How to Survive the Graveyard Shift (and Make Lots of Money)

Darwins Money — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:24:10 +0000

With the recent reports on air traffic controllers falling asleep on the job and potentially endangering passengers, I thought I'd share my experience from my early days working night shift. Fresh out of college, I landed a role as a manufacturing supervisor. I jumped at the opportunity because the it was my best offer, it was a good company, and in addition to a decent starting salary, I would be getting night-shift pay. After a few months on the job, we switched to a crazy rotating schedule of five days on, five days off, working 12-hour shifts. My shift was 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. Those hours really started to mess with my internal clock, so I devised a few ways to stay sharp at work while maintaining some semblance of a normal personal life. (See also: How to Naturally Reset Your Sleep Cycle in One Night)

There are some pros and cons to working night shift, and it certainly isn't for everyone. But if it's what your situation calls for, here are some tips.

Assess Your Personal Situation

The biggest mistake I used to see people make is working night shift when they couldn't and wouldn't balance their work and home-life needs. I was fresh out of college with no wife, no kids, and not much of a social life, since I had to move to another state. I was laser-focused on work and saw my fiance on weekends only. So during the week, my life pretty much centered around working, sleeping, reading, and exercising. I used to see people struggling quite a bit at work, either falling asleep or making a lot of mistakes on the job. Extreme drowsiness can be just as bad as being under the influence, but employers don't and can't screen employees for alertness.

The problem with some of these people was that night shift clearly wasn't for them. There were moms and dads trying to do too much, people trying to run another business on the side, social butterflies who refused to miss a happy hour, and people that were constantly sick because they weren't taking care of themselves. We had one guy who was in trouble somewhat routinely for sleeping and making mistakes, and I came to find that not only did he work the night shift and take on overtime shifts whenever he had the chance, but he was also working part-time as a roofer during day! What did this guy expect? He simply wasn't sleeping.

Other people, parents especially, just couldn't find the time to sleep because they were coaching teams, helping out their spouses, or whatever. This isn't to say people with kids shouldn't work nights. But before even considering that type of arrangement, you have to do a realistic assessment of how you're going to manage childcare, being an involved parent, and sleeping. We have a friend now in a rotational nursing role that requires working at night on weekends, and the husband basically takes the kids all weekend while mom works and sleeps. It works for them, and mom can function.

While the money might be nicer, if it's going to ruin your life, it's just not worth it.

Sleep Consistently, Even on Off Days

I found this to be helpful, especially when I was working a routine five days on, two days off. By simply switching to sleeping at night on a Saturday night, by the time I had to go back to work at midnight on a Sunday, I wouldn't be able to sleep before work, so it was like sleeping six nights a week instead of seven. Your body gets used to certain cycles where everything from brain function to metabolic function to muscle repair is on a clock and used to a one-day cycle. When you constantly alter that pattern, your body starts to get out of whack. I used to do it occasionally out of necessity, and I'd feel it for days. My body literally ached when I woke up from a slumber, and my cognitive function was impaired. Find a time slot that works, and stick to it!

Get Help With Sleep the Right Way

I used to live next door to a guy who was home during the day too. But instead of sleeping, he tended to mow his lawn incessantly, and he had a barking dog. I'm a very light sleeper, so this presented some serious problems for me. While I gave him a hard time about the dog now and then, it's tough to argue with someone about mowing their lawn during the day. I devised a few ways to ensure I could fall asleep and stay asleep. Various things I tried that did help included the following:

Wearing earplugs to bed
Ensuring my room was completely dark
Having background noise like a portable fan
Falling asleep to classical music
Keeping a notepad near the bad to jot down urgent thoughts to keep my mind from running
Setting the temperature lower
Exercising and showering AFTER sleeping, not before
And most importantly — turning off that phone! Telemarketers and friends used to call constantly while I was sleeping.

These days, another lifesaver is the new generation of noise-canceling headsets out there like the Quiet Comfort series by Bose. I use them to mow my lawn and when I do sleepovers with the kids' Adventure Guides outings, which are prone to snoring dads.

