Nightshift experiences? [Archive]

Str8 Jacket

6th March 2008, 10:52

Dunno if this is what you're looking for.... about 10 years ago I was working as a chef and was also a bar manager. I used to have to work most nights. I got say a monday off. When I was working everyone was partying or relaxing and when I was off work everyone was working or sleeping. It became very lonely for me and I became quite depressed. I guess it'd be OK if you had mates that did the same hours but I found that once I stopped seeing my mates very often they forgot about me. I could imagine that it would have the same kind of effect if you had a wife and family.....

It will age you prematurely, make you prone to a variety of cancers and mental disorders, and you will never, ever have time or energy to do "normal" stuff that people take for granted.

Jimis SO right, dunno about he aging thing though as I look quite young for my age, however its funny you say this Jim.... I battle with mental illness and I am a survivor of cancer!

kevfromcoro

6th March 2008, 10:58

done night shift for about 3 yrs, got home and couldent sleep.
sometimes sat up till the birds were singing
have stopped now ,,but has taken me a long time to get back to normal
dont think its to good for the life......

Mikkel

6th March 2008, 10:59

What are the pros and cons of working when neally everybody else is sleeping or partying?

Dunno - but those long civilisation games are going to be somewhat different I suppose. :yes:

If I'm working intensively on writing or something like that I often do it in the evening and into the night. That's just my natural rythm I suppose.

Stirts

6th March 2008, 11:30

I did nightshift for a wee while at the freezing works! Was way back when I was 19 - 20 ish!

Didn't bother me too much, with only one night club in Gizzy, I wasn't really missing too much!

Would catch-up with friends during their lunch breaks and on weekends! And going to the gym, shopping and paying bills etc during the latter part of the day - NO QUEUES!!

Sleeping during the day was fine.....good curtains make a nice dark room. But I did have to ensure my friends knew I would be sleeping, and if they rang me....well they got hurt!

There was a little adjustment period, but I found it no different from the going on holiday and returning to work adjustment you almost always suffer though.

Trudes

6th March 2008, 11:47

I worked in the Lab at Cedenco in Gizzy and we'd do rotating shifts, 6 days on one shift then two days off and rotate shifts. The 6am til 2pm was ok, 2pm til 10pm was good cause you could go to the pub after and not have to get up early, but 10pm til 6am sucked, except it was quiet at night, could get in a few naps and play strip poker, have tomato fights etc, but would suck that you "shouldn't" turn up to work from getting pissed at the pub and getting home from work as the flattys were just getting up to go to work was sad, never really slept well during the day (lived next to the airport, so that probably didn't help) so always felt tired. I didn't much like not having a "life".

Zoolander

6th March 2008, 12:02

Str8 Jacket

6th March 2008, 12:05

Before I joined you at the bike shop I did a night shift over a Christmas period (start of october to end of december) at the first job. It was rough!! Found I would get home about 8am, try and get to bed by about 9 but could normally only sleep for an hour or 2, was too light and too much outside noise, would be tired and in a shitty mood all day then back to work at night, after a couple of weeks of that was a bit of a zombie, nearly crashed my car going home one morning cause I was in la la land, took a long time to get the body clock back to normal after it finished as well. Some people deal with it better, but from my point of view, not recommended if you can help it.

Hell, yeah I forgot about that. There is NO WAY in hell that you can just go home and sleep. You need to relax for a few hours. There is nothing on TV and usually no one on line. I found it hard to read cause I was a walking zombie, I was wide awake but my brain was jumbled.... I was even more of a bitch than I am now! :shit:

BOGAR

6th March 2008, 12:07

Easer to do it when you are young and from my experience single. You can catch up with your mates sometimes but it can quickly separate you from them just because of the hassle. Do it if you have to or the money is crazy good and only for a short while (a year or two to get some money behind you)
all i can say is try it, every one is different and some people take to it like a duck to water and some dont.

Steam

6th March 2008, 12:12

Night work actually reduces your life expectancy by 5 - 7 years.

It sucks. I did it for two years, I will never ever do it again. Never.

Number One

6th March 2008, 12:12

What are the pros and cons of working when neally everybody else is sleeping or partying?

Probably not fair of me to respond to this BUT as one half of the two people that would be most affected by this....

I'd miss you in our bed at night. What others have said confirms my fears. The thought of you being in zombie mode riding your bike home in the morning scares the shit outta me.

Love you babe and as always will stand by you whatever your decision...

Str8 Jacket

6th March 2008, 12:14

Love you babe and as always will stand by you whatever your decision...

But if you do choose to do it I will come round with a big stick and beat you!

Firefight

6th March 2008, 12:16

work a shift with two days then two nights, love it ,done it for 22 years
no problms once your used to it, I was grumpy to start with so it made no diffrence.

Sully60 have sent pm.

F/F

fireball

6th March 2008, 12:27

i did night shift on and off for over 5 years (working at gas stations)
sometimes it was the most fun you could ever have at work turn the sounds up loud no customers to bug you between 3am and 5am so cleaning was easy, but then there were the bad nights got held up twice one with a gun the other with a knife had a shoot out on the forecourt etc drunk girls flashing titties so they could use the toilets all sorts
now i wouldnt do it. i was working in a bar when i met LilSel so i wouldnt be home till sunrise on the odd occasion and it sucked

but each to their own really i like to work nights but i would rather spend time with my partner

so here i am looking for a new job and hopefully will have one by the end of the week!

Riff Raff

6th March 2008, 12:31

Couple of nightshifts a week is fine - we do 2 day shifts, then 2 nights then 4 off. I do tend to be grumpier on my nights due to lack of sleep. It's hard to sleep during the day, but as it's only 2 nights I can cope. Don't think I'd be able to do more than that tho. Plus Jimmy gets severe separation anxiety and becomes really pathetic - not good for his manly image!!!

