A couple weeks ago, I started a new job. Got my uniform, worked at one post for about a week, then asked for more hours so I could have a reasonable amount of spending money. Wound up taking night shifts. So for the last few days, I’ve either been working nights, or playing WoW until 5 in the morning to maintain a sleep schedule that allows me to stay awake at work. Right now my body has about adapted to the new routine, meaning I generally don’t feel like going to bed until 8 in the morning.
And that adaption is currently screwing me over because it’s 3 in the morning, I have work in 5 hours (as they asked me to work a day shift today), and I. Can’t. Sleep.
Did I mention these shifts are twelve hours long? I’ve been up since 2 this afternoon (when they called me to work today, and thus woke me up) and I have no idea how I’m going to make it until 8 tonight without getting at least a little shut-eye. But I just can’t.
Anyone care to sing me a lullabye?
My lullabyes are, er, not conducive to sleep.
You might want to give this a read.
75 miligrams of diphenhydramine.*
Works for me every time.
[sub]*I am not a doctor.[/sub]
Well, you could always sing to help me stay awake at work.
That supposed to bore me to sleep? 
Thanks for the advice guys, though at this point I need more help to stay awake, as it’s now 2 1/2 hours until my shift starts and there’s really no chance that I’ll get even a short nap in (I don’t nap, never have, unless sick).
I might call the office to ask if they could get someone to cover at least part of my shift–I doubt they could get someone to cover all of it at this hour. This is what happens when I make decisions while half asleep. I’ll manage the day, somehow. Right now I just can’t see how.
Heh. I’m nocturnal, too. I’m about to go to sleep here at just past 7am. Not for a job, either; just happened. I’m starting a new job soon, though, and there’s a decent chance I’ll get a night shift, so I’m not going to the trouble of changing my sleep schedule now, just to change back in a week. If I invariably stay up slightly later than I should and sleep slightly later than I should whenever possible, I have no doubt that if I remained unemployed much longer, I’d eventually cycle round to a normal schedule again!
And, an update–worked for 9 hours, because it took that long to get someone in to relieve me. Work today sucked, partly for that reason and partly for another I won’t get into. I vowed very early on not to accept another day shift, at least not while I’m on a night rotation, simply for the sleep issues. Really, if it hadn’t of been for that it would’ve been a nice shift. Lots of people around, so kinda interesting.
I have made one somewhat interesting discovery–sleep deprevation affects me in ways similar to but certainly not the same as PMS. I can currently cry at the mention of a drop of a hat sniffle See?