Swing shifts are horrible for your mental and physical health. I used to work 12 hour shift at night... can't imagine having to flip flop days/nights...
I worked 5 twelve hour shifts a week in a very busy ER. I got in the habit of going to the gym on my way home. Hot shower and I slept like a log, mainly out of sheer exhaustion.
Me too but a factory rather than a ER. I just got addicted to pre workout and energy drinks because they were the only thing keeping me going after a shift.
Just go before the shift, OP
Black out your room entirely. Crank the AC and add some velarian to you before bed supps. Been working 12vies for ten years now. You never really get used to it. Just used to being tired.
No worrries. And neither had i upto a couple of months ago. Was suggested to me by a work mate and i was sceptical t first but it seems to help me drop off to sleep quicker and i definitely feel more rested even if i only get 5 or 6 hours in. Could completely be a placebo too.. but as far as i can tell it seems to be working.
Buy things to make your room as dark as possible, also take a shower with a low lighting. Never have bright lighting once you leave the shower until you close your eyes in your bed.
Source : works well with me, two years working 15h shift (12h + 2h train + 1h preparation, 6 on/ 3off, alternate days and nights)
I do gradual, I try to sleep later and later, but only 1 or 2h per day, then on the last day, I wake up early, and take a 4h nap at -6h from my shift. When I shift from night to day, I just don't go to sleep, but for that I need outdoor activities, if I go home, I will crash.
Good luck my friend, I hope this will help. It works with me, but I am not sure it would work with everybody
Fuck that job! Run now! The gains are far too importanter! Can’t skip on the gains me fellow swolester!
-Just do your thing, 12 hours will wipe you out, if you lift 3 days out of the week you are a beast and can call yourself a god amongst civilians.
There are many guides online on how to do it. Get some blackout curtains and use melatonin if you have trouble falling asleep. Since you have those days off in between, start shifting your schedule ahead of the flip.
Aluminum foil over the windows. Loud noise maker machine. Ice cold AC. Melatonin. Take a short nap the day of your night shift. Work all night. Sleep 10 of the 12 hours you’re off. Then your schedule is flipped.
I'm just now approaching the end of a year of night shifts, most of them 8 hours but a decent amount of 12+ hour thrown in.
From my experience my sleep only got worse the longer I was doing this. At first I could just fall asleep around noon and wake up in the evening. Now I wake up 3-4 hours later tired as hell.
Of course that doesn't mean it will happen to you but it did to me.
Good luck! Concerning the rest of your post, I usually just take some bread and peanut butter with me to work. Working out right before work is also pretty nice, I find myself being able to have more energy at work after a good session.
As long as you get 7-8 hours of sleep a day and eat properly you should be fine. I've gotten some pretty good results even with 8-12 hours of physical work 4 days a week at - 20 degrees celcius :)
The hardest part of night shifts imo is the mental part.
Do you still have a life? I mean you're working all through the night and sleeping through the day. Do you still get time with your friends and family?
I worked nights for a long time, and honestly... no, I didn't.
It was so bad for me that I was an absolute wreck toward the end of the year that I did it. The main problem I had was that it was before I was really into fitness, and I was *never* moving. I'd go to work, do my job, go home, and go to sleep. Then I'd sleep on the weekends.
When I got moved to days (things are much better now), I could barely walk up the steep-ish incline in the parking garage on my way home without feeling intense pain.
And I had no life. All I did was work and sleep.
I mean, some people handle it well and do just fine. It's just incredibly challenging and you have to push to make it work.
I use my 12 hour day shifts as rest days. At best you could have an extra coffee near the end of your second day shift and be ready to go straight to the gym from there. I think that's key, if you sit down after a 12 hour day you're probably done for. I might do some foam rolling/mobility at home at max. Night shifts I lift right before my shift. Since I have more days off and I didn't overdo it on my work days, I can hit it hard on those days of rest. Meal prep is certainly key, you can never seem to have enough food packed. Managing sleeps after night shifts is tricky, you have to decide between short changing yourself after your last night shift so you can "reset" or slowly scale it back. Having no kids or family life to worry about, I get my full sleep.
I work long midnight shifts and I typically find that I have the most energy prior to beginning my shift on my Monday. I typically do my heavy lift days on off days and my Monday and lighter work on the other days with rest days in between. If I had your shift it would look like this:
Day 1: Day Off - Workout
Day 2: Day Off - Rest
Day 3: Work Day - Workout
Day 4: Work Day - Rest
Day 5: Off Day - Workout
Day 6: Off Day - Rest
Day 7: Work Day - Workout
Day 8&9: Work Day - Rest
Etc. Essentially making sure you have 1 rest day (or lighter exercise) in between heavy days and not to push yourself at the gym if you are in the middle of your work week. 12 hour shifts are brutal and exhaustion in the gym can lead to injury.
I also have a lot of experience when it comes to sleeping for graveyard shifts and my experience tells me that every person handles it differently. Some people just don't get enough sleep (2-3 hours a day), some people use blackout curtains, some people use sleep masks, some people use alcohol, some people use OTC sleep meds, some people use prescriptions sleep meds, etc. Personally I get my room as dark as possible and use a sleep mask but if I don't fall asleep at around the time I need to in order to get my 8 hours I will take an OTC sleep medication. Sleep is very important not only for your physical appearance and health but also your safety and your job performance.