Number One

6th March 2008, 12:34

drunk girls flashing titties so they could use the toilets all sorts

Gawd woman! Don't tell him that...he'll be off to work in a gas station on nightshift next :bash: :shutup:

Trudes

6th March 2008, 12:37

I'd miss you in our bed at night.

I would say that would be the best part of it.... ahhhhh, sprawl..... and no farting or scratching and duvet stealing.... bliss!!;)

fireball

6th March 2008, 12:37

Gawd woman! Don't tell him that...he'll be off to work in a gas station on nightshift next :bash: :shutup:

the pay isnt half bad either..... if i was single i would prob go back to it and back to uni:laugh:

Number One

6th March 2008, 12:40

no farting or scratching and duvet stealing.... bliss!!;)

cough cough...erm yeah, oh of course there'd be none of that stuff going on if he wasn't in the bed

...shhhh he might send me off to work nightshifts you paint an attractive picture

Mr Merde

6th March 2008, 12:42

I worked for 3 years on Night shift

Started at 8pm and finished at 8 am

4 days on and 4 days off

Never had any problem sleeping.

Got home about 9am, went to bed, woke up about 4pm

On the last day I had to travel home by train 130 miles. Dozed on the train. Got home about 11am. Forced myself to stay awake as long as possible then crashed. Next day all OK.

Takes a bit of getting used to but it worked for me.

caesius

6th March 2008, 12:49

I worked 6pm-6am at a juice factory for quite a long time. I didn't have any troubles but I watched my colleagues drop like flies. It just doesn't agree with some people.

I made a point of coming home, having breakfast (yes I still told my mind it was breakfast) and going straight to sleep. If you don't sleep the first day, you'll DEFINITELY sleep the second.

Oh and unplug the phone before you hit the hay. Otherwise... :angry2:

Ocean1

6th March 2008, 13:01

Str8 Jacket

6th March 2008, 13:03

There's definitely an age related thing there too, it seems to affect people more as they get older.

And lets face it Sully, you aint getting any younger.... :p

owner

6th March 2008, 13:18

night shift as a truckie is great for me 3 years running as I can sleep at work sometimes so I dont get traffic hassles and am free to ride my bike when I get home

Her_C4

6th March 2008, 13:50

I did 3 rotating shifts for years, as the others have said some manage completely without a problem and others can't handle it. Lets face it the night shift's the problem, either you can sleep after a shift or you can't. I never had a problem sleeping, (well, no more than usual) and never noticed any performance issues at work or elsewhere.

Some shift patterns are much better than others, 3 shifts rotating forwards in one of the more common set-ups, and one of the most disruptive. There's definitely an age related thing there too, it seems to affect people more as they get older.

So did I 6am - 2pm; 2pm to 10 pm; 10pm - 6am. Then we had several 8am - 5pm shifts as well. In the past some people were able to negotiate their rostered responsibilities and others had permanent or semi permanent night shift because it suited them. In the middle of a (usual) 8 week stint of nights though you would break and have 2 random 8am - 5pm shifts and then back onto nights. On the random day shifts I basically walked around like a zombie and then spent the following week suffering from an acute lack of sleep, (and could have easily put myself and my workmates at risk!!). Over time the roster was standardised and became cyclic so that you knew which roster was coming up and your body clock adjusted moving forwards.

At the time, I was a solo parent with two teenage boys and studying extramurally for a double degree. If I said that it was hard on everyone that would be a major understatement.

On the other side of the coin the times we had together were irreplaceable and we learnt to value the time the time we had together as a family unit. We made an issue out of 'off days' and tried to do things together that we may not have done or been able to do had I been working days all the time. Everyone had a job to do to ensure that the wheels ran smoothly, and mostly that worked well.

It helped that I am a 'nightowl' type of person, and relished the house to myself during the day, a set of earplugs and the bliss of deciding how to spend my day, with whom and where while the rest of the world was working.

Ability to sleep varied depending on what happened during the shift and if I was energised and hyped when I got home then I would come home, get breakfast for the boys, do some housework, study, go shopping, make dinner/ snacks and pop off to bed when my body told me I needed to sleep.

Alternatively if it was a quiet night, I would come home pick up the notes that the boys had left for me, check in and go straight to bed grabbing the earplugs on the way. When I got up I was able to go and pick them up from school, go to there sports events, take them shopping etc etc none of which I would have been able to do had I been 8 - 5 every day.

In my experience, eventually you and those around you fall into a kind of rhythm and you accept the good along with the bad and it all kinda gels. :niceone:

robertydog

6th March 2008, 13:57

I work a 4 on 4 off 12hr rotating shift.

So i work 4 days at 12hrs then have 4 days off then work 4 nights at 12 hrs then back to days etc. Starting work at either 06.00am or 18.00hrs.

Took a while to get used to the sleep patterns but im away now. Being doing it for about 3 years now. Sucks in the summer when you are trying to sleep in the heat.

Daffyd

6th March 2008, 14:32

The first 10 years are the worst, but be happy. Once you finish it only takes 5 years to get back to normal.
Speaking from 12 years of experience.

NZsarge

6th March 2008, 16:01

I've been on the receiving end of living with someone doing nightshift.

It got to the point where it was me or the nightshift.

If makes total psychos out of normal people.

It will age you prematurely, make you prone to a variety of cancers and mental disorders, and you will never, ever have time or energy to do "normal" stuff that people take for granted.

Been doing nightshift 20 years in april.
Dunno about making people phycho but definetly some of the above for sure

DingoZ

6th March 2008, 16:18

Have never had a 9-5 kind of job

Always worked shift work

Started off on a 7 day 8 hour rotating shift - 7 Days 2 off & Afternoons 2 Off then 7 nights and 3 off. Sucked big time.....Hardly felt like we got any time away from work....

