On behalf of night shift workers, a little rant

[lady raven]

My husband works nights. He gets off work at 7 AM, gets my 8 year old up, and takes him to school at 8. He comes home, goes to bed, and once he falls asleep, at around 9, he sleeps until usually 2, maybe 3. He gets 6 hours of sleep per day on work days if he's lucky. He averages about 5. While he is awake, he is the father of 3 kids, two of whom are one year old twins. So he doesn't have a lot of downtime.

There have been a number of articles published recently stating that one's health begins to suffer at less than 7 hours per night. He hates nights and is trying to find a new job, but until then he's stuck.

That said, Since he started night shift, he has dealt with a number of people's comments implying that he is lazy because he "sleeps all day". our obligatory "nosy neighbor" has noticed the lights on at night and recently commented to my mom that "they are up all night and sleep all day- God knows who's taking care of the kids" (He works from home, so he has lights on in the house) The latest is from my mom. He mentioned being sleepy when she called one afternoon, and her response was "Why would you be sleepy? You sleep all day. Must be nice". This from a woman who goes to bed at 10 PM and gets up at 7 or 8 AM. My husband thinks it must be nice to get 9-10 hours of sleep every night and wishes he were able to do that just ONCE.

When I was 18, I used to waitress night shift at a 24 hour restaurant. I got off at 6 and for some reason my body clock won't let me sleep past noon. Fortunately for me, I have never been a big sleeper, so it didn't really affect me to get 5 hours or less per night. But even my own dad, who often picked me up from work, would comment about how lazy I was because I rolled out of bed around noon most days. Since it has happened to both of us, I think I can safely assume that it's a fairly common thing for night shift workers to deal with.

I had a serious asthma attack a few weeks ago. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and felt wheezy, and it escalated to a major attack. We had to call an ambulance. It was 3:15 AM. Those EMTs who took me to the hospital probably sleep during the day. The nurses, doctor, respiratory therapist... I bet they sleep during the day (I HOPE THEY DO). The cop who was at the ER with the domestic violence victim who was there at the same time I was... You guessed it, probably a daytime sleeper. Sometimes I think that if these people who rag on night workers for being "lazy" had their way, the guy who has a heart attack in the middle of the night would be out of luck because the ER and ambulance would be closed for the night so the workers could sleep at "acceptable" times.

How many of YOU have been treated like some sort of lazy slob because you slept during the day while working nights? How many of you, try as you might, sleep less than daytime workers you know? Most night workers I know sleep LESS than most day workers, yet they are treated like slackers by those same people.

Sorry- Maybe a silly rant, but it burns me up to hear my husband, who is one of the hardest working people I know (and a fantastic husband and father) called lazy just because he has the misfortune of not being able to work at the most convenient time.

Raven

[skygazer]

1. People are just stupid

Most people have never worked nights and the logistics of it don't enter their heads. You know how hard your husband works and the sacrifices he makes. Your kids know. That's really all that matters. :hug:

[hedgehog]

2. When I worked nights, I could have killed some of the people who called me.

Usually it was a telemarketer. I just couldn't being myself to let it go to the answering machine in case it was one of my kids.

[MrScorpio]

3. Your "neighbor" can go fuck herself

Idiots like that piss me off

[hedgehog]

4. BTW - as a night worker, I assume your husband doesn't get much sunlight.

Check his Vitamin D levels with your family doctor!

[lady raven]

32. Thank you for the advice! He does get some daylight, but probably not enough. n/t

[sammythecat]

5. And we wonder how George Bush

got elected TWICE. Common sense is anything but common, and, to a lot of people, anything not utterly ordinary and banal is considered suspicious. Many just can't seem to really get something like the difficulties of shift work unless they experience it themselves.

And the pay differential for shift work is never adequate in my opinion.

[tigereye]

6. no, that never happened when I worked nights

I would have given anyone an earful otherwise. Shift and night turn are really hard and people have to sleep when they can.

I can't see why anyone would misrepresent work that way... not everyone works 9-5.

[DS1]

7. And then there's the nasty looks you get when you're buying beer at 6 am

because you just got off work :eyes:

[no name no slogan]

8. When I did 2nd and 3rd shift, we used to go to a bar that catered to shift workers

They'd have happy hours from 10-12 pm and 6-9 am, just for the 2nd and 3rd shifters. The place was a dump, but the beer was cheap and the management appreciated our patronage.