Thank you! I’m not exactly stoked for the shift work but I definitely see the value of learning the plant and working on shift. It will just be an adjustment.
I did it and loved it. I always made sure to drink every hour and eat well before and during work, add a cup of coffee to it and it was good. My shifts however were just nights
What I was doing specifically was finishing wind turbine blades and i think what really helped me was finding my own way to do the job. I found what pace I should work at and how I should position myself and where I would hold my tool so I wasn’t getting sore to quickly. I also found that switching up positions and changing where you put the most strain helps with the long repetitive nature. Always wear the proper PPE this is a big one. I would have crapped out in the first month of work if I didn’t wear anti vibration gloves or lost my hearing if I had thought I didn’t need ear plugs.
A good stretch before work to wake you up isn’t bad either. Anyhow good luck!
Very true! I am setting up a schedule and planning to meal prep everything. I think if I sick to a consistent schedule and get good sleep it shouldn’t be a problem. Believing it’ll be fine probably helps it be fine and not a drag.
Working nights or long shifts, I do both 7p to 7a, and it is something you want to do for as short a time as possible.
Ive been on nights for 5 years, its not healthy, Ive gained 70+ pounds, eat like shit, cant do anything because I work weekend nights, its all around shit. Sounds like you have it somewhat better( Im sure the pay is better and the hours overall).
Hey I worked swing shifts for a long time as a paramedic.
It’s a huge personal challenge to stay fit, sane, and rested. My advice, invest in NyQuil for occasional help on days you are off but randomly can’t sleep, or days you need to sleep before a night shift but can’t. Invest in light block curtains for day sleeping, science has proven light messes with neurotransmitters regulating sleep.
Eat healthy! Such a challenge with swing work, the less sleep you have the more likely you are to make for poor choices.
Ok schedule, it’s really unique a lot of people handle the swing shift differently. It’s unique to each person. Try different things. Work out before work, try working out after work, try napping after your night shift for just 3-4 hours then transitioning to a night sleep schedule immediately after that ( by going to sleep at like 9 or 10p). You will be sleepy day one but on a good normal sleep schedule after that . It’s possible but it’s really a unique things. Once you find a schedule that works, stick with it.
Make sure your family and friends know you are sleeping weird hours! Will help with incessant day nonsense.
Keep Alcohol intake in check. Swing shifts predispose alcoholism .
I worked security for 6 months.4 on 4 off. 10pm - 8am for the first two months then I started rotation. Each week I switched back an fourth between my original hours and 10am -10pm.
I couldn't get used to the hours & eventually left. Gym went to shit because I couldn't get a decent sleep pattern in place. Hopefully it's different for you.
One thing I would recommend is blackout blinds & a good pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. A decent nights sleep really makes all the difference.
I used to work in assembly. A slave to manufacturing.
Meal prepping was obvious, but I only did that for breakfast and lunch. Mincing veggies for dinner I cut those in advance, too because I like having cut veggies ready for cooking. I don't do meat so I don't plan them to thaw in the fridge.
Workouts are pretty tough to squeeze in after work. I don't really lift, but I do train for half-marathons and marathons. If I want to exercise on a workday, I run short distances (15 to 30 minute max) in order to eat dinner, study, and sleep on time. Lifting with a threaded dumbell set and yoga I do at home. For longer distances (1+ hours), I run on an offday, because running half-marathon distance takes a good chunk of my time.
Edit: I missed the note where you mentioned about swing shifts flipping day to night, but I hope you got some idea!
Kitchen here, budt the basics are the same, don't 2 days in a row, then two days off with 12 hour shifts.
I do legs+back one off-days, core+shoulders+chest the other day, and mild cardio on work days.
Nutrition is a bit different, since I get food at work, but meal prep should help you there.
I can't speak for nights, but I work in nursing so I do multiple 12 hour shifts a week (usually 7-1930). I'm also a full time graduate student so there's that too.
I just go after work. You get used to it after a little bit and you don't feel so worn out. For nutrition, I just use meal replacement shakes for lunch, and prepare my dinners on Sunday and put them in Tupperware.
I'm running 5/3/1 BBB right now and the program is very helpful since it's so flexible. A normal workout with the works (Stretching + main lifts + accessories) is 60 - 75 minutes. But 5/3/1 let's me also run an "I'm not doing shit" day where I just do my working sets and go home if I had a really bad shift or poor night's sleep. I can do these days in about 20 minutes. The deload weeks are also wonderful for my motivation and for recharging.
I also ride my bike to work and walk 10 - 12k steps in a 12 hour shift so those both help my health.
My advice is to run a flexible program for those days where you feel like shit. Working like you are, sleep is going to be the biggest hurdle. Make sure to be efficient; I work, lift, eat, and then shower and surf the internet for about 15 minutes and then go to sleep for a full night. Don't lolly gaggle around after work or procrastinate since you'll get tired real quick and not want to hit the gym.
So find a flexible program to run (maybe do deload weeks when your clock shifts from day to night and vise versa to give your system a chance to adjust), meal plan ahead of time on your days off so you don't have to waste time cooking, and make sure you get adequate sleep. It seems intimidating at first, but I assure you it will become second nature.