Then came a 12 hour rotating roster 2 days 2 off 3 nights 3 off then 3 days, 2 off, 2 nights 2 off then it started again. Basically if you worked a monday + tuesday one week you had mon +tues off the next week, then the following it would fall on one of your three days or three nights on.....Much easier to read on paper....

This was okay. Got a fair time away from work. The guys/gals with families said they got more time with them than the first roster which I guess is a big thing for people with kids....

Then a variety of jobs, linehaul truck driving. Loved the night shift swaps. Start at six, finish around 4 - 5 in the morning. Home, stay up for an hour or so, go to sleep (earplugs,cause it was a noisy neighbourhood, and yes you do get used to sleeping with earplugs in)....Then up to have something to eat, and off to work again.........Weekends with the partner (she worked fulltime during the day). All good....

Now the job I am in is shift work again. 9.5hours per shift 6 on 4 off. 2 Days - 2 Lates - 2 Nights then 4 off. Love it. Get enough sleep. 4 days off is a bonus. Gives the body time to recharge.

Just got to be aware of trying to change your sleeping patterns, along with your eating patterns. If you can, try to keep the eating patterns around the same time. If you going to eat while on night shift - the time you would normally be asleep, eat a light meal, and keep it small in size... Try and avoid coffee in the last few hours of your shift. and when first starting a new shift pattern. Don't force yourself to get sleep. If you can't sleep, get up for 30 mins walk around, do something else, then go back and try again.

Got some literature iif you want it on the whole body clock rearrange thing. As well as hints and tips and things you can do to deal with shift work. PM me if ya want it and I'll flick it to you..

One last thing though. Would not go to normal working hours if you paid me squillions. It's not for me...... As other people have said above, shift work suits some and some it doesn't

Cheers

Andrew

yungatart

6th March 2008, 16:38

I have done night shift off and on...more rotating shifts though. I could never get enough sleep, was horrible to everyone, never knew what meal I was supposed to be eating etc etc.
Mind you, the last time I did it, I had six kids at home and the youngest was a breast fed baby...no wonder I was tired and burned the dinner every night....

Mom

6th March 2008, 16:45

I have not worked nights for many years, but chose it as an option when I finished my nursing training. Worked Sun to Thursday nights 11pm to 7am.

Meant I got Friday and Saturday nights off to go partay!!!

First night was always hard, try as I might it was almost always impossible to sleep Sunday afternoons, but come Monday morning zzzz's were easy peasy! Used to get home from work at 7:30, eat my cornflakes (yes breakfast after work) and be in bed by 8am. Usually slept till 3:15pm, would have been longer but that is when the kids upstairs came home from school! Get up have shower, get tea on, all that normal end of day stuff. Watch a bit of TV and then head out to work at about 10pm.

Friday mornings I would do the same but set my alarm for 11am. Groggily (is that a word?)get up, have shower, have coffee, do shopping etc. Party hard Friday, outlasted many I have to say, sleep in Saturday, repeat Saturday night.

Never seemed a problem, apart from the odd waking up in bed not knowing how I got there moment. The only problem was the endless coffee I had while at work, I thought I had a brain tumour the headaches were so bad when I finally came off nights...LOL

Ocean1

6th March 2008, 16:46

Mom

6th March 2008, 16:49

I have done night shift off and on...more rotating shifts though. I could never get enough sleep, was horrible to everyone, never knew what meal I was supposed to be eating etc etc.

Yep split shifts were the pits, I agree and used to despair sometimes trying to sleep because I knew I have to be a work in a few hours!

Excuses excuses...
:chase:

Like living dangerously doncha sport! :killingme

DEATH_INC.

6th March 2008, 17:02

From a partners point of veiw......it's hard, you don't sleep well and all sorts of horrible suspicious thoughts run around in ya head....it's not very nice :(

yungatart

6th March 2008, 17:21

Excuses excuses...

:chase:

You'd better run faster than that dude!:2guns:

marty

6th March 2008, 17:27

i've worked shift work for 22 years, currently doing permanent nights 7pm-5.30am 5 on 4 off.

when i've got time i'll write a bit more, but it has its advantages and disadvantages......................

Usarka

6th March 2008, 18:02

work a shift with two days then two nights, love it ,done it for 22 years
no problms once your used to it, I was grumpy to start with so it made no diffrence.

Sully60 have sent pm.

F/F

rubbish all you rf lot are screwed in the head :innocent:

doc

6th March 2008, 18:38

Night shift sux's. Avoid it if you can. There is evidence that is affects your health. But it pays more, so most people wont/dont admit its a problem.

ajturbo

6th March 2008, 20:39

[quote=Str8 Jacket;1461203]my mates very often they forgot about me.
quote]

how the FUCK can we forget about you??????????

mates???? yer right!!:chase:

ajturbo

6th March 2008, 20:45

And lets face it Sully, you aint getting any younger.... :p
AND he may even get slower on the track!!!!

go for it big boy!

scumdog

6th March 2008, 21:10

Worked nighthsift non-stop for just over a year at a textile factory.

Started at 7:30pm and finished at 7:00am - oh and ahd abou 50 minutes drive each way too.

Started the week on Sunday night, finished Friday morning - and if I wanted more overtime I could come back Friday night for a few more hours. (another 50 minutes each way)

NEVER, ever again, got all manner of head problems due to overtiredness. (Just imagine doing the above week, heading off to the Remarkables Rally on Saturday afternoon, come back Sunday, unpack, change, off to work, about 8 hourse sleep from Friday morning to Monday morning).

Now my night-shift varies, better but really not good.

Do it for a bit if you want but most that come off night-shift swears against doing it again.

