Staying healthy with inconsistent working hours?

a_block_of_wood · March 20, 2015

Hi all,

Would like to learn a few tricks from anyone who is used to work at strange hours. I'm a fairly routine person, I would "auto-pilot" my way from getting out of the bed until I reach my work place. Now I'm in a new work place, and the time is a little bit off.

By contract, I work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Fine. I'm in at 8, I'm out at 5. But some project came up, and I'm required to work at strange hours, sometime 5 hours in the morning, and 3 hours at night.

Someone would say I need to attend a meeting at night from 10pm-1am, and I'll need to do that, but I get to go home at 2pm to make up for the time.

If they tell me I have a 3 hour meeting at night 5 minutes before my normal off-work time, I'll still have to attend the meeting, just that I get compensated on the 2nd day.

My body clock is all messed up now and I can barely open my eyes as I type this. I wonder if there's any experienced people reading this that could share a few tips to stay healthy, other than exercising since I still do those, just not regularly now due to timing (still better than nothing).

RedSphyxis · March 20, 2015

@a_block_of_wood Nothing is better at keeping you healthy other than a healthy diet, exercise, and a good nights rest

But since your work is pretty unpredictable just remember if you need to take a nap. Make it a power nap click here for an article to help you out with how to take naps

Happypap55 · March 20, 2015

I work 12 hour shifts from 1800 to 0600.

I find it helps to have a membership to a 24/7 gym near you if at all possible to keep in shape and avoid the peak hours.

Also sleeping meds and limiting your caffeine intake so you can get 8 hours of rest every night. I usually don't drink any caffeine about 8 hours prior to when I want to sleep and I pop a couple melatonin about 30 minutes before getting off work. By the time it kicks in, I'm usually home and in bed.

a_block_of_wood · March 20, 2015

Thanks for the links and tips. I didn't really know about the 20/90 minutes nap period.

I think on the first day I'm required to work at night I took a nap, but I was woken up halfway by a phone call and that messes me up real bad, it felt like I haven't slept in 48 hours.

I think I'll take that 90 minutes nap before tonight's session. Two nights ago I thought a nice cold shower before work (luckily I got to work from home at night) would keep me awake but I didn't even last an hour before nodding off.

Another night I decided to use coffee, but since I go direct to bed again after work, my sleep quality was poor, even though a cup of coffee can only keep me awake for 2-3 hours since I'm so used to caffeine.