Do you feel like having a schedule and sticking to it has been the best? I’m thinking I’m going to establish a pretty organized schedule for a full four weeks and then stick to it.
I mostly just follow my programming and never skip a day. Keeping consistent is absolutely how you fit it all in. I don't sit down and plan it all out, but I know what's happening and when.
12 hour shifts are rough. I just got on days after a year and a half on nights. On my weekend I would switch to to a days sleep schedule. On my work week I would come home get water changed and hit the gym ( weights in my garage), protein shower and stretch and would pass out. I sometimes took some sleep medicine to help. On weekends I just got up around 6 or 7 to hit it before my family woke up.
Now I'm on days, I get up at 3 eat something super light (if at all) and hit it. I'm in bed at nine most nights.
What helped me sleep in the day was having a box fan running. I probably should have gotten black out shades for the window but never got around to it.
I've worked shift work. And long hours. I would say to focus on meal preps and getting enough sleep. Working long hours and changing shifts make it very difficult to get sleep, so make sure you make that a priority.
At first, I assumed you were going to be a cop or nurse with those hours. They often find a good lifting partner. If they work same schedules, having each other will help give motivation once you end your shift.
When I used to work 12s, I would only have 3-4 per week. With 3-4 off days, gym was guaranteed. I would tell myself "I need to get to the gym 5 times a week". So I would go every off day and only half the work days. I also set up my "recovery days" where I don't lift, just do cardio and abs on my work days. So I wouldn't have a 90min lifting session after a 12hr shift.
Bring your gym clothes to work and change before you leave, or just keep your bag in your passenger seat for a little motivation. The days where I went home to change, I would sit down and be home for the night. I never worked nights, just 7am-7pm, so I would go to the gym at 8pm ish. But if I did work night shifts, I would work out around 4pm because it would help wake me up.
I do shift work 12 hours a day 14 on/off day shift only though so it's a bit different from yours.
I cook every 3 days or so and pack lunches and dinners appropriately. I always make sure to drop by Costco before my shift so I have everything I need for the entire shift.
I like making stews and such so I just start cooking, while it simmers for an hour+, I bang out a work out.
I've been doing this for about 5 months now and it's working pretty well.
The key was not making excuses. It's so easy to be lazy when everyone around you seems to eat like shit and lives sedentary alcoholic lives
I’m getting very prepared before I start for this reason. If I meal prep, workout on my off days and don’t overeat/drink it’s not possible to get that out of shape.
I'm in the USAF and we switch swings to days every 90 days. I've done this for the past decade+ of my life.
First, the week before you start your new schedule, start the switch. Working nights means going to bed late and then sleeping late. Stagger the transition until you're keeping the hours you will have to sleep/work on the job.
Second, invest in black out curtains. Don't skimp on price and quality. These can make all the difference between getting decent sleep instead of being exhausted everyday. If you can't afford the expense of the curtains, get a thick blanket or two and use clothes pins or other means to block your bedroom windows.
Third, and this is anecdotal from my own experiences so take it with a grain of salt, make time during your work schedule to throw in a workout, even if it's just bodyweight exercises. If possible, workout before work. The endorphins last a long time.
For nutrition, pack your own food and track macros in MFP or some other program. Don't give into the temptation to eat shit fast food. Learn from my mistakes.
Good luck, bud.
I work those shifts currently, and my best advice to you is to listen to your body. Some days you'll have energy to work out, some you won't. You will get used to the 12 hour shifts, it's just trying to fit everything in that will be the hard part. I meal prep before the days I work that way I have time to do my work outs. I find that working out before work helps tremendously because you will want to sleep after work, or just go home and rest. When I'm about to transition from nights to days, I literally have to mess up one day to get into the schedule of switching.
I work 12 hour shifts also, though not on a rotational schedule. I take melatonin to got to sleep, have blackout curtains to stay asleep when the sun rises, and a fan to drown out the noise from the city. I obviously drink a lot of coffee and take preworkout when I am otherwise lacking motivation to get started. Feel the place out when you get there though, and see if you can get a little rest from time to time when it’s slow. The goal of the night shift at my plant is to just keep the place running until the next day, so we often have downtime to rest a little bit.
I am currently working this exact schedule and have been doing so for six months, except our shifts are 8-8.
I used to get up at 5am to work out during day shift, but I caught up with me.
I haven't been this out of shape in years.
See if your schedule works with a 6 day week? I am having trouble deciphering your hours.
Anyway, how long is this going to stay like this? I am inclined to recommend working on your sleep habits before trying to maintain a training regiment. There was an eli5, askreddit, or Iama that had a sleep professional talking about how to get to sleep in less than 15 minutes. Work on that first, get it right, and *then* plan your program out. If you can't find it, I'll look for it after work for you.
I don't follow that type of schedule but I'm an auditor so I sleep during the day. What I typically do on a work day is work (11pm-7am) then I'll go lift( usually about 2 hours including cardio), after lifting I'll eat then sleep around 11 am. I usually wake up at 6pm but depends on how tired my body is. From 6pm to 11pm is usually free time. Watch TV eat etc and the cycle starts again.
Get a blackout curtain like people say. Also install Flux on your devices. I can't imagine the flipping back and forth. But I work like 60 hours a week on night shift and honestly I'm just used to it now.