DIN PELENDA

6th March 2008, 21:41

Got 5 kids and wife work day shift so i have work nightshift for last 5 years, 6pm to 6am.im at work righ now and im mising out on thrsday nighte ride covering felow worker wich got fired so im working ewery night for last 3 weaks .Ewery morning after 12 hr shift get older 3 kids to school and stay home with my twins wich ar 2.5 years old i get 3-4 hr sleep it is terible im like zombe but i got no choice .Ewery day i go to work on my bike R1 and that is best time of the day stress ralese.

Str8 Jacket

7th March 2008, 06:38

how the FUCK can we forget about you??????????

mates???? yer right!!:chase:

Love you to AJ :love:

But next time I see you im gonna kick you in the goolies! :p

Sully60

8th April 2008, 12:48

Well some of the Welly KB crew already knew this but for the other who’ve replied to this thread and via PM thank you all so much for the information and experiences you’ve shared. It’s made the decision making process a lot more informed in this area with lots of little things I didn’t consider and will now be aware of when I finally make the change.

I’ve decided to go back leave behind the HVAC industry and go back to my roots.

While I took Deanohit on a tour of Wellingtons better roads I bumped into a chap whom I worked with at the company where I did my apprenticeship many moons ago. He told me the decline of the company had stopped and they where growing again and may need experienced people in the future. “Come down and talk to the production manager, who knows what might happen”.

I wasn’t really unhappy in my current job but I wasn’t enjoying the relatively confrontational and stressful aspects of it and as a consequence my performance was slipping and I don’t feel happy doing a job if I’m not giving it 100%.
So while I wasn’t looking for another job I wasn’t not looking either, if you get my drift.

So I saunter on down to the factory and talk with said Production Manager (who still thinks I’m an okay bloke despite swapping the order of his spark plugs leads and putting his distributor cap on the wrong way in a drunken apprentice gag gone wrong. :Oops: )

We have a pretty casual talk promising nothing and he asks for a copy of my CV which I email him when I get home that night.

I let I lie for a couple of weeks and then call the Production Manager to follow up and see if they have something. The discussion is fairly non committal and I come away feeling that this might not happen, my heart sinks slightly but in the end I still have a job and things aren’t really that bad. Soldier on and all that.

Two days latter in the middle of another stupid “Coordinated Services” meeting :yawn: I get a phone call from the Production Manager saying “Can you come in for an interview?”

I was taken aback as I thought this was a dead end and had consigned the idea to the realms of history.

So back to the factory for a proper interview with the Department Manager. This time the full scope of what’s required is made clear, pay rates, expectations and night shift.
This job will eventually lead to running a production line on the night shift.
For some reason (probably that I’ve gone soft from flying a desk and mobile phone for so long) I didn’t see that one coming!
I didn’t really know what to think about it, hence this thread.

Number One and I talked about this, being the lovely supportive wife she is she said it didn’t matter which way you end up going she’d still be behind me all the way, it was just going to be tough getting used to not having her automatic active bed heater and blanket recovery device in bed with her at night though!

So I pondered over things again and I really wanted to get back into my trade again, I’ve been winging it in my current job in terms of training and even made a few dollars for the company while I was at it but it was time for a positive change.

A few more negotiations took place in the interim and the remuneration package was finalised. While it didn’t include the company vehicle I currently have use of, it was more than enough to make the move worthwhile. This was the final piece of the picture I was waiting for to make the decision once and for all and it couldn’t have come at a better time, right in the middle of another coordinated services meeting.
The other contractors around the table must have wondered about the impish grin I couldn’t hide for the rest of the meeting.

So I promptly resigned, which is really hard to do when you have such a good boss (biker from wayback, shouted my to the April MotoTT track day last year.)
and started the process of handing over all my complicated projects to untangle myself from this role once and for all.

So Friday is my last day and our little road trip to Auckland in June means I have to start the new job on Monday. Not on night shift just yet, I’ll have a lot to learn as things have moved along somewhat since and I’ll need about three months or so worth of training to get back up to speed.

It will be a real challenge for me but I can’t wait. I have all new printing processes to learn and a whole production line to get my head around. Lucky I already know most of the people there so I won’t be learning new names at the same time!

So the fact I won’t have a work PC means this is the last week that I’ll be a “daytime KB’er” for a while so I’m going to make the most of it until I get back on the nights and can play with you all online again.

avgas

8th April 2008, 12:54

Nightshift was easy for me, well easier than studying and working (80-120 hour weeks).
But long term it does mess you up.
And your partner will hate you for it

Trudes

8th April 2008, 14:27

Ahhh, thought you were being a bit of a KB whore of late!!:yes:

Congrats mate, hope it all delivers and you're a happy chappy in your work.:sunny:

(And I'll volunteer to keep your mrs warm one night a week.... orgy night Wednesday night at Monster HQ):lol: J/K

Sully60

8th April 2008, 14:28

(And I'll volunteer to keep your mrs warm one night a week.... orgy night Wednesday night at Monster HQ):lol: J/K

No problem, as long as there's some video evidence that I can view at my own leisure:devil2:

Number One

8th April 2008, 16:21

Trudes

8th April 2008, 18:57

Trudes will you cuddle me one night of the week too - I think that's what I'll miss most is my mouldable hottie...I'm gonna be :cold: now!
Time to invest in some PJs me thinks :yes:

Yeah....:confused: that's what I meant......:spanking::yeah::hug:
:lol: I'll book you in for cuddles on Wednesday nights! :woohoo:

Mom

8th April 2008, 19:08

I've actually been working ALL day! So all you tax payers out there can rest assured your money was well spent, on me...today :dodge:

Did someone say orgy?! Yeeehaaaa!!!! I've got my Wednesday night free this week too :innocent:

Trudes will you cuddle me one night of the week too - I think that's what I'll miss most is my mouldable hottie...I'm gonna be :cold: now!
Time to invest in some PJs me thinks :yes:

NOOOO!! PJ's are revolting. Slinky long silky number much better, if you have to wear anything. I have a great iea, how about you take some of my night time friggen heat to warm you, some nights maha could do with a break from the eternal "hottie" next to him I am sure :dodge:

Number One

8th April 2008, 19:16

:lol: I'll book you in for cuddles on Wednesday nights! :woohoo:

oooo :banana: is it Wednesday yet?