In retrospect, I probably made an extra $10,000 or more per year because of my night shift/weekend swing shifts. I enjoyed the benefits of being able to run errands during the day and avoid rush-hour traffic patterns. I was able to jog during the day when the weather was beautiful, and I was able to stand out at work since so many people were operating like zombies, and I was fresh most days. There are certain benefits to the night shift that many people never contemplate. But my biggest advice is to visualize your day, and only accept a job that requires night shift if you have your personal life squared away first.

Do you have night shift tips and tricks to share?

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This article is from Darwins Money of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Beat Back the Zombies: 4 Ways to Avoid Sleep Deprivation

Chris Birk — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:24:13 +0000

Pulling an all-nighter remains one of the most basic forms of collegiate street cred.

But sleep deprivation is becoming an epidemic with serious implications for all Americans, not just caffeine-fueled undergraduates.

The reality is that 7 in 10 Americans don't get enough sleep, and an astounding 55% get six hours a night or less, according to sleep experts. (See also: 5 Ways to Get Better Sleep...Tonight!)

"This is a very serious health problem," according to Mark Quinn, chairman of the Better Sleep Council, the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association. "Sleep deprivation can have a profound impact on a person's general health as well as his or her mood, energy level, job performance, and overall productivity."

The Better Sleep Council is launching a new public awareness campaign to help curb sleep deprivation. The "Stop Zombieitis" campaign takes a tongue-in-cheek approach, equating sleep-deprived Americans with, well, zombies. Despite the lighthearted tone, the campaign aims to spotlight and tackle the array of debilitating effects of sleep deprivation, from diminished productivity and body pains to impaired driving and unsafe work conditions.

The campaign kicks off this May, which is Better Sleep Month. This month is a great time to get your sleep back on track. If you aren't getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, try using the suggestions below.

Sack the Old Mattress

The older the mattress, the less likely you are to get a good night's sleep. Only 9% of Americans who own 8- to 10-year-old mattresses get seven to eight hours of sleep, according to the ISPA. Of the 53% who get those coveted seven to eight hours, a big chunk — 36 percent — have a mattress that's one to four years old. An Oklahoma State University study showed similar results — study participants reported significant improvements in sleep quality, lower back pain, and comfort when sleeping on a new mattress. A good mattress isn't cheap, but it's one of those key investments that pays for itself in peace of mind.

Build a Routine

The Mayo Clinic recommends that people establish and stick with a sleep pattern. Wake up and go to bed right around the same time every day of the week (yes, that includes weekends). Getting into a solid regimen can help your body's sleep-wake cycle and, over time, tends to make both waking and falling asleep easier.

Cut the Cord

This one is increasingly difficult in the age of Kindles, iPads, and ubiquitous electronic devices. But recent studies suggest that prolonged use of electronic media before bed leads to insufficient or poor-quality sleep. Walk away from the light, not toward it, in the hour or so before it's time for bed.

Get Off the Couch

There's an increasingly clear correlation between exercise and better sleep. But it also depends on when you exercise. An afternoon workout can help you fall asleep faster and sleep sounder, but exercising right before bed can actually do the opposite, according to The National Sleep Foundation. A 2003 study of morning exercise among postmenopausal women showed similar results.

Other than the mattress solution, these steps require little to no financial outlay. Consider creating a "new bed fund" as soon as possible, then keep it rolling once you purchase that sleek new model.

Don't be a zombie. Your body will thank you.

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This article is from Chris Birk of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

sleep hack

How to Survive the Graveyard Shift (and Make Lots of Money)

Assess Your Personal Situation

Sleep Consistently, Even on Off Days

Get Help With Sleep the Right Way

Like this article? Pin it!

Beat Back the Zombies: 4 Ways to Avoid Sleep Deprivation

Sack the Old Mattress

Build a Routine

Cut the Cord

Get Off the Couch

Like this article? Pin it!