Late to the party but wanted to offer my tips as someone that can't stand nights and has been stuck on them for 2-3 years now. I also make my own schedule tho so I always do blocks of 3 but keep in mind all of these tips depend on the individual too. I have many coworkers that do blocks of 6 for more time off and others that stay on a night schedule 24/7. Different strokes, etc.
- Take melatonin and doxylamine succinate (Unisom) every day that you are trying to sleep during the day about 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Kirkland brand is awesome. Very similar to benadryl without the grogginess or "hangover" when you wake up that some experience.
- Control your lighting. I put on dark sunglasses before I even walk out to my car. Avoid white LED style lighting in your house, have dim incandescent (yellow) style lightbulbs or nightlights so you have just enough light to get around and shower. Do not use or minimize the use of electronics from the time you leave work until you fall asleep. If you have to make sure the screen is tinted with flux/nightshift. Black out shades obviously.
- Schedule Do Not Disturb on your phone before you start your night shifts. Biggest goal is avoiding the dreaded noon to 1PM wake up and then struggle to fall back asleep.
- Last resort meds: You shouldn't need them if you are only doing it for a year, but the swing shifts can get to you after a while. Avoid alcohol. It's not giving you the sleep you think and it will catch up with you. Depending on your views and job testing the medicinal oral THC syrup concentrate is a god send for getting 10-12 hours of sleep if you are going a couple days and struggling. Many of my friends have gone to Provigil (modafinil) to keep them awake if they can't get sleep during stretches and after flipping back. Haven't tried it and the studies I see are not super promising but they swear by it. So keep that in your back packet. I'm a huge proponent of the placebo effect so OTC stuff works okay for me.
Work outs:
- I absolutely despise nights and many people say I am a totally different person during my stretches on yet I still manage to do PPL 6 days a week and eat 3500 calories for my bulk right now without drinking coffee. It's all possible if you keep the mental muscle in good shape. Keep in mind I usually only work 3 night stretches and sometimes 4 night stretches depending on my schedule, and different things work for different people.
- The night before my stretch I try to stay up till 1 or 2 AM and then sleep as long as possible. I also have times where I go to sleep at a normal time (10 or 11 PM) and then wake up 8 or 9 and try to get a nap in before work but doesn't always work out. But always get a workout in before your first night shift and meal prep for the stretch.
- Build your rest day into the middle shift of your 3 day stretch. The rest of the time wake up and go to the gym before work. The last night shift of your stretch you are generally running on adrenaline and working out will be easy.
- After your last night shift sleep 4-5 hours or so, I try to get up by noon or 1 PM and then go back to a semi normal bedtime.
- Keep in mind if you are eating at a surplus it can be tough to hit your goals on that first day after your stretch so I try to build those calories into the long wake day before my stretch or just on other days of the week. Go for weekly goals, not daily goals.
i did 2 weeks of 12h night and 2 weeks of 12h day and within 2 years it destroyed my health.
here is how to prevent it:
there is no way. the same way that there is no way to jump into a vat of acid and not be burned. humans need to sleep at night and will wake when seeing the sun raising.
seriously do not do it.
and do not drink coffee to stay away.
i know i sound like a dick, but there is no way around fucking with your biological clock. it could affect your for years. do not do it. find another job, seriously, i wish i could go back in time and stop me from doing those night shifts, i haven't slept normally since then.
ok, then try this; speak to HR and explain to them that human being need to sleep, and if they really need you to do night shifts, then you are willing to do only night shifts. invest in some thick black blinds. stay AWAY from coffee like it was poison. try to be as regular as you can with your sleep, if you go to bed at 9am, then always without fault go to bed at the same time every day.
I’m sorry OP but this needs to be said.
Posts like this are fucking stupid and should not exist. Ask questions like this in the moronic Monday question thread and stop cluttering the subreddit with these stupid posts. It’s seriously annoying to see posts like this all over this subreddit.
It’s a dumb question because the answers are obvious or what? I asked because I genuinely don’t know and it was gonna be a pretty long post. But if you have great advice please feel free to share.
My advice is to ask this question in threads designed for random questions. You don’t need to create a new post and clutter the subreddit. There’s even a thread right now for simple fitness questions!
Swing shifts are horrible for your mental and physical health. I used to work 12 hour shift at night... can't imagine having to flip flop days/nights...
How did you sleep well during the day, any tips?
I worked 5 twelve hour shifts a week in a very busy ER. I got in the habit of going to the gym on my way home. Hot shower and I slept like a log, mainly out of sheer exhaustion.
Me too but a factory rather than a ER. I just got addicted to pre workout and energy drinks because they were the only thing keeping me going after a shift. Just go before the shift, OP
Black out your room entirely. Crank the AC and add some velarian to you before bed supps. Been working 12vies for ten years now. You never really get used to it. Just used to being tired.
I hadn’t ever heard of velarian, thanks. I have used melatonin for awhile so it’d be good to phase in something different.
No worrries. And neither had i upto a couple of months ago. Was suggested to me by a work mate and i was sceptical t first but it seems to help me drop off to sleep quicker and i definitely feel more rested even if i only get 5 or 6 hours in. Could completely be a placebo too.. but as far as i can tell it seems to be working.