NOOOO!! PJ's are revolting. Slinky long silky number much better, if you have to wear anything.

I loooooovee snuggly PJ's!!! I maintain a more even temperature throughout the night and sleep heaps better.

Admittedly they only come out of the drawers when Sully has been *particularly bad* and I'm pissed off enough to send that "U R SOOOOO not getting anywhere near my things with your things buddy" message...thankfully that's only happened a couple of times over the years however if he ain't there I might as well be dressed in my passion killing PJ's!

PLUS - when I'm on my own and sleeping naked I have this really strange dream that I'm worried because people can see my bum :lol: but when I am 'decent' I don't have that dream.

Mom

8th April 2008, 19:19

oooo :banana: is it Wednesday yet?

I loooooovee snuggly PJ's!!! I maintain a more even temperature throughout the night and sleep heaps better.

Admittedly they only come out of the drawers when Sully has been *particularly bad* and I'm pissed off enough to send that "U R SOOOOO not getting anywhere near my things with your things buddy" message...thankfully that's only happened a couple of times over the years however if he ain't there I might as well be dressed in my passion killing PJ's!

PLUS - when I'm on my own and sleeping naked I have this really strange dream that I'm worried because people can see my bum :lol: but when I am 'decent' I don't have that dream.

Many years ago an Aunty of mine came down here from Canada, she was the rebel youngster of my Moms family. She instilled in me the premise that all things need to breathe to survive, hence no Jammies for this gal!...LOL

Number One

8th April 2008, 19:19

some nights maha could do with a break from the eternal "hottie" next to him I am sure :dodge:

I'm just not as hot as you ya see - and don't take this personal maha but I AM looking forward to having ALL the bed and ALL the pillows to myself
:devil2: So you'll have to sleep on the couch when your hot mama gets too much :cool:

Slingshot

8th April 2008, 19:28

Good on ya Sully and congratulations.

Are you in a position to elaborate on what the producing line will be producing?

scumdog

8th April 2008, 19:59

NOOOO!! PJ's are revolting.

And you'll never frighten off car thieves if you go after them while wearing PJs!!!

Trudes

8th April 2008, 20:08

PLUS - when I'm on my own and sleeping naked I have this really strange dream that I'm worried because people can see my bum :lol: but when I am 'decent' I don't have that dream.
OMG, I have that dream too.... that and the house will burn down if I sleep in the buff!!! I love flannelet Pj's, but hate flannelet sheets...

I AM looking forward to having ALL the bed and ALL the pillows to myself

Hell yeah!!! I usually sleep diagonally in bed when I don't have a bed hog stealing the covers and trying to push me out,:girlfight:

Number One

8th April 2008, 20:10

And you'll never frighten off car thieves if you go after them while wearing PJs!!!

bwahahahaaa I might attract them!

Str8 Jacket

8th April 2008, 20:13

OMG, I have that dream too.... that and the house will burn down if I sleep in the buff!!! I love flannelet Pj's, but hate flannelet sheets...

Yep, me too on both counts. Maybe we all just need to HTFU!!

Number One

8th April 2008, 20:16

I am like super glad we had this chat....

Now I know that I am *normal*

....no really:buggerd:

Str8 Jacket

8th April 2008, 20:18

OMG! PILLOW FIGHT!!!

But Craig misses out, cause he's on night shift! :p

Sully60

8th April 2008, 20:34

Good on ya Sully and congratulations.

Are you in a position to elaborate on what the producing line will be producing?

Thank you an yes.

Stepping over all the girly bollocks weft lying around in this thread.

That's better.

I'll be printing extruded aluminium aerosol cans. Cool wee process where multiple colours are layed down on one roll of the can using flexographic plates.
A little different from what I trained in but that's part of the attraction.
Will be a challenge for a while though.

Trudes

8th April 2008, 20:40

Did someone say PILLOW FIGHT!!!!!?????

Sully60

8th April 2008, 20:42

Did someone say PILLOW FIGHT!!!!!?????

I'll excuse that particular type of girly bollocks, the picture that is.:cool:

Slingshot

8th April 2008, 20:58

Thank you an yes.

Stepping over all the girly bollocks weft lying around in this thread.

That's better.

I'll be printing extruded aluminium aerosol cans. Cool wee process where multiple colours are layed down on one roll of the can using flexographic plates.
A little different from what I trained in but that's part of the attraction.
Will be a challenge for a while though.

Now the real question is....what benefit will your new job have for the art of bucketing?

Sully60

8th April 2008, 21:05

Now the real question is....what benefit will your new job have for the art of bucketing?

Yeah we're into the serious questions now.:)

I will have easier access to the type of machinery used to change pieces of metal from one shape into another. That side of things isn't my job as such so I can't be to presumptuous about what I can start producing,

just yet;)

Slingshot

8th April 2008, 21:10

ajturbo

8th April 2008, 21:16

So by the sounds of it...you could at least print the Norf Welly Massif logo (yet to be designed) onto your megaphones using a cool wee process where multiple colours are layed down on one roll of the can using flexographic plates.
isn't that what i do????......

what is it i do???

bed time i think

chanceyy

8th April 2008, 21:19

Congrats Sully on making the change ..

Number one & mrs Kd .. behave ... :nono: on second thoughts don't you guys crack me up ... nuffin wrong with sleeping nakid :whistle:

Slingshot

8th April 2008, 21:21

isn't that what i do????......

what is it i do???

bed time i think

Sniffing to many paint fumes again AJ?

