For those who work 3rd shift

Redneck Rocker Dude

Old Mossy Horns
How long did it take to get your sleeping schedule adjusted? I'm considering going to work on 3rd shift once school starts. Because of my school schedule that's about the only times I'll be able to work. I'm also a little concerned about the workload and stress. I've got a pretty hard year coming up. Any advice?
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
I work swing shift one week nights next week days and my sleep schedule still isn't right. I have learned to get by on less sleep but it takes a toll on your body imo.
 

took

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I worked night shift for 4 years and I do not think I ever got used to it.
That was about 15 years ago and we had a newborn. I worked Fri/Sat/Sun nights and my wife worked during the week. It allowed us to not have to worry about child care during those early years but I admit it was tough. I would definitely do it again but I do not miss it.

So, my experience may be tainted since I was also trying to carry on a semi-normal family life and sleeping on a regular schedule during the week and then converting back to staying up during the weekends at night.
 

81toyota

Twelve Pointer
Im in college and was just offered a 3rd shift internship. I have worked 3rd in the past and it was not difficult to get adjusted after about 2 weeks. I turned down the internship with me being a full time student I don't want to neglect school or work and the only reason why I say this is I have about 4 guys in my program that work 3rd shift full time and are full time students and they are zombies. I hope this can make things a littler easier for you.

Me personally Id work 2nd if you could part time and would highly recommend a internship in whatever program your in because most internships will work with you and your school schedule a lot more than a typical part time job other than working in a food industry. Goodluck and once again I hope this helps
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
I worked nights off and on for twenty years...I never got enough sleep,but I knew people who had a set sleep schedule that they kept to and made it work...personally I always felt like I was missing out on hunting or something if I slept all day,lol.
 

wcjones

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I worked part time second for a while when I was in school. I liked it a lot better...plus you could still do stuff with ppl after work
 

ako_deerking

Twelve Pointer
I used to really enjoy 3rd shift. Takes a few weeks to get used to it though. I could go to bed at 7 am and get up at 12 and have a good bit till time for work again. I worked 3 on 4 off one week then 4 on 3 off the next. 12 hour shifts mind you.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I worked 3rd for a year. Normal sleep I try to get 7-8 hrs. When I was on 3rd, I was happy to get 5. It seems like you have a good work ethic but honestly, I would try everything possible to avoid it if you will be in school too.

I'm just speaking from my experience with it, but in the mornings when I got off, all I could think about was going home and going to bed. In the evenings, all I could think about was staying in bed and getting more sleep.
I appreciate the heck out of people that do it. It's a job and it's a means to supporting yourself and your family but I've noticed that most of the people you see that have worked 3rd for years and years look about 15 years older than what they actually are. There's a reason for that!!
 

nc rabbit hunter

Guest
I worked 12 hour nights for 7 years and have never slept again once on days! It screwed me up! It did give me lots of spare time for taxidermy,when my nerves werent shot from lack of sleep!
 

BigStrutter

Twelve Pointer
I rotate from days to nights with only two days off in between. I never get used to sleeping period!! Some people love nights, I enjoy them myself actually. But I don't think you'll ever get 100% used to it.

Ned
 

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
I worked third for about 10 years, just have to work something out. Part of that time I worked at night from 11 PM to 7AM and then went to college for a half day. Tried the full schedule one semester and like to have killed me...:) Half days were not to bad.

Figure out you a schedule and try to stick to it, don't let outside influences get in your way or to a certain reason anyway.
 

poppop

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I worked rotating shifts for 24 years until 1990. I never got used to it, and I still have sleeping issues that I think are related.
 

ant00r1

Six Pointer
I worked 3rd for 13 years. 11pm - 7:30 am. No matter how much or how little I slept just always felt tired. It worked at the time cause I was able to watch my daughter during the day till the wife got home. And it's hard to describe but there was always a "fuzz" being up during the day. Guess that was my brain saying "get your butt in the bed tonight!"? Also once I got off of 3rd & went to 1st, it took almost a year to get my body & sleep habits back to normal. I know we all have to do what needs to be done but I wouldn't suggest to anyone to just go out & get a 3rd shift job on purpose. But, of you're young, sure go ahead & give it a go. It'll be good experience for you & you never know, you may love it?
 

genesis27:3

Old Mossy Horns
I worked night shift for 19 years. When I started at 18, it wasn't extremely bad, but really never had good sleep. When I hit my 30's , I couldn't take it much more and finally started working days around 10 years ago.
It's not normal for your body to sleep days and stay up at nights. It'll wear your body down...quick! My son mentioned the same thing after he was offered a night shift job. I quickly talked him out of it.
 

