who else works nights or stupid hours?

nnnnnate

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
WVC, UT
I never was able to handle working graves well. I had to do a mandatory rotation when I was a LEO but as soon as I was able to I stuck to days. I did end up working a lot of OT doing security at the emergency room though. Those shifts were 1630-2130, 2130-0230, or 0230-0730. All the senior guys pulled the good ones and I ended up getting stuck doing 0230-0730 a ton. I'm scary driving when I'm tired though, I've learned what I can handle and have adjusted though.

I did the things that Kevin suggested to get to sleep, blackout curtains and what not. I found a program called f.lux ​that auto dims and adjusts your computer screen depending on the light outside. It has helped a lot with headaches at night, it seems pretty drastic but you get used to the color hue of your screen pretty quick. I put it on my wifes laptop and she didn't notice it was running, she stays up super late studying and was getting headaches too.
 

Rot Box

Diesel and Dust
Supporting Member
Location
Smithfield Utah
I've worked 2-10pm swing shift for over ten years now and I LOVE it. I don't wake up to an alarm which means I can sleep in if I want. Fishing, scheduling dr. appointments, grocery shopping or just being out an about while most of the crowd is working is really nice..

The only major problem I've faced so far was this week when my daughter started first grade :( I'm not going to see her much during the week and that's going to suck.

Some guy's I work with do 7 on and 7 off 12 hour shifts. Imagine taking a week of vacation and having 3 weeks off :eek: I might try for that shift someday..
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
I've worked 2-10pm swing shift for over ten years now and I LOVE it. I don't wake up to an alarm which means I can sleep in if I want. Fishing, scheduling dr. appointments, grocery shopping or just being out an about while most of the crowd is working is really nice..

The only major problem I've faced so far was this week when my daughter started first grade :( I'm not going to see her much during the week and that's going to suck.

Some guy's I work with do 7 on and 7 off 12 hour shifts. Imagine taking a week of vacation and having 3 weeks off :eek: I might try for that shift someday..

I'm about to take four days of vacation and get eleven days off. It won't suck.
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
Wow, I've never done that.

The worst I've ever had was when I was working as a Vac Truck Driver in the oil-field. I hauled water to drill rigs. Sometimes I'd work 20 hours in a day. And then I was also on call. I made a lot of money that summer. But I got tired of it and went into a Roustabout roll. I finished college and went on with life.

I work from home now, and for the most part roll out of bed now at 6.30 and work until 4.30 or 5. Right now I'm swamped and should be working more. But with a new baby, I'm not getting any sleep. Its killing me.
 

audiofreak97

Registered User
Location
Magna
I work two jobs. 4 AM to 1PM on the day's I don't work the 2nd. and till 8 or 9 PM when I do... plus weekends... Had a month and a half long 7 days a week and about cracked.
I don't know how the oil field guys do it working 20+ hours and on call. I can barely handle my days...
 

Rot Box

Diesel and Dust
Supporting Member
Location
Smithfield Utah
The worst I've ever had was when I was working as a Vac Truck Driver in the oil-field. .

I work with an old roughneck. When we first met I asked him what hours he worked. He replied Sunday through Thursday. I thought well, that doesn't sound too bad.. Then he said no literally Sunday through Thursday all day all night sleep in the truck if you get a chance haha :eek::ugh:
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
I once took took a 3 hour nap sitting at a rig site. i told them to wake me up when the pit started to get full so I could start hauling again. About three hours later there was a knock on the window. Dude, pits about 3/4 full. Back on duty until 7 am. I almost died driving home that morning. I don't remember most of the 22 mile drive home in my old toyota truck.

I made a lot of money while I was in college doing it though.

Now I sit at my desk designing oil field facilities. I love it. Hard work pays off.
 

Cody

Random Quote Generator
Supporting Member
Location
Gastown
I took 13 days off in 2011. That's including weekends.

Part of the whole self employment thing for me was that I wanted to feel good as much as possible. I always feel better camping because I go to bed when I'm tired (typically) and get up when I wake up naturally. So now I don't 'have' to be to work until 1030 on the days that I work, and I'm off at 7. I don't have any other humans that work my schedule around, so that works for me. I go to bed when I'm tired (usually between 12-1) wake up when I wake up (usually 8-8:30). No alarm clocks, just my body telling me when it's time to shut down or wake up. I feel good because of it….unless I drink a lot of beer.