Sully60

8th April 2008, 21:21

So by the sounds of it...you could at least print the Norf Welly Massif logo (yet to be designed) onto your megaphones using a cool wee process where multiple colours are layed down on one roll of the can using flexographic plates.

You're learning so fast you'll be able to do it yourself soon.:lol:

We must get that logo designed so we can start infesting the web with it.:devil2:

Kendog

8th April 2008, 21:34

There are some great sounding night experiences in this thread.

Congrats on the new role Mr Bucketaholic. Even a change in jobs provides you new ways to indulge in bucketing.

Skunk

8th April 2008, 21:43

We must get that logo designed so we can start infesting the web with it.:devil2:
Guess what my job is...

Jantar

8th April 2008, 21:47

I've only been working shifts for 35 years, and once I get the hang of it I'll let you know what its like. :rolleyes:

I started on 7 x 16:00 - 24:00, 1 off, 6 x 08:00 - 16:00, 1 off, 7 x 24:00 - 08:00, 6 off.
That was great as it effectively gave me a week off every month, and I could sleep part of the night shift.

Next was 7 x 16:00 - 24:00, 1 off, 7 x 08:00 - 16:00, 2 off, 7 x 24:00 - 08:00, 4 off.
Not quite as good, but still not too bad.

Then it was 2 x 19:00 - 07:00, 1 off, 2 x 07:00 - 19:00, 3 off.
That was good as the body never adapted to the night shift and I still had plenty of time off for riding.

Next we changed to 2 x 07:00 - 19:00, 2 x 19:00 - 07:00, 4 off.
Almost perfect.

However I reckon another 10 years of shift work, and if I haven't adapted to it by then I might just give it away.

Sully60

9th April 2008, 07:14

Thanks Jantar.

That just about took me a whole shift to read:confused:

Those shifts seem pretty long, whats reason for the 12 hour shifts?

Sorry, I'm not sure what you do for a job.

I've spoken to a few long term shiftworkers, I come from a family of them and most like you find a way to use the timings to their advantage.

I'm only doing fixed shifts 23.00 to 07.00 5 days starting Sunday night when I go onto that shift.

It means I don't miss out on too much time with Number One and Sully One. I imagine Fridays and the weekends will be the interesting time, coming off 5 days at the opposite end of the clock to daytime hours.

I shall find out soon enough.

Trudes

9th April 2008, 09:09

I would think that if you have set shift hours, that on your days off it's probably best to stick with the routine, would think your body clock would get even more messed up otherwise... does that sound sensible?

Kendog

9th April 2008, 12:43

does that sound sensible?

It does. So sometimes you do actually make sense.

Trudes

9th April 2008, 12:47

It does. So sometimes you do actually make sense.

For we nought go to do room when forest?

doozy

9th April 2008, 12:59

I used to work night shift for an ISP/TV provider ...

Unfortunately there were a couple of adult pay-per-view channels available, now the content was rated on this channel 1 point soft to 5 points hard ... (excuse the pun).

It did lead to many awkward situation where a wife/girlfriend/partner would call to ask about the mysterious chargers on their bill while you hear the offender in the background saying 'its ok, we'll just pay don't worry about it'. hehe

Anyway there was a rather disgruntled elderly gentleman who used to ring up on a regular basis and complain that 5 points wasn’t 'hardcore enough' and would proceed into graphic detail as to what he was seeing vs what he considered to be 5 points, it was funny and effing horrible at the same time.

breakaway

9th April 2008, 14:11

Are you entitled to anything extra for working night shift? Or are your benefits on a per-company basis?

Sully60

9th April 2008, 14:22

Are you entitled to anything extra for working night shift? Or are your benefits on a per-company basis?

I take it this is directed at me but if not too bad, I'm answering it.

Yes ,there are shift allowances for doing the shifts outside of the buisness hours. I imagine this is different for aother companies.
The starting base payrate is good for me but with all these allowances means a few more $$ in the hand than where I am now.

The buisness I'm starting with also still has penal rates so any overtime (which I have no provision for in my current salary) will be well worth it.

Man I can't wait, this just feels like purgatory to me now.

18 hours to go…

Jantar

9th April 2008, 14:56

...Those shifts seem pretty long, whats reason for the 12 hour shifts?

Sorry, I'm not sure what you do for a job. ....

I'm only doing fixed shifts 23.00 to 07.00 5 days starting Sunday night when I go onto that shift.....

i'm a Dispatch/Trader in the electricity industry, and 12 hour shifts are great. They provide for maximum time off after each shift run for recovery and to lead some semblence of a normal life.

A set pattern of all night shifts is about the worst possible of all shift patterns, and not recommended by any shift work organisation. Save what extra money you can while doing it, and set yourself a target, say 2 years, then get out. Otherwise your health will suffer and you'll find yourself becoming very anti social.

KiwiRat

9th April 2008, 15:34

i'm a Dispatch/Trader in the electricity industry, and 12 hour shifts are great.

A set pattern of all night shifts is about the worst possible of all shift patterns, and not recommended by any shift work organisation. Save what extra money you can while doing it, and set yourself a target, say 2 years, then get out. Otherwise your health will suffer and you'll find yourself becoming very anti social.

I agree with you there. All nights would not be too flash at all. I'm an operator at a co-generation power station, and cannot see myself ever wanting to have a regular Mon - Fri job. The "2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off" suits me just fine. I get more than enough sleep, more than enough natural light, and nearly enough bike riding time. If I take 4 days Annual Leave, it works out to be 12 days off. The leave roster is planned months in advance, so time off is not an issue.

I realize it's not the lifestyle for everyone, but if you get the right job, it beats a 9 - 5 job hands down.

Can you believe it only takes two people per shift to run this station?

Toaster

9th April 2008, 15:47

Pays to be physically fit and eat the right things to cope with tiredness from nightshift.

