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Shift work and working nights

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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,362 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    I finished last Monday morning my last night shift after two years of it. Done a continental shift of 7 days 7 nights and 14 off over 28 days and whilst the time off was great it was killing me. I did nights either 3*12 or 4*12 at a time and I was basically jet lagged for most of the time. Paid a extra 16k or so for doing it but it wasn’t worth it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭Technique


    I found it okay in my twenties, but when I went into my thirties it killed me. Not so much the actual nights, but trying to adjust back to days was horrible. I was cranky as hell, which was tough on the wife and kids. The time off and extra money was good, but not worth it overall. On days for the past ten years and life is more normal.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    What is the benefit of a 24/7 economy? The argument is, the economy. I mean, it makes business sense to run an expensive production line 24/7 than leave it idle and depreciating.

    The actual result? Well we've very sophistcated cars, McDonalds Happy Meal toys, flat screen plasma tv's, bottled water and an endless plethora of equally necesssary stuff to make us happy.

    I've often thought the trick of getting women on the career path was Capitalisms greatest recent coup. It now takes two wage earners to buy a house and raise a family where it previously took just one. It isn't an argument about who stays at home, its that no one stays at home.

    What a lovely societal experiment that is, replacing a millenial long model of children in the embrace of family and community to one in which their formative years are spent in industrial creches (a.k.a. hatchery grow houses - a place where chicks are raised for the processing line)

    An airline wouldn't run effectively if nights weren't worked. I do agree with all you said though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    i work 4 nights a week 6pm to 6am. have been doing it 3 years and it works for me.
    i might get 5 hours slerp a day the middle 2 days and 2 hours sleep the first day im off but i sleep like a log that night!


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,466 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    salmocab wrote: »
    I finished last Monday morning my last night shift after two years of it. Done a continental shift of 7 days 7 nights and 14 off over 28 days and whilst the time off was great it was killing me. I did nights either 3*12 or 4*12 at a time and I was basically jet lagged for most of the time. Paid a extra 16k or so for doing it but it wasn’t worth it.


    Yep know what you mean... people see the shift pay and think ‘great’ but it IS a life of feeling jet lagged and of decreasing energy. Those days off you can’t spend enjoying because you are out on your feet....if there was fûcking fit for purpose employment law in this country shifts and schedules like those would be outlawed....


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 332 ✭✭Tikki Wang Wang


    scudzilla wrote: »
    I've been on nights now for 13yrs, my shift pattern is 4 13hr shifts one week, 3 the next. Have a rolling roster of 3 on, 1 off 3 on then 3 off, 1 on, 3 off.

    My boss is sound and if i ask for the 1 on i work off he gives it me so i have 7 off.

    I love working nights, main benefit is there's less idiots around :pac::pac:

    I get paid extremely well and the company are very good, Nights suits me at the moment but am looking at a M-F Promotion within the next 18months.

    Nights is all about routine, i finish at 07:00, home by around 07:30, stay up with wife and child until they head off at 08:50, bed by 9 and i'll sleep like a baby until 4.

    Hardest part of nights is the timing of sleep on your first day off. I'll still go to bed around 08:50 but get up at 3pm, try not to nap on the sofa and come 22:30 i'll be completely bolloxed and will sleep through til 8am. IF i don't time it right i'll be wide awake at 2am looking for me dinner

    What cash are you on and what’s the job?


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,362 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    Strumms wrote: »
    Yep know what you mean... people see the shift pay and think ‘great’ but it IS a life of feeling jet lagged and of decreasing energy. Those days off you can’t spend enjoying because you are out on your feet....if there was fûcking fit for purpose employment law in this country shifts and schedules like those would be outlawed....

    The thing about the time off is no one else is off for a lot of it. Wife in work and kids in crèche. Would obviously collect them early and was great for getting stuff done around the house but would find myself talking to the dog far too much.


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,519 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    Had to walk away from shift's, had enough of the depression and anxiety, never felt better


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,958 ✭✭✭✭Shefwedfan


    I worked night many years ago, didn’t have any issues and used to love the extra cash....got older so just got myself promoted to standard 9-5

    I know a lot of people who work with my wife and they only work night shift...they can do a couple of night per weeks and then free rest of week. So it suits them perfect.

    Maybe I’m wrong but the common theme I see is at the core you don’t like your job? Most people posted on here that seems to be an issue

    Not sure what the comment about 20k? So are you saying you not happy, it should be in press etcbut if they pay you 20k extra everything will be ok?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,193 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    I worked Monday to Friday as an engineer a while back. The long hours and stress killed my appetite for exercise and general hobbies. By the time I got home, got dinner and a shower it was heading towards 8pm. Sometimes I had to do on call in the evenings or work an hour or 2 on Saturdays.

    I'm now working shifts (days and nights) and find it much better. With more time off and no need for doing on call or staying back late I found I got back into my hobbies and focused on getting fit. When I'm on nights i generally stay on night mode (kind of). I go to bed at 2am and get up at 10 or 11am. Between night shifts i sleep 8am - 2pm.

