Re: Who works the night shift?
I've been working mostly night shift for almost 10 years. I must say I love it. I have never beena morning person, now I have an excuse. Part of it is my job, the excitement is at night and I relate to the poeple out at night better. It goes beyond that for me. I just like the night. I work 6P.M. until 6A.M. before this I worked 8P.M. to 4 A.M. Now I have the option of taking calls for 4 hours of my shift, so I am usually home by 3 or 4 in the morning. <br />My kids are 18months, 3 and 4. It works great for me. The days my wife is home, she works substitute work, I get up around 11a.m. and spend the day with my kids until 6 or 7 when I go to work. The little ones go to bed at 7, the oldest at 7:30. I usually take one hour on call until I get them off to bed. This way I only miss about 3 hours of their day.<br />Every 3rd week I work day shift. I hate this shift because I go to work early just after the kids get up. I get home at 6, by time I get supper get the kids bath and get them off to bed by 7, I miss so much of their day. <br />My job is a little different though, I don't have a comute to work. I just walk out and get in my car and I am at my office. <br />I agree with the above too about being tired and sick all of the time. I see people in my office trying to start night shift. They still have this feeling they need to be up and going during the day, so they don't sleep well. Society has told us all our lives we need to get up in the mornings and work all day. This interupts sleep more than a person would imagine. It is hard to sleep days too, with people moving around and everything. I am a very heavy sleeper so it doesn't bother. I also have a basement room so it is quiet and dark. It is hard for friends and famiy to understand the night shift workers. Not only do you sleep during the days, after a while you will never sleep nights again. If you do this, don't even try sleeping nights with the family on days off. Most night shift workers burn out when they try to go to bed with the rest of the world on their weekends off. About the last day off they get their body switched around to day shift, just in time to go back to nights. Those late nights are great for working on the boat and other shop projects because I don't feel guilty about not spending time with the family. <br />Days I take my oldest to pre-school work great too. I either stay up and have breakfast with her, or I get up early and eat with her then walk her to school. Then I go home and sleep until time for her to get out of school. <br />It is hard if all of your friends work days, they want to go out and do things at night. <br />Talk to your wife a lot before accepting the job. It will wear on her never going to bed together. Make sure if you do it to make time to talk with her. I was surprised how many nights we sat up talking before falling asleep. I do miss that.<br />There are benefits though. I can go shopping with the family any day I want to, I can go to menards during the day without taking time off any time I want to. I can go fishing and boating any day during the afternoon, I can miss a little seep so my wife can work without paying day care, I have never missed a doctor appointment for my kids all their life without taking a day off. <br />Talk it over with your family. If you do remember you will have to keep the night schedule every day, even days off or else you will burn out fast. I have the choice what shift I want to work since I make the schedule. I am used to nights, and like nights better but it is not for everyone.