[DarkTirade]

20. See, that's a problem I never had...

... because the only place open at 6 am when I worked the night shift was Wal-Mart, and they didn't have any beer worth drinking most of the time. :P

They did usually have a few halfway decent bottles of wine though. So I'd go through the line at 5 or 6 am, buying the stuff to make some fancy italian dinner and a bottle of merlot. And since it was wright after I got off work, I was usually covered in dirt and sweat and wearing old torn-up work boot, shorts and a tank top.

[Midlodemocrat]

23. Oh, please. You just woke up and were postponing the hangover.

:eyes:

[DS1]

24. actually, the best part is

I was wearing my military police badge and gear at the same time :D

[Midlodemocrat]

26. Can you email me, not PM your cell?"

If I can't get rid of this trojan related problemo - I will be needing some DS1 help. I had it, I know, but dear God, that farkin' Brenda is thorough. I put in into Outlook.... on the computer..... we all know how that is going. GAH!!!!

[Jamastiene]

9. It sets me off into a rant when someone makes some lame ass comment

that "you sleep all day" and that means you must be "lazy" or "slack" or "sorry." I would like to haul off and smack those people who say that. It's one of my pet peeves.

K&R, btw.

[auntAgonist]

10. I work 2nd shift

and have family members that say the same things. "Must be nice to sleep in eh?"
Well duh, I don't go to be till 3am why would I get up at 7 or 8?


Your husband is working hard to support his family, kudos to him and to your for being a supportive wife and mother to your children. The hell with the neighbours.

I hope you're feeling well after your asthma attack.

:hug:

aA

[Connonym]

11. I've given up on caring...well almost

it still stings when people make comments. My daughter's BF asked her why I'm "always" sleeping. Oh I dunno, because I work 11 pm to 7 am and also work 4 hours during the day? I catch sleep whenever I can. Trust me, it's not "all the time" Fortunately my family is full of 3rd shift workers so they don't give me any shit. As someone else said, people are stupid. I work 3rd shift because I make more money with shift differential plus I'm able to work a part time job during the day. In this economy it's just good to have a job and as for the princesses who don't understand that, well I hope they're always lucky enough to have an "ideal" job.

[trof]

12. I worked 'mids' at the FAA.

Boston Center, back in the 80s.
About every 6 to 8 weeks you drew the midnight shift for a week.
10 p.m. till 6 a.m.
Boy, was that different.
Your whole life shifts 12 hours.

The weirdest part was after work.
When we worked normal shifts, our crew would stop off for a few drinks after work.
We still did after a mid.
Little bar just outside the gate stayed open 24/7.
Old habits die hard, or not at all.
So, at 6 a.m., we'd stop in for a few beers, breakfast, and some chat before making our ways home.

I feel for your husband. Tell the busybodies to piss off.
:-)

[rcrush]

13. I used to have relatives and friends comment to me like that when I worked nights.

It didnt last very long because I dont put up with shit like that from family or friends. If a neighbor decided to make a smart ass comment like that to me or about someone in my family I would be openly hostile to them to the point where they dont speak to me again.

If people think they can get away with talking shit to you then they will. I happily told several family friends/neighbors to kindly go fuck themselves and they didnt know jack shit about me. Another reason I prefer renting an apartment to living in a suburb. For some reason in the suburbs neighbors think they are entitled to be in your business.

[wartrace]

14. Have your hubby drop by the neighbors house to visit with them on his lunch break.

Damn, you guys sleep all night, whats wrong with you people!

[Kali]

29. yes!

:thumbsup: :applause:

[yvr girl]

15. No one ever said that to me

The opposite actually, most people wondered how I could do it. My shift was a bit odd started at 2:30 am and worked till 10:30 am. My second job (part time) I would work from noon until 7 or 8 pm. I generally slept during the evening. On days when I didn't work at my 2nd job, I would nap in the afternoon.

I can't remember the last time I slept more than 4 hours in a row. I start a new position on Monday, and I am so exciting to be joining the daytime crowd.

I'm sorry the people you know are being so crappy to your husband.