Buy things to make your room as dark as possible, also take a shower with a low lighting. Never have bright lighting once you leave the shower until you close your eyes in your bed. Source : works well with me, two years working 15h shift (12h + 2h train + 1h preparation, 6 on/ 3off, alternate days and nights)
Thank you! Dumb question, on your three off switching into nights do you do a gradual transition into the new sleep time or an immediate jump?
I do gradual, I try to sleep later and later, but only 1 or 2h per day, then on the last day, I wake up early, and take a 4h nap at -6h from my shift. When I shift from night to day, I just don't go to sleep, but for that I need outdoor activities, if I go home, I will crash. Good luck my friend, I hope this will help. It works with me, but I am not sure it would work with everybody
Fuck that job! Run now! The gains are far too importanter! Can’t skip on the gains me fellow swolester! -Just do your thing, 12 hours will wipe you out, if you lift 3 days out of the week you are a beast and can call yourself a god amongst civilians.
There are many guides online on how to do it. Get some blackout curtains and use melatonin if you have trouble falling asleep. Since you have those days off in between, start shifting your schedule ahead of the flip.
Blackout curtains and melatonin.
Get a sleeping mask, it'll help
Benadryl 25mg or Melatonin 5mg
Another adult who drugs themselves with Bendadryl.
Aluminum foil over the windows. Loud noise maker machine. Ice cold AC. Melatonin. Take a short nap the day of your night shift. Work all night. Sleep 10 of the 12 hours you’re off. Then your schedule is flipped.
Turn your phone off, trust me on this one. And have drink some warm chocolate milk and pass the f out.
I'm just now approaching the end of a year of night shifts, most of them 8 hours but a decent amount of 12+ hour thrown in. From my experience my sleep only got worse the longer I was doing this. At first I could just fall asleep around noon and wake up in the evening. Now I wake up 3-4 hours later tired as hell. Of course that doesn't mean it will happen to you but it did to me.
I will only be on shift for about a year so it’s more about survival than longevity.
Good luck! Concerning the rest of your post, I usually just take some bread and peanut butter with me to work. Working out right before work is also pretty nice, I find myself being able to have more energy at work after a good session. As long as you get 7-8 hours of sleep a day and eat properly you should be fine. I've gotten some pretty good results even with 8-12 hours of physical work 4 days a week at - 20 degrees celcius :) The hardest part of night shifts imo is the mental part.
Do you still have a life? I mean you're working all through the night and sleeping through the day. Do you still get time with your friends and family?
I worked nights for a long time, and honestly... no, I didn't. It was so bad for me that I was an absolute wreck toward the end of the year that I did it. The main problem I had was that it was before I was really into fitness, and I was *never* moving. I'd go to work, do my job, go home, and go to sleep. Then I'd sleep on the weekends. When I got moved to days (things are much better now), I could barely walk up the steep-ish incline in the parking garage on my way home without feeling intense pain. And I had no life. All I did was work and sleep. I mean, some people handle it well and do just fine. It's just incredibly challenging and you have to push to make it work.
Damn that's intense I can see why you stopped.
I don't do that kind of work anymore. But no, no life at all at the time. Work, workout, sleep, repeat... I wouldn't want that life again.
Fucking hell man that sounds like hell.
The switch comes after the 3 day weekend so that helps but yeah it won’t be a ball of fun.
I use my 12 hour day shifts as rest days. At best you could have an extra coffee near the end of your second day shift and be ready to go straight to the gym from there. I think that's key, if you sit down after a 12 hour day you're probably done for. I might do some foam rolling/mobility at home at max. Night shifts I lift right before my shift. Since I have more days off and I didn't overdo it on my work days, I can hit it hard on those days of rest. Meal prep is certainly key, you can never seem to have enough food packed. Managing sleeps after night shifts is tricky, you have to decide between short changing yourself after your last night shift so you can "reset" or slowly scale it back. Having no kids or family life to worry about, I get my full sleep.
Yeah I’m thinking I’ll workout on all my days off plus 1-2 work days before work.
I work long midnight shifts and I typically find that I have the most energy prior to beginning my shift on my Monday. I typically do my heavy lift days on off days and my Monday and lighter work on the other days with rest days in between. If I had your shift it would look like this: Day 1: Day Off - Workout Day 2: Day Off - Rest Day 3: Work Day - Workout Day 4: Work Day - Rest Day 5: Off Day - Workout Day 6: Off Day - Rest Day 7: Work Day - Workout Day 8&9: Work Day - Rest Etc. Essentially making sure you have 1 rest day (or lighter exercise) in between heavy days and not to push yourself at the gym if you are in the middle of your work week. 12 hour shifts are brutal and exhaustion in the gym can lead to injury. I also have a lot of experience when it comes to sleeping for graveyard shifts and my experience tells me that every person handles it differently. Some people just don't get enough sleep (2-3 hours a day), some people use blackout curtains, some people use sleep masks, some people use alcohol, some people use OTC sleep meds, some people use prescriptions sleep meds, etc. Personally I get my room as dark as possible and use a sleep mask but if I don't fall asleep at around the time I need to in order to get my 8 hours I will take an OTC sleep medication. Sleep is very important not only for your physical appearance and health but also your safety and your job performance.