    I know a good few people in professional careers (regular hours) who are worked to the bone. Some have put on a lot of weight as a result. The grass is not always greener elsewhere.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,425 ✭✭✭✭dastardly00


    OP, I urge you to read the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley).

    Hear is a review of it:
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/21/why-we-sleep-by-matthew-walker-review

    Also, the World Health Organisation classifies night shift work as a probable carcinogen

    I would never work night shifts.


  • Registered Users Posts: 552 ✭✭✭sparksfly


    I work for a pharmaceutical company, shifts for over 25 years. I work 3 days one week, 3 nights the 2nd week, 12 hour shifts. We work an extra 9 hours the third week bringing the weekly average hours to 39 hours. No weekend work unless by choice. It puts our gross salary close to 85k.
    I have to say I and my wife love it, she works 3 days in a separatej ob. I have the advantage of living in a rural location with grown up kids so it's very quiet. I can also sleep pretty much anytime I lie down, day or night.
    Getting work done around the house is no problem. Accessing services like the credit union or even the barbers is easier on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The time off and the overtime rate of pay means we go away very regularly for mini breaks without using annual holidays.
    I'm lucky again in that I am mentally contented with this lifestyle and appreciate that It won't suit everyone but having a working plan regarding sleep, eating times, days away etc is vital.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,958 ✭✭✭✭Shefwedfan


    sparksfly wrote: »
    I work for a pharmaceutical company, shifts for over 25 years. I work 3 days one week, 3 nights the 2nd week, 12 hour shifts. We work an extra 9 hours the third week bringing the weekly average hours to 39 hours. No weekend work unless by choice. It puts our gross salary close to 85k.
    I have to say I and my wife love it, she works 3 days in a separatej ob. I have the advantage of living in a rural location with grown up kids so it's very quiet. I can also sleep pretty much anytime I lie down, day or night.
    Getting work done around the house is no problem. Accessing services like the credit union or even the barbers is easier on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The time off and the overtime rate of pay means we go away very regularly for mini breaks without using annual holidays.
    I'm lucky again in that I am mentally contented with this lifestyle and appreciate that It won't suit everyone but having a working plan regarding sleep, eating times, days away etc is vital.

    The difference is you like your job

    My wife was a nurse, she has moved now because she wanted promotion

    She loved night, before kids they had option to do a week of nights, finish at 7 on Monday and they would be in airport at 8 to get flight out for a nice sun holiday

    Loads of her friends only work nights as they have less days to do, the a big gap to next shift so can like you say live outside Dublin...rush hour? No rush hour when going in opposite direction

    Night shifts are hard, as I said I did them, night shifts in a job you don’t like is a nightmare


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,598 ✭✭✭jackboy


    The secret to working shift is routine. Sleep is vital. If you have no children this should be no problem. If you have children then it is important that you have a very supportive partner as they will have to fully look after the children when you are on your sleep time.

    Diet is also vital. You must eat healthy and eat light when you are on night shifts (absolutely no stodgy food).

    Excercise is also critical. You must be physically fit for shift and exercise will also help with sleep at strange times. Again a supportive partner who will give you the free time for this is required.

    So, sleep, good diet, exercise and a supportive partner are required. This is a lot to have right. You need to be a bit selfish. If not, shift work will physically and mentally destroy you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,289 ✭✭✭dar_cool


    Another pharma working shift here and love it. We get heavily compensated for shift. Ours works out at 55% in total. Salary just under 100k, Means my wife can stay at home with kids. We live outside of Dublin and I drive the 35 miles to work. Have 4 days off every week. Wouldn't change it for the world


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,958 ✭✭✭✭Shefwedfan


    dar_cool wrote: »
    Another pharma working shift here and love it. We get heavily compensated for shift. Ours works out at 55% in total. Salary just under 100k, Means my wife can stay at home with kids. We live outside of Dublin and I drive the 35 miles to work. Have 4 days off every week. Wouldn't change it for the world

    I am wondering what the 20k comment is about, it would suggest it not a night shift problem just the OP wants more money for working it


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 51,508 Mod ✭✭✭✭Necro


    I'm on a 10hr core shift with 2 nights in every 10 days the past 2 years.

    I absolutely hate it. Though a large part of that is the environment in the office and us being overworked and understaffed.

    Have had my name down for transfer to another office since I walked in the door, it's only going to be temporary for me anyways, so I can live with it for another year or so if needs be but long term I'd lose my mind having to do it.

    Fair play to those of you who can I just despise working shift and everything about it :/


  • Registered Users Posts: 111 ✭✭Orderofchaos


    Worked shift work for 20+ years and can totally relate. It knocks the stuffing out of you, ruins your physical health and made me quite cranky and unsociable. I took a day job about 1 year ago, it's more stressful and the money is not as good but I feel a whole lot better and get to sleep with my wife at night :-).


