Night Shifts - Who Does It?

So, I had a really really great interview today for a pretty much perfect opportunity. Not too many details as to who/where until things are finalized, but I'll say that there are definitely a number of fanboys on these pages. It's not in the bag yet, but I know I impressed the guy. Interview lasted over an hour and I was told I'm "definitely in the running." I feel like my chances are better than 50/50.

Only hitch I'm trying to decide how well it will work for me, is that the job would be night shift: 11pm - 7am. So, who has experience with that, and what do you think?

Crappy shifts are frequently part of being a brewer. I'm inclined to say that isn't as bad as it could be. I just flip my schedule around backwards. The most important thing is that I'll still be able to have time with the fiancee. I'll just be going to bed when she's waking up, and vice-versa. I think that would work better for me than something like a shift that starts at 1am or 6pm.

I've never done night shifts like this. Is it something I'm going to hate myself for and burn out quickly? Or would I be stupid for letting something like weird hours get in the way of following a dream? (I'm suspecting the latter.)

Please don't congratulate me yet. I've only had an interview at this point, no offer yet. Just suspect I'll get similar situation to this and trying to figure out how I feel.

Once you figure out how to function on midnight shift there is no other.

I love, love, love, working nights.

Why is that?

No actual experience, but a lot of guys I know who do it love it. The common comment on it was that it was weird to go out with the guys after work and have a brew at 8:00AM. I'm guessing that wouldn't be an issue with your particular job

Closest I have was working a bar as a barback from 7pm to about 5am on the weekends. There was alot of drinking involved so its not comparable. I'd work Friday night get home and go to sleep at 5am to 6am Saturday morning, then wake up to go back to work Saturday night. Sunday was a bust. I would get up late and force myself to sleep because I had a regular 9-5 day job. Fridays always sucked since it was a combined 20+ hour day. The loot I was making was well worth not having a life, for me atleast.

If it is the only shift you have it can't be too bad. You will adjust. Atleast you won't have to adjust weekly.

I made a long reply, but then realized I was talking about me, instead of you. Sorry, bro--Revised story short:

Make sure your room is dark enough during the day if you have any problems with getting to sleep. Also consider separate bedrooms for you & the girl if your work schedules conflict.

Cook good food at home, and take it with you to work..anything a restaurant will deliver at that time of night is probably unhealthy. And after about 2a, there won't be any delivery at all.

fasted58 wrote: Once you figure out how to function on midnight shift there is no other.

^^ that is the key.

Finding a pattern that works for you is going to be the toughest part. I think everyone I worked with on the night shift had a different routine that worked for them.

In your case it sounds like you might be able to have breakfast with the fiancé, sleep why she's working, and then have the evenings together. What will be tough is having to leave for work when she's going to bed.

Being off during the day when banks, post offices, and other businesses are open is convenient.

When I worked third shift I had Tuesday and Wednesday nights as my "weekend". That was the strangest part of the shift. I would try to nap for a few hours Thursday evening before going in for 11pm, get out at 7am, and then stay up until 10-11 am, and then sleep until it was time to get up to got to work. That made it seem more normal to me, getting up, eating breakfast, and then going to work. But I was single and in college.

(Edited to clarify am and pm)

i've always worked night shifts, but never started out that late.. most of my jobs have started somewhere between 3 and 5 pm and went until somewhere between 11pm and 6am..

i'm a night person with no real life to speak of, so it has worked out for me so far. it's also nice not having the office people looking over your shoulder and i don't have to go to all the "motivational self empowerment" bullE36 M3 meetings that the day shift people have to go to.

but i'm starting to realize that the vampire hours aren't as cool as they used to be- as i get older (a month away from 38 years old..), i need more sleep than i used to, which means that i get to sleep away the day and miss out on all the stuff that normal people get to do..

I worked a very stressful 7p-7a shift for about 6 months, and was very glad to be invited to days. If I worked a night or two in a row my first day off was blown on sleeping and lazing around. I could not sleep worth a damn when I had to go to work that night, 4 hours between shifts was about what I could do.

I'd say that most of the problem was in the stressful nature of the job itself and less with the hours, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make things worse.

Not sure if you'd call it a "night shift", but most of my jobs have been a 12p-9p or 3p-11p type, more like 2nd shift. I'm used to it. Never been one to get up early, so these type of jobs and hours work fine. It sucks because I don't get to see my kid much, but I make up for lost time on my days off.

My Dad could never understand it, because it was almost opposite of what everyone else did. My family is the true New England type ( get up early work your ass off then go to bed early)I'd sleep most of the morning and go to work then come home and stay up all night.

No friggin way unless all my friends moved to night shift.

I love my 8-ish to 5-ish, come and go as you please job.