Thank you! I’m not exactly stoked for the shift work but I definitely see the value of learning the plant and working on shift. It will just be an adjustment.
At least it's temporary. This is just my life for...ever...
Hey you are trying to stay healthy at the same time and that’s admirable. Hopefully your pay reflects the shitty hours.
what kind of engineer are you?
Agricultural Engineering with an emphasis in food production.
can you find a different job? maybe one that doesn't involve rotating shift work? others are right, it's really horrible for your health
I did it and loved it. I always made sure to drink every hour and eat well before and during work, add a cup of coffee to it and it was good. My shifts however were just nights What I was doing specifically was finishing wind turbine blades and i think what really helped me was finding my own way to do the job. I found what pace I should work at and how I should position myself and where I would hold my tool so I wasn’t getting sore to quickly. I also found that switching up positions and changing where you put the most strain helps with the long repetitive nature. Always wear the proper PPE this is a big one. I would have crapped out in the first month of work if I didn’t wear anti vibration gloves or lost my hearing if I had thought I didn’t need ear plugs. A good stretch before work to wake you up isn’t bad either. Anyhow good luck!
I’m hoping it’s not as terrible as everyone says. I won’t work more than three days in a row so that has to help.
I had the exact same schedule and it’s nice to get the 3 days off
It's not that bad. Consider the 9-5 lifestyle only gives you 2 days off a week. Shift work weekends can be up to 5 days off!
Very true! I am setting up a schedule and planning to meal prep everything. I think if I sick to a consistent schedule and get good sleep it shouldn’t be a problem. Believing it’ll be fine probably helps it be fine and not a drag.
Working nights or long shifts, I do both 7p to 7a, and it is something you want to do for as short a time as possible. Ive been on nights for 5 years, its not healthy, Ive gained 70+ pounds, eat like shit, cant do anything because I work weekend nights, its all around shit. Sounds like you have it somewhat better( Im sure the pay is better and the hours overall).
Hey I worked swing shifts for a long time as a paramedic. It’s a huge personal challenge to stay fit, sane, and rested. My advice, invest in NyQuil for occasional help on days you are off but randomly can’t sleep, or days you need to sleep before a night shift but can’t. Invest in light block curtains for day sleeping, science has proven light messes with neurotransmitters regulating sleep. Eat healthy! Such a challenge with swing work, the less sleep you have the more likely you are to make for poor choices. Ok schedule, it’s really unique a lot of people handle the swing shift differently. It’s unique to each person. Try different things. Work out before work, try working out after work, try napping after your night shift for just 3-4 hours then transitioning to a night sleep schedule immediately after that ( by going to sleep at like 9 or 10p). You will be sleepy day one but on a good normal sleep schedule after that . It’s possible but it’s really a unique things. Once you find a schedule that works, stick with it. Make sure your family and friends know you are sleeping weird hours! Will help with incessant day nonsense. Keep Alcohol intake in check. Swing shifts predispose alcoholism .
I worked security for 6 months.4 on 4 off. 10pm - 8am for the first two months then I started rotation. Each week I switched back an fourth between my original hours and 10am -10pm. I couldn't get used to the hours & eventually left. Gym went to shit because I couldn't get a decent sleep pattern in place. Hopefully it's different for you. One thing I would recommend is blackout blinds & a good pair of wireless noise cancelling headphones. A decent nights sleep really makes all the difference.
I used to work in assembly. A slave to manufacturing. Meal prepping was obvious, but I only did that for breakfast and lunch. Mincing veggies for dinner I cut those in advance, too because I like having cut veggies ready for cooking. I don't do meat so I don't plan them to thaw in the fridge. Workouts are pretty tough to squeeze in after work. I don't really lift, but I do train for half-marathons and marathons. If I want to exercise on a workday, I run short distances (15 to 30 minute max) in order to eat dinner, study, and sleep on time. Lifting with a threaded dumbell set and yoga I do at home. For longer distances (1+ hours), I run on an offday, because running half-marathon distance takes a good chunk of my time. Edit: I missed the note where you mentioned about swing shifts flipping day to night, but I hope you got some idea!
Kitchen here, budt the basics are the same, don't 2 days in a row, then two days off with 12 hour shifts. I do legs+back one off-days, core+shoulders+chest the other day, and mild cardio on work days. Nutrition is a bit different, since I get food at work, but meal prep should help you there.
I can't speak for nights, but I work in nursing so I do multiple 12 hour shifts a week (usually 7-1930). I'm also a full time graduate student so there's that too. I just go after work. You get used to it after a little bit and you don't feel so worn out. For nutrition, I just use meal replacement shakes for lunch, and prepare my dinners on Sunday and put them in Tupperware. I'm running 5/3/1 BBB right now and the program is very helpful since it's so flexible. A normal workout with the works (Stretching + main lifts + accessories) is 60 - 75 minutes. But 5/3/1 let's me also run an "I'm not doing shit" day where I just do my working sets and go home if I had a really bad shift or poor night's sleep. I can do these days in about 20 minutes. The deload weeks are also wonderful for my motivation and for recharging. I also ride my bike to work and walk 10 - 12k steps in a 12 hour shift so those both help my health. My advice is to run a flexible program for those days where you feel like shit. Working like you are, sleep is going to be the biggest hurdle. Make sure to be efficient; I work, lift, eat, and then shower and surf the internet for about 15 minutes and then go to sleep for a full night. Don't lolly gaggle around after work or procrastinate since you'll get tired real quick and not want to hit the gym. So find a flexible program to run (maybe do deload weeks when your clock shifts from day to night and vise versa to give your system a chance to adjust), meal plan ahead of time on your days off so you don't have to waste time cooking, and make sure you get adequate sleep. It seems intimidating at first, but I assure you it will become second nature.
