The reader’s name has been changed to protect privacy…
Hello my name is Ann and I’m 23 years old. I graduated from college in 08 and found a job a couple of months after that and I have been working for the same company ever since. The only problem is the job I found is on the night shift which is from 5 PM to 5:30 AM and it rotates, so the most I work is 3 days in a row with 2 days off. To add to this problem I live 1 hour from work so the 12.5 hours at work the the 2 hours for driving leaves me with 9.5 hours of the day to sleep and then get ready for the next day. An even bigger problem is when I get home in the morning I can’t fall asleep right away! So I cut in to my already short sleeping time and only get from 4-6 hours of sleep before I have to go back to work.
I do have more time to sleep on my days off, but I end up sleeping the days away and I miss my social life. Also, sleeping during the day is not as regenerative as sleeping at night. As of yet I don’t have black out curtains but I plan on getting those this weekend! Many people including my family have told me to find a different job but with the economy being so bad I’m afraid to leave. If you have any suggestions for me please let me know. I could really use some good sleep on the days I have to work!
Hi Ann
You certainly have a lot to contend with as far as your circadian rhythm is concerned. All shift work is a challenge but even more so when you are working 3 days on and 2 days off. What makes it harder is the fact that it is getting light as you are driving home which is reducing you melatonin levels and waking you up.
I suggest you wear sunglasses if it is sunny when you are driving home. Relax at home for a little while and then get your sleep. Take 1 -2 grams of melatonin – more if you need to – around 1 hour before bed as this will help melatonin production. If you can sleep for 6 hours that will be something, then go and walk around outside to wake yourself up fully. This will at least give you a part of the day to do your own thing. Yes I can see that a social life would be awfully hard to maintain under these circumstances!
Definitely get the black out curtains, they really do make a difference. Also make sure you have a good pair of earplugs and don’t drink coffee just before leaving work.
I hope this helps a bit and good luck with finding another job.
