadian rhythm. I’d need a whole day or 2 to recover my regular rhythm because otherwise I’d be a zombie.

I hear my coworkers who do night shift complaining about this same issue, but they still pick up night shifts, which I don’t understand.

To me it was impossible to have something akin to a life while working night shift, but I’ve met some people that only do night shifts: the housewife that only works 4 nights shifts per month, the single mother or young wife or husband who work 14 night shifts per month and have the next 2 weeks for him/herself…

I don’t understand why they do it. It’s extremely taxing and not worth it imho.

But if you do, how do you have a life? And how do you keep yourself healthy?

  • Starb3an@lemmy.world
    3·
    15 hours ago

    I work 2nd shift, 3pm-11pm and love that time. I’m not a morning person so I wake up and go straight to work then go to sleep between 3 and 6am.

    I would say that it is harder to have normal social interactions. Pretty much all interactions are made over the weekend. I won’t say it didn’t affect my marriage, but I don’t think it was the main cause of my divorce.