Different Sleep Patterns

[Heretic_Cata]

Hi

I know we had a somewhat related thread about sleep recently but this one is not about how many hours we sleep.
Because of a change in my work shift schedules and a few weeks off because of medical reasons, i have to change my sleep pattern. I work 12 hours at night then get 36 hours off. So i have 2 free day-times and 1 free night-time.

I can either sleep every day when the sun's up OR i can sleep during one night then nap if needed during the days.

Googling suggests that both are worse than the normal sleep mode - 8 hours at night; but this was obvious. What i can't find is what you should do if you dont have that choice.

So:

1. Is a sleep schedule during the day better ? It may be during day-time, but at least it's a stable schedule.
2. Is an irregular schedule that includes sleeping at night better ? Without a doubt sleep during the night is better, but the lack of a 24 hour sleep pattern is not.
3. Do i have other options i haven't thought off ???
4. Has anyone here ever been on the 12/36 work times by night ?
5. Do you have a normal sleep pattern ? If not then how are you sleeping ?

P.S. - By "better", i mean better from any and all points of view.

Thank you

 

[Loppan Torkel]

I did work 12 h passes at night for a year on a regular schedule. Although, it was - work, work, free, free, work, work, work, free, free, free.

However you do it, it will never be good imo. I got home at 6:30, slept until 12-13. When I got my days off, I slept through the nights again. It was ok for a while.
Not sure if that helps since your schedule is a bit different.

 

[Perfection]

I'd ask your employer/future coworkers. Obviously they have encountered the same problem.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

I did work 12 h passes at night for a year on a regular schedule. Although, it was - work, work, free, free, work, work, work, free, free, free.

However you do it, it will never be good imo. I got home at 6:30, slept until 12-13. When I got my days off, I slept through the nights again. It was ok for a while.
Not sure if that helps since your schedule is a bit different.

That is sorta close to how i work , or at least close enough for you to have a similar problem to mine.

I'd ask your employer/future coworkers. Obviously they have encountered the same problem.

Not quite, me and a friend of mine are the only 2 people in the firm that have this job, and the only 2 who work in this schedule. We are also the first ever in the firm to work on this schedule because we are awsome and dont need to work for 12 hours 5 nights per week, like our old schedule was.

 

[Gelion]

What are your working hours?

 

[Heretic_Cata]

What are your working hours?

I start work at 9 in the evening, and finish when i am done. On average that takes 12 hours - sometimes 8, sometimes 16, depends on a lot of things.

 

[Gelion]

I start work at 9 in the evening, and finish when i am done. On average that takes 12 hours - sometimes 8, sometimes 16, depends on a lot of things.

I was thinking I could think up some sort of pattern, but if the work is irregular I advise that you divide sleep into two unequal halves:

- come back from work in the early morning - sleep.
- wake up around 12, do whatever you do during the day.
- go to sleep normally, wake up the next day.
- go to sleep around 4 p.m. and wake up before work (8 p.m.?)
- repeat

If not you could divide you sleep and get 5-6 hours and 2-3 hours whenever you have the chance.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

That's close to my second option actually !
It has a problem tho, any sleep schedule that doesnt repeat itself every 24 hours is very hard to get used to. I tried for a while ! I just can't fall asleep sometimes.

Any idea if i could actually get used to it if i keep trying it ? This schedule seems better, but only in theory so far.

 

[Gelion]

Here's what I collected over the years on sleep:

1) If you go to bed before midnight (23:00) you'd have much better sleep. Golden rule is that you sleep better if you don't wake up the same day.
2) If you don't eat after 19:00 (certainly nothing heavy) and have a window open (for fresh air) you'd get better sleep. Showers, quiet exercise (ex. stretching), lack of TV or PC one hour prior to sleep help.
3) Sleep is divided into phases that last 1.5-2 hours. "Deep sleep" lasts from 70-90 min, followed by a phase of "quick sleep" 10 (-15?) mins. Phases are recurring. "Quick sleep" is the best time to wake up. You should make your schedule so that you wake up during the quick sleep, then you will feel rested. Waking up during the "deep sleep" would make you heavy. Every persons stages are different, you should try to time them to see how long your stages are.
4) You should allow yourself 20 minutes to wake up (final stage of sleep), don't rush to run, unless you are in a hurry. Then you'd be much more rested during the day.
5) You can't "save" sleep or "catch up" on sleep. You get what you can during the day.

I hope this helps. Just make sure you divide your sleep to segments so that you never interrupt your "deep sleep". Schedule-wise maybe try this:

9 p.m. - 5 a.m. (9 a.m.) work (8-12 hours)
5 a.m. - 11 a.m. (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) - sleep (6 hours)
11 a.m. - 10.p.m. (3 p.m. - 12.p.m.) - life (11 hours or 9 hours)
10-12p.m. - 6 a.m. - sleep (6-8 hours)
6 a.m. - 2-4 p.m. - life (8-10 hours)
2-4 p.m. - 8 p.m. - sleep (4-6 hours)

I don't know if this will work, but this is my best try.

 

[Glassfan]

I work graveyard shift, that's why most of my posts are during these hours - break time and lunch. I sleep during the daytime, which is not optimal, but not deadly either. I draw the shades, close the door, silence the phone, scram the pets out and employ white noise of some kind (soft music, a fan). Some folks are natural night owls, others ain't.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

Nice Gelion thx. I'll try that aprox for a month or so.

 

[classical_hero]

Sleep is for the weak.