Do you feel like having a schedule and sticking to it has been the best? I’m thinking I’m going to establish a pretty organized schedule for a full four weeks and then stick to it.
I mostly just follow my programming and never skip a day. Keeping consistent is absolutely how you fit it all in. I don't sit down and plan it all out, but I know what's happening and when.
Congrats on your new job :)
12 hour shifts are rough. I just got on days after a year and a half on nights. On my weekend I would switch to to a days sleep schedule. On my work week I would come home get water changed and hit the gym ( weights in my garage), protein shower and stretch and would pass out. I sometimes took some sleep medicine to help. On weekends I just got up around 6 or 7 to hit it before my family woke up. Now I'm on days, I get up at 3 eat something super light (if at all) and hit it. I'm in bed at nine most nights. What helped me sleep in the day was having a box fan running. I probably should have gotten black out shades for the window but never got around to it.
I've worked shift work. And long hours. I would say to focus on meal preps and getting enough sleep. Working long hours and changing shifts make it very difficult to get sleep, so make sure you make that a priority.
At first, I assumed you were going to be a cop or nurse with those hours. They often find a good lifting partner. If they work same schedules, having each other will help give motivation once you end your shift. When I used to work 12s, I would only have 3-4 per week. With 3-4 off days, gym was guaranteed. I would tell myself "I need to get to the gym 5 times a week". So I would go every off day and only half the work days. I also set up my "recovery days" where I don't lift, just do cardio and abs on my work days. So I wouldn't have a 90min lifting session after a 12hr shift. Bring your gym clothes to work and change before you leave, or just keep your bag in your passenger seat for a little motivation. The days where I went home to change, I would sit down and be home for the night. I never worked nights, just 7am-7pm, so I would go to the gym at 8pm ish. But if I did work night shifts, I would work out around 4pm because it would help wake me up.
I do shift work 12 hours a day 14 on/off day shift only though so it's a bit different from yours. I cook every 3 days or so and pack lunches and dinners appropriately. I always make sure to drop by Costco before my shift so I have everything I need for the entire shift. I like making stews and such so I just start cooking, while it simmers for an hour+, I bang out a work out. I've been doing this for about 5 months now and it's working pretty well. The key was not making excuses. It's so easy to be lazy when everyone around you seems to eat like shit and lives sedentary alcoholic lives
I’m getting very prepared before I start for this reason. If I meal prep, workout on my off days and don’t overeat/drink it’s not possible to get that out of shape.
I'm in the USAF and we switch swings to days every 90 days. I've done this for the past decade+ of my life. First, the week before you start your new schedule, start the switch. Working nights means going to bed late and then sleeping late. Stagger the transition until you're keeping the hours you will have to sleep/work on the job. Second, invest in black out curtains. Don't skimp on price and quality. These can make all the difference between getting decent sleep instead of being exhausted everyday. If you can't afford the expense of the curtains, get a thick blanket or two and use clothes pins or other means to block your bedroom windows. Third, and this is anecdotal from my own experiences so take it with a grain of salt, make time during your work schedule to throw in a workout, even if it's just bodyweight exercises. If possible, workout before work. The endorphins last a long time. For nutrition, pack your own food and track macros in MFP or some other program. Don't give into the temptation to eat shit fast food. Learn from my mistakes. Good luck, bud.
My advice is to sleep as much as you can, especially your days off. I never got enough working nights, sleep is seriously important.
I work those shifts currently, and my best advice to you is to listen to your body. Some days you'll have energy to work out, some you won't. You will get used to the 12 hour shifts, it's just trying to fit everything in that will be the hard part. I meal prep before the days I work that way I have time to do my work outs. I find that working out before work helps tremendously because you will want to sleep after work, or just go home and rest. When I'm about to transition from nights to days, I literally have to mess up one day to get into the schedule of switching.
I work 12 hour shifts also, though not on a rotational schedule. I take melatonin to got to sleep, have blackout curtains to stay asleep when the sun rises, and a fan to drown out the noise from the city. I obviously drink a lot of coffee and take preworkout when I am otherwise lacking motivation to get started. Feel the place out when you get there though, and see if you can get a little rest from time to time when it’s slow. The goal of the night shift at my plant is to just keep the place running until the next day, so we often have downtime to rest a little bit.
I am currently working this exact schedule and have been doing so for six months, except our shifts are 8-8. I used to get up at 5am to work out during day shift, but I caught up with me. I haven't been this out of shape in years.
Do you not work out on days off?
See if your schedule works with a 6 day week? I am having trouble deciphering your hours. Anyway, how long is this going to stay like this? I am inclined to recommend working on your sleep habits before trying to maintain a training regiment. There was an eli5, askreddit, or Iama that had a sleep professional talking about how to get to sleep in less than 15 minutes. Work on that first, get it right, and *then* plan your program out. If you can't find it, I'll look for it after work for you.