I did it for a couple years and changed shifts to only earlies and lates... then got out of shiftwork altogether. Mon-Fri normal work hours is far more boring but it is better for the social life and sleep patterns.

I do miss sifting about in the dark at night but hey.... the pay was crap.

ajturbo

9th April 2008, 19:55

just met Number one, in the supermarket...
she didn't reconize me with out leathers........
she likes my leathers...
i could be in............
...
..
...
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. trouble?

Skunk

9th April 2008, 20:36

AJ... She was trying to hide from you.

I keep telling you to learn the difference...

ajturbo

9th April 2008, 21:08

AJ... She was trying to hide from you.

I keep telling you to learn the difference...
so THATS why she screamed and run away, leaving her kid and shopping behind......
when all i said was.... whats for tea? ..

HONEST that was ALL i said... just ask the police... thay have view all the tapes....

Slingshot

9th April 2008, 21:12

You're learning so fast you'll be able to do it yourself soon.:lol:

We must get that logo designed so we can start infesting the web with it.:devil2:

Sounds like you're offering me a job on night shift.

Would be nice to be a two income family again, even if I was earning both :yawn:

spudchucka

9th April 2008, 21:17

My night shifts were 2300 - 0700, we worked a roster that had us doing seven consecutive nights once every five weeks.

For about six years I found it pretty easy but for some reason it started to get the better of me and I found that I was only getting 3 - 4 hours sleep a day. One or two days of stuff all sleep is not too bad but a full week once every five weeks soon gets the better of you and I found that I was having to use sleeping pills just to get enough sleep to stop me from going mad.

I'm now in a position where I don't work any night shifts and although there are some benefits to it, on the whole I don't miss it at all and my family is definitely glad to see the back of them.

I think I could do night shift again so long as it was only for short spells as the long periods of limited sleep can really stuff you up.

stilynit

9th April 2008, 22:21

I work at a Tenpin Bowling Centre, my day hours are 8:30am - 4:00pm and nights are 4:00pm till close, I normally work nights and days in the same week, it screws with my head. And sometimes I have to work a back to back or a double, so that makes it harder, but, if you have set days/times, you get into a sleeping pattern.

Kendog

9th April 2008, 22:23

Can you believe it only takes two people per shift to run this station?

Just like watching Homer on the Simpsons?

Kendog

9th April 2008, 22:25

For we nought go to do room when forest?

Forty Two (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Answer_to_Life,_the_Universe,_and_Everything)

Number One

9th April 2008, 23:33

Damn - enjoyed that one and can't bling ya cos I must spread :rolleyes:

oldrider

10th April 2008, 00:01

I had 25 years of round the clock shift work at sea in shipping and on shore in power stations and systems.

I enjoyed shift work but there are good and bad rosters to be involved in.

The biggest problem facing shift workers in NZ (IMHO) is incompetent managers.

I was also a manager, so I comment from an experienced position.

Was I a competent manager?

It would be nice to have been considered a good one but it doesn't really matter any more, I am out of there. :shifty: Cheers John.

KiwiRat

10th April 2008, 01:36

Just like watching Homer on the Simpsons?

Can you see the TV on in the background? SKY Digital....on the house.

Sucks to be me.............NOT.:whistle:

k14

10th April 2008, 06:43

:clap:
I agree with you there. All nights would not be too flash at all. I'm an operator at a co-generation power station, and cannot see myself ever wanting to have a regular Mon - Fri job. The "2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off" suits me just fine. I get more than enough sleep, more than enough natural light, and nearly enough bike riding time. If I take 4 days Annual Leave, it works out to be 12 days off. The leave roster is planned months in advance, so time off is not an issue.

I realize it's not the lifestyle for everyone, but if you get the right job, it beats a 9 - 5 job hands down.

Can you believe it only takes two people per shift to run this station?
Totally agree, been doing my job for just over 2 years now and we're on predominately a day day night night (7-7) roster. Takes a wee bit to get used to but once you work out the way your body handles it then its fine. Sleeping in the central otago summer can be a bit difficult sometimes though (35 degrees+) hehe.

Can you believe it takes 1 person to run these two powerstations?? Obviously you're way overstaffed :msn-wink:. Must be run by the gv'mnt or something

KiwiRat

10th April 2008, 11:19

Highlander

10th April 2008, 14:48

:clap:
Can you believe it takes 1 person to run these two powerstations?? Obviously you're way overstaffed :msn-wink:. Must be run by the gv'mnt or something

Mate, hydro stations are for girls :msn-wink: :msn-wink:

But seriously, the 9 stations on the Waikato River are pretty much operated by one person in a central control room in Hamilton.

We also sell steam to a CHH paper recycling plant 1 mile up the road.

i'm a Dispatch/Trader in the electricity industry, and 12 hour shifts are great. They provide for maximum time off after each shift run for recovery and to lead some semblence of a normal life.

K14 / Jantar I think I could do your jobs. :msn-wink:

If we are counting number of stations I win.

Oldrider, you probably don't remember but you were my manager at one stage.

KiwiRat - REAL MEN USE THEIR WATER COLD

The thing I really don't cope well with is the periods of "Office hours" put me back on shift any time, I consider my 2 weeks stints of office hours as a punishment for enjoying shift work.

k14

10th April 2008, 19:16

K14 / Jantar I think I do your jobs. :msn-wink:

If we are counting number of stations I win.

