“Cemeteries: the turn you wake up for dinner and go to bed after breakfast.”
The choice of words for the title here is intentional. We do not “live with” the night shift. We live it. It will not bend or conform to life. Life has to fold, but it can be done successfully with the right maintenance plan. And each plan is personalized.
Existing on the other side of the clock will challenge almost every part of who we are and what we do. Doesn’t fit everyone’s capabilities – life for some might just refuse to fit into this type of schedule. We wrap our lives around this schedule, and it only works one way. The hardest thing to handle is the family, especially the youngest children. Pets, noisy neighbors, and inconsiderate passersby complete the myriad obstacles to the seemingly “simple” task of sleeping on a sunny day.
The night shift is sometimes balanced with a weekday / weekend schedule, but more often we will have the weekend from Tuesday to Wednesday. It is always difficult to organize a social life with friends who have the weekends free. School schedules, depending on the shift period, are perhaps the biggest challenge. Schedules to drop off at school in the morning and pick up in the afternoon can clash with sleep schedules most of the time. Having a patient spouse, a good family friend, or even a helpful grandparent can make all the difference. But in addition to the obvious social and family challenges, there are a few other factors that need to be addressed.
The body and health: this change is not for everyone. Circadian rhythms can “learn” to be awake and asleep at unusual times if the variables are arranged in the best possible way, but for some, these rhythms are much more difficult to modify, and that’s the way it is. If your system cannot accommodate this program, design the variables to the best of your ability. If you can’t tailor a schedule, you may want to go back to days or even a shift shift.
Designing the Variables: You need to create your own darkness. This means blackout curtains and a sleep mask. The sun rises and sets at the most precise times known to man, but instead needs to create its own periods of light and dark to function well. The pituitary gland at the base of your brain needs darkness. The light through your eyes (even with them closed) will confuse you. The sun provides us with transitional light at dawn and dusk, so we need to create a transition from active to passive. A period of rest helps us disconnect from “the Zone.” A noise-free environment is essential (earplugs can be helpful, as long as you can wake up to an alarm when you need to). Learn to breathe in downshifting patterns to reset your brain to sleep.
Diet: Rule number one is firm: carbohydrates make you sleepy. Avoid sugar and junk food, because your stomach is used to resting for hours at night, without trying to order a random barrage of calories. It is best not to eat anything during the shift, if you can. A hormone called ghrelin makes you hungry (especially at night), even if you don’t need food. Note that we are generally in a fasted state between dinner and breakfast. Try to keep it that way. On the other hand, eating can keep you awake, but weight gain will be a real problem. Some have dropped out for the same reason.
Reality does not change, although life is constantly changing. The more structured your days are, the better you manage the schedule. Discipline is key. Are you tempted to go shopping with friends during the day and “look forward to taking a nap before work?” Most likely it will be counterproductive. At 3 am you will arrive at the Wall. Also structure your days off as best you can. Holidays? Take them. Live like a normal human for a while, but the day before your turn, get back into the routine.
Some terms to learn (and live) …
The Wall – Usually around 3 am, the Wall hits if the daytime routine is compromised. You will know it when you experience it.
Ghrelin – This hormone is activated in your system to make you feel hungry. His alter ego, Leptin, makes you feel full. If you can, allow a fasting period of at least six hours (everyone’s clock is different, so find a period that works for you) and ignore the prompts for ghrelin. Is lying to you. Yes, eating will help you stay awake, but weight gain lurks on the dark side of ghrelin.
Graves Brain: Enough said.
Zombie Shift: Another common term for work nights. Historically, the shift was created in cemeteries. Night watch personnel used to literally keep an eye on zombies, or those in coffins who might awaken from coma or other conditions that made them appear dead.
The “Q” word: never say it out loud. If you know what it is, you know what this means. If you don’t know what it is, don’t ask.
The Zone: Family and friends should put this issue aside. Night shifts will switch to the Zone one hour before the clock is struck. It may take the same amount of time to leave the Area. Rest periods after work are golden for some employees with serious shifts. Let them unzip.
Downtime: Fly at ten times the speed of working time. We work. We sleep. The time sandwiched in between is appreciated.
Life: laundry, dishes, shopping, exercise, paperwork, family visits, vacations, holidays, children’s games and all the other corners of life that this change can put aside at any time.
Jet-lag: returning to work after the holidays. Yes, it means the same thing for the same reason.
Nanueños: sometimes associated with jet lag or a compromised routine. Your brain needs to fragment dreaming. If you experience these little lapses in the dreamscape (dreaming with your eyes open), you are not getting enough quality REM sleep.
Exercise: pick something and do it. At least three times a week. Swap the new air for the old air in your lungs. Move. Stretch. Stay strong. Give your body a try. In most cases, exercise helps us sleep better.
Caffeine: use wisely. Caffeine, simply put, turns off the “sleepy” receptors in your brain for a time. Find a source that agrees with you, but don’t overdo it. Drinks with a lot of caffeine can do more harm than good. It should be an axiom: caffeine does not replace sleep.
The bedside clock: it can work both ways. Some experts say move the reading away from your bed to eliminate the light. However, leaving it in front of you is worth looking at. For some grave changers, watching the weather will tell you how many hours are left until the alarm goes off. This can have a calming effect and is great for the math skills of the head.
The graveyard shift needs to be lived to be understood. At all times on this planet, someone, somewhere, is working. This change exists in almost every field, and employees are the chosen few who can function and work efficiently at 2 a.m. while the rest of the population sleeps. If you are assigned to a night shift, keep in mind that while it may or may not work for you, it can be done with proper planning. If it agrees with you, go ahead with the best you can. For 24-hour facilities, whether it’s police, medics, firefighters, travel, or the hundreds of businesses that need someone in charge in the first few hours, cemetery workers are vital. They may not see you except in passing in the morning, but your value is immeasurable. Keep working in the dark hours – the “world by day” is counting on you!