# Sleeping habits of night shift workers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2000, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022 "2000-07-18T21:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/1 "2000-07-18T21:10:15Z")
This [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=31034) got me wondering about the sleeping habits of people who work nights. I used to work from 11pm to 8am and I usually had the same sleep habits as someone who worked a normal shift, i.e. wake up and get ready, go to work and then spend my free time awake after I got back from work before failing asleep and repeating. However, I suspect a lot of night shift people do the opposite by falling asleep after they get off work and then spending their non-work awake hours before they head off to the job. I know that of the people I worked with, that was probably more common, and that’s the impression I got from the mentioned thread, but how about it? If you are working nights or have in the past, I’m curious: Which of the two do you do? Do you always do that, or do you switch back and forth? And is there a specific reason for why you sleep when you do or does it just seem more natural? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/2 "2000-07-18T21:45:11Z")
I work a month on nights (7pm - 7am) and a month on days (7am - 7pm). When I’m on nights I tape stuff on t.v. and when I get home spend a couple of hours looking at what I taped and having a few beers or a joint of two to wind down . I then get up have a shower , dress and go to work. On my days off I stay on the night cycle and sleep during the day and stay up all night ( anytime I wasn’t working because of illness , unemployment etc. I always reverted to a night cycle naturally ) . ---
**Author:** ![Minxsmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/3 "2000-07-18T22:08:59Z")
While not exactly the night shift, I do work 11:30AM-8:00PM. I have the same habits as a “regular” person. I sleep until it’s time to get up and ready to go. Then I stay up after work until it’s time to go to bed. Most of the people on my shift do the opposite - they get up early and run their errands before work - then go to bed right after the news. I keep my schedule the way I do because it is just more natural for me. I need that time after work to wind down. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/4 "2000-07-18T22:21:57Z")
Back when I used to work 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. I got home from work, got something to eat, then went to bed around 8-9. I slept until 5 or so, then got up and did my daytime stuff in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Michi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@Michi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/5 "2000-07-18T22:57:20Z")
I have a really wacky schedule. My work week starts at midnight on Thursday. I work midnight to 8AM. I usually don’t get to leave on time, most mornings I don’t actually get out of work will about 8:30. Takes me about 20 minutes to get home. Then I have to go through my morning ritual of feeding all the pets, making a little snack for myself, check the e-mail, take a shower. By the time I get into bed, it is 10AM. I have to be up by 4:30PM to get to work on Friday evening at 6PM. Friday, saturday, and Sunday I work from 6PM to 8AM. So in between my shifts I have no time really to do anything else BUT sleep. When I get off of work Monday morning, I usually stay up till noon, or 1PM, then I fall into a coma until 6 or 7AM Tuesday morning. From there I TRY to stay on a day schedule, but it isn’t easy. Most of the time I am up for a few hours, sleep for a few hours, all through the day and night. I definitely like working at night, I just wish my shifts weren’t so darn long. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/6 "2000-07-19T04:40:03Z")
I used to do an 11p-7a shift… (No lunch… but then, the whole 8 hours was pretty much sitting on my ass meeting women online… 🙂 ) I would generally go home, have some breakfast, watch a morning news show and fall asleep somewhere between 8 and 9… wake up around 5, and then go on with my day. Screeme ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/7 "2000-07-19T05:07:16Z")
I work 10:30pm to 6:30am Saturday through Wednesday. My sleep schedule is pretty much like kunilou’s and Screeme’s. Although sometimes I am so tired in the mornings, I barely have time to get undressed before I crawl in bed and fall asleep. I am off on Thursdays and Fridays. On Thursdays, I usually have meetings so I stay up until I am finished with all the stuff I have to do, usually until 11 or noon. Then I sleep until about 5 and get up and do fun stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/8 "2000-07-19T08:17:50Z")
I work midnite to eight. I cannot for the life of me stay up past 10 A.M. I wake up between 3 and 6 P.M. depending on how hot the day is. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/9 "2000-07-19T08:24:42Z")
I’m in school from 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and with my drive, I arrive home about 11 PM. I spend a few hours after school doing homework, so bedtime isn’t until around 2 or 3 am. I usually wake up around 9 or 10 am. The best thing about this–I have not needed my alarm clock since I’ve been on this schedule. Get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and I wake up feeling rested–I never felt like that when I had an alarm clock beeping at me at 6:30 am. I’ve always been a night person, and this schedule is completely natural for me–I’m working at the hours my body and mind are at their best. ---