Those 7 on, 7 off shifts are pretty sweet. I used to do something similar (it was 8 on 6 off), and for those 2 years I was spending probably 100 days per year in Moab. I can see how you could get into that routine.
 

Troop92

Well-Known Member
Location
Layton, UT
Though I'm limited to 40hrs a week, and have a pretty "set" schedule, I do the work of my two bosses on top of my own, so let's just say I work far more than 40 at a third of their pay. It's swell... As I type. From my work desk. *sigh*
 

brandonlmb

brandonlmb
Location
Farmington
I used to a work a week of days then a weeks of nights 12 hours a day for 5 days. Money was good but after 5 yrs of it I had to quit. It took me about a 1-1/2 to get my sleep schedule back on track and I lost weight with out doing anything different plus I felt better mentally.
 

jeeper

I live my life 1 dumpster at a time
Location
So Jo, Ut
self employed, work my own hours. which means I don't work when I should, and work when I should be sleeping. in bed after midnight, up by 6. I run a snow plow in the winter, which throws everything off on snow days. back to back storms mean 24+ hours in a truck, followed by an hour or so of sleep, and then back to the truck. It takes a day or two of sleeping to recover from that.

My first post was at 6:51 am.. it's now 9:15 pm. Still going. have a couple hours ahead of me. Haven't even been playing today, I've actually been working.
 

broncomitch

dont be a sheep in a jeep
Location
west jordan,UT
Was out on the roof and the thunder and lightning storm is awesome!
Working hard...going to try and get some sleep tonight sense I'm heading straight to MMSP for the u4 race, will be a long fun day.
 

Rot Box

Diesel and Dust
Supporting Member
Location
Smithfield Utah
I was offered a graveyard position within my department yesterday. Agh... I can't make up my mind and I need to give them an answer soon. I work swing shift now and don't see my daughter during the week while she's in school which is the biggest reason I'm considering it. Going to graveyard would also let me work with the more experienced crowd and not the newer low seniority people. I would also gain a weekend crew which means weekends would be optional for me (that would be great). I'm worried about not getting enough sleep obviously and being a zombie. What do you guy's think I should do? Any tips for getting a decent nights--I mean days sleep?
 

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
I sleep afternoon/evenings, which means I don't get to see my boy much during the school week. If you think you can sleep mornings immediately after you get off work, go for it. If you can't do that, I wouldn't switch because it won't gain you any family time with your kids.
 

Skylinerider

Wandering the desert
Location
Ephraim
I sleep afternoon/evenings, which means I don't get to see my boy much during the school week. If you think you can sleep mornings immediately after you get off work, go for it. If you can't do that, I wouldn't switch because it won't gain you any family time with your kids.

This is what I tried to do the year I worked nights. It worked out pretty good, for the most part.
 

cowmilker

SUPER CHEESY
I work 2 full time jobs and go to school. I work one job 5:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Thursday, and the other job 5:30pm to 4:00AM Thursday through Sunday. Then School from 5 to 8pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, (when I get off my day job) and from 8am to 3pm on Friday (before going to my night job). Total time on the "clock" is about 95hrs a week (not including commute times).

Getting to sleep is usually never a problem for me. Sometimes, like on a holiday when I don't have either job or school, I get nightmares about oversleeping and being late to work, and that wakes me up.

I have been doing at least 75 hours a week, for over 2 years. Pepsi, Coke, Pride (and a little humility in hope that if I do all I can do then other things will fall into place) and GREED (hoping that one day it will all pay off) keep me going. I get some satisfaction knowing that all bills are being paid and my wife does not have to work (a woman's place is in the home, right?). I'm making more money than I ever have (2 mediocre paying jobs equal halfway decent pay when added together), although I still don't hit 6 figures like some of you guys.
 
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Coreshot

Resident Thread Killer
Location
SL,UT
I am on call 24/7, on duty for a maximum of 12 hours with a mandatory 10 hours rest in between shifts. I can, and do often, exceed the 12 hour limit, but I cannot perform any safety sensitive duties after 12. If I work 6 consecutive shifts without a 24 hour break mixed in somewhere, I take a federally mandated 48 hours off. This is the only time I can actually do anything outside of resting. Welcome to the railroad.
 
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