Security, and I would kill for a couple of hours to myself each day. By the time I get home, I have about half an hour to get to sleep if I want a full 8h down before the next shift. I work 2-3 nights, then get 2-3 off, so it averages out to 7 shifts a fortnight which isn’t so bad.
I recently got away from a 7p-7a, and rationalizations aside, it is so bad. Maybe the day shifters are ok with it, but they don’t have to wildly swing their sleep schedule every couple days just to get some time to do something other than work or sleep.
I’ll take longer shifts with 7 days off per fortnight over normal ones with only weekends off any day. I rarely change my sleep schedule, I just stay nocturnal most of the time. I pop to the shops on my break most shifts to grab a backpack load of groceries, then there’s a 24h one near my apartment if I need anything that can’t wait on nights off. I spend my “mornings” with my girlfriend until she goes to bed around lunchtime, then I have the rest of my time to myself. It works for me, and has been for the last 8 years 🤷♂️
Other departments on a 3 on 4 off rotation had it much better, at least there was some semblance of time off. Also, my area has basically nothing open after dark besides fuel stations, making the problem worse.
Not who you asked but: it’s possible to do night time readiness jobs where you basically sleep (lightly) on premises (not all of those 13h of course) and are there when needed. Usually you’d do that for a week, then have a week off or something like that.
What do you do, out of interest? It sounds like you only get a couple of hours to yourself a day…
Security, and I would kill for a couple of hours to myself each day. By the time I get home, I have about half an hour to get to sleep if I want a full 8h down before the next shift. I work 2-3 nights, then get 2-3 off, so it averages out to 7 shifts a fortnight which isn’t so bad.
I recently got away from a 7p-7a, and rationalizations aside, it is so bad. Maybe the day shifters are ok with it, but they don’t have to wildly swing their sleep schedule every couple days just to get some time to do something other than work or sleep.
I’ll take longer shifts with 7 days off per fortnight over normal ones with only weekends off any day. I rarely change my sleep schedule, I just stay nocturnal most of the time. I pop to the shops on my break most shifts to grab a backpack load of groceries, then there’s a 24h one near my apartment if I need anything that can’t wait on nights off. I spend my “mornings” with my girlfriend until she goes to bed around lunchtime, then I have the rest of my time to myself. It works for me, and has been for the last 8 years 🤷♂️
Other departments on a 3 on 4 off rotation had it much better, at least there was some semblance of time off. Also, my area has basically nothing open after dark besides fuel stations, making the problem worse.
Not who you asked but: it’s possible to do night time readiness jobs where you basically sleep (lightly) on premises (not all of those 13h of course) and are there when needed. Usually you’d do that for a week, then have a week off or something like that.