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?
I’ve always been a night person. Absolutly useless first thing in the morning. Then I got a job working nights and it just seemed so natural.
Then as I got older I got a job working offshore, working nights. So I get to wake up at 1400, have a cup of tea, go to the gym, do some other stuff before starting shift at 1830 - 0630. Then go straight to bed, and not have any disturbances until I wake up.
Yeah, the first night it a bit tough having traveled to work through the day then staying up all night and when I get home turning around to regular life can take a couple days but melatonin helps a lot with that.
I have a friend who works as a night porter in a hotel and has to sleep at home with his family doing stuff during the day, he always looks tired and I don’t think it’s healthy for him to continue that long term. I think some people are wired for days and some for nights but they still need to get proper rest whenever it is that suits them.
I read a book by the author of fight club called “Rant” where society was split into dayshift and nightshift due to overpopulation, doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to me.
Also, if you work nights make sure to take vitamin d supplements.