  • Registered Users Posts: 24 Ryertex


    I worked shift for 15 years in my forties and fifties on heavy plant maintenance so quite physical. There were pros and cons and overall I don’t think it was too bad for me health wise. Often on nights at around 3am I would hit “the wall” a bit like long distance runners but you just have to get on with it. Also the change from nights to days could take a few days until I was functioning normally, but we had five days off in between which was helpful. Luckily I had no difficulty sleeping during the day (dark curtains and foam ear plugs a great help) The pros were higher wages and more time off work during the day so childcare etc was arranged around that. Also as one poster already mentioned, not so many phone calls to deal with at night. I’m working days now for three years and definitely prefer that but I do miss the days off though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Shefwedfan wrote: »
    I worked night many years ago, didn’t have any issues and used to love the extra cash....got older so just got myself promoted to standard 9-5

    I know a lot of people who work with my wife and they only work night shift...they can do a couple of night per weeks and then free rest of week. So it suits them perfect.

    Maybe I’m wrong but the common theme I see is at the core you don’t like your job? Most people posted on here that seems to be an issue

    Not sure what the comment about 20k? So are you saying you not happy, it should be in press etcbut if they pay you 20k extra everything will be ok?


    No, what I'm saying is to make it worth it for most people 20k would be fair. If you offered me 200k a year I wouldn't take it. In fact, I could walk into an 80k per year, stable, full time job right now but not interested.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Worked shift work for 20+ years and can totally relate. It knocks the stuffing out of you, ruins your physical health and made me quite cranky and unsociable. I took a day job about 1 year ago, it's more stressful and the money is not as good but I feel a whole lot better and get to sleep with my wife at night :-).

    I hear you, I've become a hermit because of shift work, dont feel sociable, and have become a cranky git. I ****ing hate shift work, it's like being trapped in a mental prison.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    jackboy wrote: »
    The secret to working shift is routine. Sleep is vital. If you have no children this should be no problem. If you have children then it is important that you have a very supportive partner as they will have to fully look after the children when you are on your sleep time.

    Diet is also vital. You must eat healthy and eat light when you are on night shifts (absolutely no stodgy food).

    Excercise is also critical. You must be physically fit for shift and exercise will also help with sleep at strange times. Again a supportive partner who will give you the free time for this is required.

    So, sleep, good diet, exercise and a supportive partner are required. This is a lot to have right. You need to be a bit selfish. If not, shift work will physically and mentally destroy you.

    I live in the UK and come back to Ireland every month to visit family. My siblings get ****ty with me because I take afternoon naps, and go back from the pub before midnight. Its purely because I'm always ****ing exhausted, and to be honest my siblings wreck my head. Therefore its increasingly hard to tolerate them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,037 ✭✭✭Gorgeousgeorge


    Did nights for 7 years straight. Took another job that is 8 to half 4 and I would have no problem going back to the night shift. Loved every bit of it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Did nights for 7 years straight. Took another job that is 8 to half 4 and I would have no problem going back to the night shift. Loved every bit of it.

    Amazing how one human's heaven is another one's hell.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,362 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    lufties wrote: »
    Amazing how one human's heaven is another one's hell.

    It really is down to the individual, I grew to hate the nights and I know people who prefer it. I think it also depends on how your life outside of work goes. My wife works long hours so it really didn’t suit us as a whole we’re as some of the lads I work with are the only ones working so the extra time off is spent with the family.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    salmocab wrote: »
    It really is down to the individual, I grew to hate the nights and I know people who prefer it. I think it also depends on how your life outside of work goes. My wife works long hours so it really didn’t suit us as a whole we’re as some of the lads I work with are the only ones working so the extra time off is spent with the family.

    Thankfully there are people who love nights. Otherwise society couldn't function. I guess it depends on what stage in life your at.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,466 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    salmocab wrote: »
    The thing about the time off is no one else is off for a lot of it. Wife in work and kids in crèche. Would obviously collect them early and was great for getting stuff done around the house but would find myself talking to the dog far too much.

    That’s a really important point... I used to have Monday’s off... EVERYONE was in work so literally used to end up in town dossing around on my own just killing time most Mondays, it was boring dot com to be honest, I even slipped into the habit of going in for a pint or two somewhere to kill some time... bit hands off when a Mon - Friday came free...


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Strumms wrote: »
    That’s a really important point... I used to have Monday’s off... EVERYONE was in work so literally used to end up in town dossing around on my own just killing time most Mondays, it was boring dot com to be honest, I even slipped into the habit of going in for a pint or two somewhere to kill some time... bit hands off when a Mon - Friday came free...

    If your single it's a killer. Nowadays if I'm off mon-thurs, I end up gambling or other such silly things. Very hard to have social life.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,827 ✭✭✭madmaggie


    I worked nights some years ago. I was diagnosed with coeliac disease after about a year of doing nights. The consultant said it had been dormant, but was triggered by eating at 3 or 4 am. We're designed to eat during the day, sleep at night, that was his simple answer. It is to a degree hereditary, but can be triggered by stressful situations.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,037 ✭✭✭Gorgeousgeorge


    lufties wrote: »
    Amazing how one human's heaven is another one's hell.

    Yeah very true. Just suited me Very well I only need around 5 hours sleep so most days I was back up at 12.30 and had the whole day ahead if me


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