I prefer to have a late shift. I expect to be on night shift for my new job within about 6 months, because no one ever seems to want that shift. I like the calm that the night brings. When you go outside for lunch, a smoke, or some fresh air, everything is usually peaceful.

I tend to be a night owl, and I have been for ages. For me, a job that's exclusively night shift would be prime.

Heh, this thread is amazingly relevant right now. It's 3:33 AM, and I'm at work, and I'm a brewer. Go figure! (Work is slow tonight, by the way, I'm normally only on the computer to check e-mail)

I had didn't have near the problems I thought I would have doing night shift. Some things about it are downright nice- it's quiet, there's no customers, I can park wherever I want in our way-too-small parking lot. The forklift is always where I left it, there are always enough hoses in the cellar, because no one is doing anything else. On certain night shifts, I start Sunday night, so I have Friday and Saturday night to have a life, just like a normal person.

The key to successful night shifting is curtains. Blackout curtains. You will sleep if it's dark enough. If you still can't sleep- doppelbock. Way better than Tylenol PM haha.

Relationships don't get stressed too badly on night shift, as long as you sleep when your better half is away at work, which is how my better half and I handle it. I'm waking up just as she's getting home- works out perfectly.

It's not as bad as you think. But if it is, work there for a couple years, get your chops built up and get some experience, and move on to bigger and better things. And if you do get the job you better tell us where it is. I want to know which of the competition you're working for

I worked a project once that ran from 7pm to around 6 am. My guts could never get used to the schedule. Later I found out I had Crohn's. Medication helped a lot, but I still don't know if I could do it. I once passed on a job at BMW that was working on the B shift (about the same time schedule) because of my previous experience.

My wife had an aunt and uncle that both worked their entire career on 3rd shift. She was a nurse and he worked for the railroad. They were well retired by the time I met them, but the were well set up in life. Even had a beach house for years.

Early First 6am-3pm sucks. Worked one of those shortly. Business hours, nice, except you never get a morning. Flexible schedule, awesome. I'll work late Mon-Wed and short days on Thurs-Fri. 2nd Shift - not so bad, because you get mornings (more daylight) and your amped to go out Friday night. 3rd shift sucks because none of your friends on are on that shift.

I'm hopefully getting a new job soon (interview in 90 minutes!) and I'm really really hoping they'll let me do a compressed work week. 7AM-5PM 4 days a week seems a whole lot better to me than 7-3 (or 8-4, 9-5) 5 days a week. Or possibly do a half day, 7-4 then 7-11 on Fridays.

I prefer night shift. Some people can handle it, some can't. I work mornings and can handle it. If I can handle mornings and prefer afternoons or night, you can do the opposite.

93gsxturbo wrote: No friggin way unless all my friends moved to night shift. I love my 8-ish to 5-ish, come and go as you please job.

Ding. All of the cool stuff happens 8-5 and on weekends. I've done nightshifts, never again. I've also found night shift schedules tend to be more "scheduled" as in, you need to take vacation time off in chunks rather than here or there.

I do night shift.. once a week. That part sucks.. if it was 5 days a week, it would not be so bad

I've worked straight nights in the past and liked it. My youngest son works straight nights and likes it. My wife and older son cannot do nights. Period. They don't function well at night, and don't sleep during the day. It all depends on whether you can do it or not. Most people that like nights will tell you that it's easier, less BS, and much more casual.

In reply to hotrodlarry:

I loved second shift like few things on Earth. I've been fortunate enough that I was good enough at my profession that I could insist on that shift for most of my career. Only times I ever went to overnights was for a promotion. Did well enough to move back to 2nd shift when there was an opening.

I'm not sure if it's like this for everyone who tries to work overnight, but my particular problem was 4am. To me, that was the difference between "today" and "tomorrow". It was like hitting a wall, I just wilted at that time of night, regardless of diet or how long I'd been working overnight (as much as a year at a single stretch). That last couple of hours really just cut me off at the knees. That being said, I'd rather work overnight than mornings, for most of the reasons other folks have mentioned.

Only time I was sent to the early day shift (6a-2p) was a disaster. I just couldn't function. Good fortune was still with me, my bosses decided to offer me 2nd or overnight when they discovered I was searching for opportunities elsewhere (which is another reason not to check your personal e-mail on company computers..).

If you are offered the job and it is in your field, take it.

Working overnight is difficult for some and great for others. I did it for years and stopped once it didn't make sense for me any more.

You won't know until you try it.

friedgreencorrado wrote: I'm not sure if it's like this for everyone who tries to work overnight, but my particular problem was 4am. To me, that was the difference between "today" and "tomorrow". It was like hitting a wall,

Thats funny you say that. It seems that was very much true for me. I always was shooting for getting out of the bar by 4am but drinking and shenanigans always made it after 5am.

I used to drive a delivery van from 11 to 7 and it was great. Swing shift is what sucks the life from you.