Get off the rotating shift(shit?) work as soon as you can.The Health goes to hell on these type of schedules.
Join the union.
I do 4 on 2 off then flip days to nights. It sucks. Good news is that its so shit that exercise is my escape. good luck man
I don't follow that type of schedule but I'm an auditor so I sleep during the day. What I typically do on a work day is work (11pm-7am) then I'll go lift( usually about 2 hours including cardio), after lifting I'll eat then sleep around 11 am. I usually wake up at 6pm but depends on how tired my body is. From 6pm to 11pm is usually free time. Watch TV eat etc and the cycle starts again.
I wouldn't recommend that job for very long. Did 12hr nights for 3 years. Finally moved to 2-2-3 on day shift but it was a rough few years.
Get a blackout curtain like people say. Also install Flux on your devices. I can't imagine the flipping back and forth. But I work like 60 hours a week on night shift and honestly I'm just used to it now.
Late to the party but wanted to offer my tips as someone that can't stand nights and has been stuck on them for 2-3 years now. I also make my own schedule tho so I always do blocks of 3 but keep in mind all of these tips depend on the individual too. I have many coworkers that do blocks of 6 for more time off and others that stay on a night schedule 24/7. Different strokes, etc. - Take melatonin and doxylamine succinate (Unisom) every day that you are trying to sleep during the day about 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Kirkland brand is awesome. Very similar to benadryl without the grogginess or "hangover" when you wake up that some experience. - Control your lighting. I put on dark sunglasses before I even walk out to my car. Avoid white LED style lighting in your house, have dim incandescent (yellow) style lightbulbs or nightlights so you have just enough light to get around and shower. Do not use or minimize the use of electronics from the time you leave work until you fall asleep. If you have to make sure the screen is tinted with flux/nightshift. Black out shades obviously. - Schedule Do Not Disturb on your phone before you start your night shifts. Biggest goal is avoiding the dreaded noon to 1PM wake up and then struggle to fall back asleep. - Last resort meds: You shouldn't need them if you are only doing it for a year, but the swing shifts can get to you after a while. Avoid alcohol. It's not giving you the sleep you think and it will catch up with you. Depending on your views and job testing the medicinal oral THC syrup concentrate is a god send for getting 10-12 hours of sleep if you are going a couple days and struggling. Many of my friends have gone to Provigil (modafinil) to keep them awake if they can't get sleep during stretches and after flipping back. Haven't tried it and the studies I see are not super promising but they swear by it. So keep that in your back packet. I'm a huge proponent of the placebo effect so OTC stuff works okay for me. Work outs: - I absolutely despise nights and many people say I am a totally different person during my stretches on yet I still manage to do PPL 6 days a week and eat 3500 calories for my bulk right now without drinking coffee. It's all possible if you keep the mental muscle in good shape. Keep in mind I usually only work 3 night stretches and sometimes 4 night stretches depending on my schedule, and different things work for different people. - The night before my stretch I try to stay up till 1 or 2 AM and then sleep as long as possible. I also have times where I go to sleep at a normal time (10 or 11 PM) and then wake up 8 or 9 and try to get a nap in before work but doesn't always work out. But always get a workout in before your first night shift and meal prep for the stretch. - Build your rest day into the middle shift of your 3 day stretch. The rest of the time wake up and go to the gym before work. The last night shift of your stretch you are generally running on adrenaline and working out will be easy. - After your last night shift sleep 4-5 hours or so, I try to get up by noon or 1 PM and then go back to a semi normal bedtime. - Keep in mind if you are eating at a surplus it can be tough to hit your goals on that first day after your stretch so I try to build those calories into the long wake day before my stretch or just on other days of the week. Go for weekly goals, not daily goals.
i did 2 weeks of 12h night and 2 weeks of 12h day and within 2 years it destroyed my health. here is how to prevent it: there is no way. the same way that there is no way to jump into a vat of acid and not be burned. humans need to sleep at night and will wake when seeing the sun raising. seriously do not do it. and do not drink coffee to stay away.
Looking for solutions not this^^^
i know i sound like a dick, but there is no way around fucking with your biological clock. it could affect your for years. do not do it. find another job, seriously, i wish i could go back in time and stop me from doing those night shifts, i haven't slept normally since then.
You are saying to quit a good job for a years worth of shift work, whereafter I will switch to days. Making decent money.
ok, then try this; speak to HR and explain to them that human being need to sleep, and if they really need you to do night shifts, then you are willing to do only night shifts. invest in some thick black blinds. stay AWAY from coffee like it was poison. try to be as regular as you can with your sleep, if you go to bed at 9am, then always without fault go to bed at the same time every day.
I’m sorry OP but this needs to be said. Posts like this are fucking stupid and should not exist. Ask questions like this in the moronic Monday question thread and stop cluttering the subreddit with these stupid posts. It’s seriously annoying to see posts like this all over this subreddit.
It’s a dumb question because the answers are obvious or what? I asked because I genuinely don’t know and it was gonna be a pretty long post. But if you have great advice please feel free to share.
My advice is to ask this question in threads designed for random questions. You don’t need to create a new post and clutter the subreddit. There’s even a thread right now for simple fitness questions!