Does Anyone Have To Work Nights?

[Reinhold]

I am sitting here at work at 0200 once again, while the rest of the world sleeps. (Everyone, that is, except drunks, criminals, the insane and hypochondriacs.)

I have seen studies which suggest that working rotating shifts has the same effect on life span as smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day (without any of the fun.)

Do any of you tattooed-engineer-reefkeepers have to work nights? What kinds of jobs do you do? Don't say "systems engineer," as none of us have any clue what that sh*t is.

[schrocat]

My name is Schrocat...
and I am a systems\network engineer.

*dodges objects thrown by Reinhold*

I work a standard 40 hours, and whenever anything blows up.
24/7 support of the core network for this office building.
Yeee-Haaaa!
Just me and one other guy (Mikedude the king of plywood), so we get some goofy hours served up regularly.

later,

[Bughead]

As a nurse, I worked 3 years at a hospital and psychiatric/nursing home:eek3: on graveyard shift. I don't smoke, so I ate all night just to stay awake. I gained 15 pounds the first month.

When I work nights, I become obsessed with sleep. I count the hours of sleep I get during the day. I'd worry if I woke up in the middle of the day and couldn't go back to sleep. And I don't care how much sleep I got, I'd still be tired and get sleepy around 4 or 5 in the morning.

I'm an evening person, but not an all nighter. Give me swing shift any time.

[drlowz]

Mr. and Mrs. Drlowz both work nights, she punches in at 10:00 and I like to get to work at about 1:00 or 1:30. She works for Bank one and I work for Estes Express Lines.

[Reinhold]

schrocat: no more thrown objects. I respect anyone who can understand the "cat in the box" deal.

bughead: you sound like me, counting hours of sleep, and it's all poor quality sleep at that. But I generally lose my appetite working nights. I don't know when to eat.

drlowz: I almost think working straight nights would be better than what I'm doing, but the rest of my family is on a day schedule.

[icemark]

When I was just out of college I used to work 7pm to 3am, and I loved it. I was getting off in time to get home and go to sleep while it was dark, and wake up around 11am.

I had the whole day then to hang out at the beach or whatever.

I sure would have trouble doing that now with wife and kids though, (even though part of me says, it still would be great).

[Bojinx]

I work a 12hour night shift from 6PM til 620AM. I work SAT,SUN,MON,(off TUES,WEDS,) work THUR,FRI, (off SAT,SUN,MON,) work TUES,WEDS, off THUR FRI.... then repeat repeat repeat. I also work any overtime available which leads me to put in over 86hours a week.

I love night shift. I'm a night-owl and not a morning person at all. I sleep from four to six hours a day and even though I keep my alarm clock set, it is an odd day when i make it to its 8hour alarm. I have worked this shift steadily for over 6years now. I take melatonin before bedtime as a sleep aid. It is a hormone that your body naturally produces and although it does not make you go to sleep, it eases you into a deep sleep once you do go to sleep.

Oh yeah... I work for a medical supply maufacturer.

[PerryinCA]

I work 2:00 PM-10:00 PM Tues-Fri, and 8-4 on Sat. Aside from Sat. Its a perfect schedule for me. I miss traffic (which would extend commute by about 1-1.5 hours), and am off just when the action is starting up. Never have been a morning person...

-Perry

[Rin]

I’m a chemical engineer in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

When starting or ending campaign (we run our product lines according to the market demand) I have to be available 24/7 to ensure that the process is properly started up or properly cleaned out. During these times my days typically start at 0700 and end around Midnight. The startup and shutdown period lasts about 10 - 20 days. Sometimes, if things are going badly, I shift over to 1500 til 0700. The stress has been so bad that I've seriously considered seeing a therapist (the company will pay for it if I go to a psychiatrist.)

Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.

[orion25]

I work in warehousing and distribution. At my previous job (a grocery company) I worked from 2:00 pm ....... until. Sometimes until was 10:00 am and I still had to be back at 2:00 pm. For about three months before I quit this job was 6 days a week (sun. - fri.) . 100 to 110 hour weeks literally suck the life out of you. I would spend 75% of my DAY off asleep. The food business sucks (you would never eat food from a store we serviced if you knew what happened to it while in our possession!!! )

Needless to say I told them to shove it and took another job with another company. Now I work 4 days a week (about 45 hrs.) and love it.

Ryan

[golfish]

Yep! I work in a coke lab from 9pm to 5:30am....I don't like it but ever since the baby was born I've had to work nights. Now we have another one on the way so it looks like I'm stuck on the 3rd shift until I win the Lotto or die..........................somebody kill me

[Mike Parkis]

The only thing good about watching the sun rise is going to bed right after.

[Firefish]

I did for about 4 months at EMC untill I got so fed up with it I quit!!!!
Best thing I ever did!! Now I'm looking for another computer tech. job...but I'm happier looking for another job then I was working at EMC on the grave yard shift. My family is on a regular shift so I never got to see them. Also, my health went south and ended up with cronic heart burn....Just thinking about not working there again makes me soooo happy, almost as happy as my tang at supper time