12+ Hour Shifts Tips anf Tricks

Yeah I walk around a lot on 16 hour shifts.

 

My 16 hour days go by quickly, my Co worker is my age and we get along well, always cracking jokes at eachother but also getting our job done. I would usually keep snacks such as almonds, pinapple, granola bars & trail mix in my truck for breaks/ lunches and take a thermos to keep my food/drinks cold or warm so I won't have to use a microwave and wait in line.

When I worked the night shift I would get off around 6 am. As soon as I got home I ate a little snack, took a shower, silent the phone and off to bed. I'd try to be in bed as soon as possible like if I were trying to break a record each time to get the best and most sleep possible. Also I kept my phone on silent and away from me , because once you check your tw alerts, Facebook, ig.... you won't be able to sleep again. I would usually set my alarm 7-8 hours later and wouldn't get up or look at my phone until the alarm went off and I would feel much more rested. Before, I would wake up before my alarm and start calculating how many hours I slept and how many hours of sleep I'm loosing, that's why I no longer look at my phone and keep it away from me because that kills your sleep!

 

Weird. I guess it doesn't work as well for some as it does for others.

 

I do the same thing when I work from 1400 hours to 0600 hours try to keep my phone away from me . Ounce you check your phone and TW and FB you can't sleep.

 

Stay awake with coffee and dounuts

 

Same here, I leave my phone on just in case work or someone needs to call. I usually check TW in bed for a few minutes and then pass out.

I've been working on getting black out curtains for our room lol, all the windows in our master bedroom faces towards sunrise...so that sucks...and then around mid day this upper skylight kinda thing window lets the sun shine right on my face for like 2 hours lol

 

I usually try to get on a post with other people and just talk all night while we are working helps to keep you awake.

 

Yea, the wife bought some for the baby's room and spent like $80 at target, before I could do anything. I was considering just a blanket nailed to the wall a few times lol. Phone on because I might need to get called in because of the above reasons

 

I understand how you feel with those long hours. I was owner operator with a chemical tanker truck for 18 years. A team of six rigs would unload barges on the river and transport 10 miles away. We did that back and forth for 36 hours--no breaks. There is nothing easy about doing that, nothing easy with you having to hit it hard as you are doing. Get all the sleep you can when you can and get after it
Good Luck!

 

Regarding engergy drinks, I knew a guy from EMT school that was a security guard. He'd drink like 3 of the 5 hour energy shots and started developing a heart arrhythmia. Works for some until the body cant take it anymore.

 

I work them 5 days one week and 6 the next. You'll never get used to it but it does get easier. Just keep busy and it'll go by in no time.

 

Not saying anything other than what I am just stating, but every article I've read about a teenager dropping dead from heart attack or similar, I haven't read a single one where energy drinks were consumed regularly by the deceased and that it is ALWAYS 5 Hour Energy.

I've been drinking Rockstar/Rockstar Zero pretty much since 2007 and have zero issues aside from extra weight. I could be lucky, or better off than others.

In any event, I've never had 5HE and wouldn't try it for the above reason alone.

 

Don't know what kind of work you do, but like most people I try to get up and move around as much as possible and snack and drink a lot. I find that if I have to pee really bad I will not sleep too, sometimes that keeps me going haha. Naps whenever possible, short or long.

I work 14 days straight, 14 hour duty days. Lately I've been on nights which is only "on call" so I can sleep. I sleep more during my 14 days on than I do on my 14 off now.

 

I spent some years working the 'southern swing' which was months of rotating:

2 days on 1st shift
2 days on 2nd shift
1 or 2 days on 3rd shift, depending

And it sucked

I went to a full time 3rd shift for some years and it was great, comparatively speaking.

My preferred schedule though is 3 12-13 hour shifts. I MISS this. I worked Monday night from 7PM to 7:30AM Tuesday, then the same Tuesday night and Wednesday night at one gig at a paper mill back in the mid 90s. Then I was off from Thursday at 730 till Monday night at 7PM. But I still got a full paycheck.

Even now, I miss that schedule. I love what I do, though, and even the most mundane bullshit tech-fix tickets are something interesting for me to work on, so I never really had a tired problem to deal with.

 

I worder swing shift for years. Mid day aft. Then 6pm to 6am for a few years. I was never rested for the first 8 years of my career. Now I'm steady day shift and love it

 

I have been working 12 hour rotating shifts for 19 years...Eat well,take naps,learn to use the sun to help set your body clock...