Shift work

Nathan's on lates for two days then earlies for three then days for two. Now not being funny but who ever set out shifts should IMO have to do them at least for a month. Just to see how it affects people. He's more than happy doing any shifts but at end of the week at the moment he has no idea who he is or where he is. If they did a night shift all week it would be better for his body and mind.

Lucky he's young and will get over it !

Our security guards at work moan about changing shift patterns too all are willing to do permanent nights if needed but the changing around kills them.

Any tips from past shift workers welcome, I've got him taking vitamin b for energy and magnesium and vitamin d for lack of sunlight. But any other tips that will help ?

Re: Shift work

Julie, my son did shifts for quite a while, a couple of years back.
He was not permanent nights, they kept changing it from earlies to lates then to nights. He looked dreadful, white as a sheet, and didn't look good, it really worried me.
He doesn't do it anymore thank goodness.

I read somewhere that continual changing shifts like that are more harmful to health than permanent nights because the body never gets used to any pattern before it changes again. Sorry to be pessimistic, but keep an eye on him.

Re: Shift work

Having worked a lot of years on shifts I can say that shift work is probably the most effective in damaging your health it not only effects the shift workers life but also the people who live or who are close to that person, sleep eating and social patterns etc etc are all detrimentally effected by this type of work.

If you can get out of any job that involves working night shift as in my opinion this is the worst scenario even working a permanent night shift will eventually drag you down health wise.

Please read attachment

http://www.shiftease.com/shiftstress1.html

Re: Shift work

I worked rotating shifts just about all my working life. Days and afternoons are OK but night shift completely buggers you up.

The best thing was 12 hours shifts which came in about 10 years before I retired because you had more days off between shifts but must admit on the first 12 hour night shift by about midnight I felt I had been in the place for the whole of my life. It got better once you got used to it.

You never get used to night shift. As some one mentioned rotating shifts are hell - permanent shifts are better for heath ie all night shift or all day shift. alas they were never available to me

Re: Shift work

Must admit, Have only ever experienced two jobs when I did shifts.
The first was great, Whilst in the W.R.A.F. in communications, it was 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 3 days off. (great if you could swap the next 2 days on after the 3 days off cos it meant a whole 5 days off) Tiring though when you had to pay the shifts back on your next 3 days off though.

The other job was working on my own in a communications office in a building in the City of London, 5 nights a week, 10pm until 8am. Monday to Friday.
I remember I had to go through a huge iron gate to get to the isolated building, it was really creepy working on my own sending telexes to the USA. I'm sure it was illegal to be female and on my own, but luckily I was able to bring my beautiful Labrador, Ben in with me for company.
I used to walk him home in the mornings all the way from the city of London and through the West End (the length of Oxford Street). I must have looked like death that time of the morning when everyone else looked so alive and fresh and off to work, I was always so tired. I didn't stick that job out for very long, about three months as I was becoming a wreck!

It does knock your system out of kilt Julie. You seem to be doing everything correctly that you can. I remember just getting home, feeding Ben, pouring myself a huge glass of Fresh Orange Juice, taking vitamin tablets and falling into bed. I lost so much weight though it was ridiculous. I was so relieved to get a nice day job and never did a night shift job ever again.

I think you are doing everything you can

Re: Shift work

I'll keep an eye on him I know he lost some weight last two weeks as he was just too tired to eat. I've arranged for him to eat at least, smoothies and shakes take no time to drink and that's keeping him going when he's really tired.

Re: Shift work

Hi

The food plants around here have moved to a different shift pattern.

Four 12 hour shifts followed by 3 days off, it is proving popular,

Re: Shift work

I did read somewhere that the NYPD only allow their officers to do 5 year shift work really bad for your health apparently.
I did shift work at British Sugar 7-3 3-11 11-7 must admit i prefered the late shift.

Re: Shift work

I worked permanent late shift 2 till midnight 4 nights a week but needed the money so did overtime till 2am so ended up doing 2pm till 2 am I got used to it after a while and used to enjoy the early morning drive home through the country lanes. I know it didn't affect my health because the voices in my head tell me I'm ok.