PWR-WGN

Guest
I have worked third (11-7) for 14 years now. I may be the odd man out, but I love it. I have a set schedule that I try to keep for sleep, but it works. I am in bed by 9 every morning and up by 4. When I'm asleep the family is at school and work, and we still have our afternoon and evenings together so I dont feel like I'm missing out on anything. I also have every afternoon come hunting season to be in the woods!! Trying to work in school during the day could make it a whole nother ballgame though.
 
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pcbuckhunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Word of advice... don't do it. If you're already concerned without even doing it yet, there has to be a reason. Focus on what's important. Like others have suggested look into an internship.
 

Redeye

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I worked night shift got many years and loved it when I was younger. But I did not need much sleep to get by. I could work nights notes but it would be a lot tougher.

I'd recommend that you do what it takes to focus on school as your first priority.
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
Im a full time student and worked 3rd shift for a semester because I could get more hours in and better paychecks. It was absolutely terrible, I was so tired when it came time to go to class my grades suffered horribly. I quickly made a realization I was much happier as a poor college student working part time than a "rich" college student, with little free time, and bad grades.

I dont know where you go to school, but look into getting a job on campus if you can. I currently have two jobs, one with a local business owned by a good family that pays me well and 100% respects my obligations to school(M-F 9-5 around my class schedule). The other is as a bus driver for the campus bus system, I can work shifts as short as 40 minutes or as long as 8, and I set my schedule. I try to maintain 30 hours a week between the two to pay my bills. The best part is by working on campus your never far away from campus services such as the gym, or more importantly the library so I still have the ability to study and meet classmates to work on projects etc.
 

downeastnc

Old Mossy Horns
I am at work right now :) on the line I am on now we work 12 hr shifts 7-7:30 and rotate days and nights weekly, other lines are on what we call the 3-2 but basically its rotates days and nights every few days its tough but once you get on it you get use to it its not bad and you only work 14 days a month. This also allows for lots of hunting as you never work more than 3 straight days.....
 

buckrunner

Guest
You also can arrange your classes to be in your favor. I made it so I only had class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
 

mekanizm

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Beware of the Paradox....

School is so you never have to work nights but working nights will likely kill the school.

YMMV.
 
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HuntinCop

Twelve Pointer
Look at it this way...it isn't natural to stay awake all night and sleep during the day. Your body produces chemicals in the body that make you rest. These are triggered by natural darkness. They are not produced in daylight. Therefore you are not resting when you sleep. You're just sleeping, thus the "zombie" effect.

I am not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night....and have worked 12 hour swing shifts most of my career so far.

To put it short...don't do it.
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
I worked the graveyard shift for 10 years and never got used to it. Others may have better success than I did but I would never want to work 3rd shift again. IMO it will take a toll on your body. Like HuntinCop said, working 3rd shirt goes against the natural sleep cycle of the human body. Second shift if you can get it is a much better choice, or it was for me..I was going to school and actually dropped out when I had to work 3rd shift. I stayed tired and couldn't concentrate on my studies. You might do much better with 3rd than I did, good luck...
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
It's not normal for your body to sleep days and stay up at nights. It'll wear your body down...quick!

As evidenced by this thread, most people's bodies don't take night shift well. I was talking to a guy last week who worked 3rd for 18 months or so and he said it really messed with his health.

Take a different route if you can. I've worked a night here or there and there's no way I could do it on a regular basis.
 

Bubba

Guest
I'd have to echo what everyone else is telling you. I did 3rd shift and never adjusted to it, was groggy all the time. To try to go to class like that? No way I could have done it. I never did get used to it. My favorite shift was always 3-11pm since I could still go out afterwards and didn't have to get up early
 

genesis27:3

Old Mossy Horns
One more thing to add that will go along with it not being natural for your body. I can say that after almost 2 decades of sleeping during the day with inadequate rest, I think I look older than I am.
I'm blaming it on night shift anyway!
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
One more thing to add that will go along with it not being natural for your body. I can say that after almost 2 decades of sleeping during the day with inadequate rest, I think I look older than I am.
I'm blaming it on night shift anyway!
I'm right there with you man,lol....that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 
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