[av8rdave]

16. I completely understand

In fact, I'm in a hotel in Denver right now, and have to show up for work at midnight (Mountain time). Of course, that's 1 am my time (since I live in Texas) Then I'll fly to Atlanta, arriving around 6 am eastern time. Following that, a 2 to 2 1/2 hour plane ride back to Texas. Needless to say, I'll be sleeping during the day tomorrow.

Fortunately, I don't get to do this every day like your husband does, and I don't know how he does it. I will be wiped out tomorrow, and it will take a day or two before I get back to normal, whatever that is.

I flew a lot of those all nighters in my earlier years with the airline. My first wife was incredibly unsympathetic (hostile was more like it), and would berate me for being lazy and sleeping during the day. I would often get the "how nice it must be to sleep all day" treatment from the neighbors as well. It is aggravating.

I guess people think that since they aren't up all night, nobody else is either.

Maybe your husband should take a break now and then while working and call up some of his neighbors to socialize!

Here's hoping he finds something a little more body - clock friendly soon!

[crispini]

17. Dude, those people SUCK.

Ignore them. Ye cats.

[elocs]

18. I have worked nights for years and I love working 3rd shift.

That's a big problem now that I am not working. When I finished work I was always tired so that within a couple of hours after work I would just crash and be asleep, not having to anticipate an alarm and waking up naturally. Now when I am up during the day and try to sleep at night my mind is just racing and I cannot get to sleep at all. But nobody ever said anything to me about sleeping during the day.

[DarkTirade]

19. I had to deal with that shit all the time when I worked the night shift.

I worked harder than anyone else I knew. Sweated my ass off every night. I did what needed to be done so that everybody else could have things ready for them in the morning when they were awake.

[Sheltiemama]

21. My father worked nights for years.

He's a retired journalist, and our paper (I work there now) used to be an afternoon paper. He would sleep a few hours before work and a few hours after.

I get home from work at 1 a.m. And there are plenty of people at work and out delivering papers after I leave. I gave our paper carrier a nice, big tip this Christmas because her hours are even worse than mine. It's very irritating that so many people think the world closes up shop at 5 p.m. All I can tell you is that I feel for your husband. I just don't let what other people think bother me.

[petronius]

22. It's not just workers - some of us stay up all night drinking and playing

computer games, and we take a double-ration of shit from busy-bodies, too. Those judgemental asses just chap my hide... :grr:

[JVS]

25. As far as getting more sleep, is it possible for you to take the kid to school so he can sleep more?

I used to work nights and I found that unless I slept right after work, there was no way that I could get enough hours. I could sleep from 12.30pm-8 or 9 without problem, but I could never sleep from 3-11pm and then head off to work. I'd be up at 8 or 9 again

[lady raven]

33. I hate it, but right now I can't.

I can't drive at the moment, but when I can drive again, I will be the one doing it. About 3 more months (medical issue)...

[AwakeAtLast]

27. I live near a former GM town

that once employed close to 60,000 people, 2/3 of them working 2nd or 3rd shifts, so the culture here revolves (or used to) around shift work. I've worked nights before and hated it, but never faced the disdain you have. I'm chalking that up to the fact that this community is used to it. It's too bad the people around you have not compassion for the others who keep their little world a-turnin'.

:hug:

[csziggy]

28. My husband worked nights for several years and I adjusted to his schedule

So we'd both be sleeping during the day. When we'd go to my parents' for weekends, he'd have a problem changing over to night sleeping for two days and my Mom always complained about him being "tired" all the time. She should have understood - she was a RN and I remember her working nights when I was a kid.

It pisses me off but it is useless to try to justify it to most people.

[SeattleGirl]

30. I hear you.

I've pulled some night shifts in my time, and got annoyed as hell when some know-nothing ragged on me for sleeping all day.

My mom worked night shift at the hospital for many, many years. I'm not sure if she got any of that crap, but I know I liked it. Dad worked during the day and was home at night; mom was home during the day. I remember coming home ill from school a few times, and curling up in bed with mom. She could get more sleep, and I always felt better being next to her.

[SarahB]

31. From a night shift RN who's off to bed...

Thank you.

Fortunately, my husband's great, my family is great, My friends are great, and even my ex-husband (who worked nights for 10 years himself) is great. My kids know I'm there for them if they need me, but if I get woken up by the school nurse with a fake sick call (yep, that happened once... ONCE!), they're toast.

If someone doesn't get it, fuck 'em. Seriously. They're morons.