Nah real men measure by the amount of power at their disposal. Current count for me is 790MW. Can ya beat that?? :buggerd:

I could also count the other 1000MW (give or take 100) that I'm trading but that wouldn't be fair would it :Playnice:

Number One

20th June 2008, 22:52

One week in he is coping well. Though out cold from 6pm tonight. With any luck this means he'll bound out of bed tomorrow morning bright eyed and bushy tailed and mummy can have a :sleep:IN. :begging smilie required:

Strangely though while he is just completely out of sync I find surprisingly that I am also affected as I don't sleep properly being in the house on my own...it's as if I doze and I feel as though I am conscious of the hours passing and noises in the house and etc etc. When he'd go out, I'd hear the rumble of his bike coming and THEN I'd fall into real sleep. Anyway so far so, relatively good :sunny:

Disco Dan

20th June 2008, 22:59

I was wondering if anybody out there in KB does night shift or has converted from "normal buisness hours" to night shift.

What are you experiences with this?
How did you adjust?
How do you find sleeping during the day?

What are the pros and cons of working when neally everybody else is sleeping or partying?

I interested to hear anything from someone who does nightshift hours.

Thanks in advance!:niceone:

I work shifts, sometimes that means nights.

At the moment I work mainly evenings 3pm starts and 11pm finishes. - doing this means that when it's 9am 'normal' time it feels like 3am to me.

When I do nights, it's usually a follow on from a 3-11 and just carry through till 7am (on two occasions I have even followed on from that till 3pm).

Weekends disappear. But when your days off fall in the middle of the week and you can cruise around all day getting all your jobs done while everyones at work its great!

Social life? Yeah.. right "social life" on a bit of bog roll, wipe your bum with it then flush it.

Weekends roll along and you find yourself working both days. Long weekends make the whole affair worse, but with the bonus of working the public holiday.

I've done shift work like this for the past 7 years - dont plan on changing either. Love it.

It's amazing how much more you can get done when only a small part of your day actually has sunlight...

Number One

20th June 2008, 23:19

Yeah he is lucky to have his weekends and the shift doesn't change. I think that will help. He doesn't have trouble sleeping in the day and he gets to play with all the engineers toys so he's happy I think :lol:

Spuds1234

21st June 2008, 01:37

Having just changed work places (but not jobs) I know exactly what its like to work night shifts and to have to adjust.

Turns out I dont really have a body clock. I just make sure I get up one and a half hours before my shift starts and get atleast 8-9 hours sleep before my shift starts.

If I get that Im sweet at.

The trick seems to be remembering to go to bed at 6:30pm to get to work at 5am

It does kill your social life though unfortunately. Which is a bit of a cunt if your a very extroverted person. I suppose Im lucky that I'm not. For the most part I would rather sit down with a good book.

My flatmates hate it though when I invite people over for drinks at 2am when it feels like 5pm for me (it always feels like 5am for me when I finish work though).

fatzx10r

21st June 2008, 02:31

i work night shift 6 till 6, its good fun when the boss'es are'nt at work, you can jump on there computers and check out kb.i only work 7 nights a fortnight so get plenty of time off to go riding and what ever. would'nt want to go back to working 9 to5, 5 days a week at the moment. 2 day weekends suck

portokiwi

21st June 2008, 06:57

I worked 3nights 3 days 3 off for 18 years till I went overseas. Hated the nights in winter froze my ass off.
That was in the South Island.
Cons.
kills the sleep pattern. (must have affefted my spelling too):innocent:
People just dont know when not to ring you.
Can put stress on your family.
You feel more worn out.
Pros.
If you have kids its great for school activities.
My job was the day between night and day shift was classed as a day off so you realy only got 2 days off.... so your next few days on day shift you were trying to readjust.
i didnt like it but it was work.

I was offered nights or days on this job so I jumped to day shift......:Punk: I cant belive I wasted all those years. this is so much better, even with 12 hour days.... I allmost have a life now.

Sully60

21st June 2008, 09:02

As my lovely wife pointed out I've just finished my first week of 11pm to 7am as my permanent shift.

I'll come back to this on Tuesday morning as that will be the competition of the first full cycle with a weekend and back to working week.

So far it has been interesting, further back in the thread someone commented on jet lag and a closer feeling to that I've never had. I can sleep during the day without problem (I used to sleep on the commuter trains at 7.30 in the morning on the way to work!) and have been getting six hours daily but should be able to get eight with some better organisation and once the novelty of finally having broadband at home wears off:devil2:
So this week I have been feeling a bit weird more than anything but I'm not too worried at this early stage.

I like the timings of this shift so far, though I must say commuting home in the morning traffic seems strange, luckily I've haven't forgotten my lane splitting, oops I mean filtering skills.

So far I really like the shift at work as well, I have much greater input running the line which as a tradesman is great. The day shift staff I was working with felt the same as me which meant learning the idiosyncrasies and operational requirements of line was hard because they'd just do what was required and not necessarily tell me why or how they were doing something. Also with less people around there are less politics (Not exactly Shortland Street at the can factory but everyone has to moan about someone or something) which I like, I don't buy into all that he said, she said shit.

I get home in time to have breakfast with Number One and Sully One which is nice because I used to have to get up and just go at a time when they were just waking. Starting late means that we still have a descent dinner time meal together as a family which I think is important. This is the time when the jet lag feeling has been kicking in after about 8 o'clock I really want to go back to sleep and last week I did on a couple of occasions, waking up after that puts me in a very confused state, ok more so than usual.

I must admit I probably did underestimate the purely physical effects of living with the timing out 180 degrees. This week I've deliberately not done any of my usual extra curricular activities just to give myself a bit of a chance to get used to things. To be honest I haven't been in any state to be near the garage this week so I'm hoping that once things have settled down I'll have the energy to keep that going, after all most of us work to live, not live to work.
Though I took my die grinder and a cylinder head to work and I must say having the endless air capability on equipment of a full workshop and factory has meant the extra curricular activities will take much less time and get better results (look out Fi5hy!:whistle:)

So as I said probably a little early for a full assessment, I imagine there are some cumulative effects of being at the opposite end of the timescale, only time will tell but as they say, so far so good.