**Author:** ![Bluemonchichi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Bluemonchichi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluemonchichi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/10 "2000-07-19T08:28:06Z")
I work 10p-8a, Tues-Fri. I go home and eat breakfast/dinner (something small) and get to bed around 9a. I wake up between 5p and 6p. I do it this way so I can have dinner with my BF before I go to work. Plus, it gives me the chance to run around before work if I need to go anywhere. On the my weekends I usually go to bed between 4a and 5a and wake up around 2p. That gives me the chance to get to spend time with people on the weekends. I really do love working overnights! ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/11 "2000-07-19T08:31:30Z")
I work 11:30 pm to 8:30 am. I go home, spend an hour or two eating, spending time with my pets, cleaning or unwinding, then go to bed around 10:30 or so. I get up at 6:00 pm when my hubby gets home. We eat together, spend a little time together, and most times, I lay back down with him for an hour or so when he goes to bed at 9:00 pm or so. Then I get up and get ready and go to work. When I was young and single and worked those hours, I kept a normal rhythm. I didn’t go to bed until noon or 1:00 pm, then slept until time to go to work. P.S. Hallelujah, I get off nights in 6-8 weeks! And will have a Mon-Fri schedule instead of Sat-Wed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/12 "2000-07-19T09:09:05Z")
I usually go to work from around 4 to 11 or 12. I’d say I get a little more time before work than “normal” and a little less after. It varies, though. Sometimes reality intrudes and I’m forced to conform to society. Grumble grumble. I haven’t seen prime time TV in well over a year, and don’t miss it one bit. There’s some damn good stuff on around 1 in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![BrothaTJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@BrothaTJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrothaTJ)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/13 "2000-07-20T07:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > \*\* > I haven’t seen prime time TV in well over a year, and don’t miss it one bit. There’s some damn good stuff on around 1 in the morning. \*\* [hijack] Sportscenter on ESPN and World News Now on ABC. Watching TV at 2 AM is almost better than the crap during the day. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![JBurton99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/14 "2000-07-20T11:23:49Z")
I’m with Amok. When i worked a 5pm to 1am shift and the Midnight to 8am shift, i would always stay awake for a few hours, pass out, then get up and get ready for work like a “normal” person would. Now that i work a 8pm to 8am shift, it’s still kinda the same but less time staying awake on the days i have to work. I travel 45 minutes one way to and from work, so i only stay awake for about an hour before passing out and then geting up again to go to work. Basically i get diddly-shit done on the days i work, thank god it’s only 3 or 4 days a week. 😃 I still say dayshifters are the abby-normal people. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/15 "2000-07-20T12:12:58Z")
My current sleep schedule sucks Work 10pm to 7am. Get home & get 1 1/2 sleep. Wake up to take older daughter to the park, take younger daughter to babysitter. Get 4 hours sleep. Pick up both daughters, wait for wife to get home from work. Try to get 2 more hours before going back to work. Gads, I’m tired all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Sn-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sn-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sn-man)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/16 "2000-07-20T13:23:26Z")
I worked the 11pm to 7am shift for 8 years. I would go to bed immediately (7:30-8:00). I would get up at 4, and start my day by doing things with friends who just got off work. I would play volleyball, softball, or even go to the bar then go to work at 11. On Saturday mornings I would take a nap for about two hours, get up and stay awake until 10-11pm. On Monday I would get up in the morning and tough it out until Tuesday morning after work. Brutal schedule, but I was able to spend time with people. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/17 "2000-07-20T13:51:26Z")
used to work midnight to 8, would wind down but pretty much go to bed right away, wake up around 2 pm, and do stuff, then go to work. 20 years ago, I used to work 2 jobs, one was at a 24 hour facility , so included nights, evenings and weekends, the other was strictly office days. the WORST thing to try and do was do a midnight to 8 shift, go change clothes and do the office day 9 - 5, then try and sleep in the evening. didn’t work for me at all. both my ex- husband and a good friend work midnights at the same place, they both do the get to bed semi right away, sleep til about 2 or 3 pm, get up and do stuff, take a nap just before work. has worked that way for both of them for more than 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sleeping-habits-of-night-shift-workers/26022/18 "2000-07-21T07:51:49Z")
I work evenings, not nights. I usually wake up between noon and 2, depending on when I have to be at work. I normally start work between 2 and 5:30, then work until 10:30, on average. I get home around 11, and watch TV or use the MB until 3 or 4, then sleep until noon or two again. Continue ad infinitum. I love it. –Tim