Working 6pm-6am and when to eat

tessex

I just started working 6pm to 6am. I am sleepy and hungry all night long when I am working. I work two days and two to three off. I don't know what time or what to eat.

HellYeahItsKriss

Eat whenever you want.

Time makes no difference.
Eat what you would eat if you worked 6am to 6pm.

mahall66

When I worked overnight, I could not eat on that schedule. I ate in the morning before I slept, when I woke up in the afternoon (around 2) and before my shift started. I brought a small snack to eat on my overnight break. I would watch my coworkers eat a hamburger and onion rings at 2am (from the hospital cafeteria). It's hard to adjust.

Arizona_C

For a year now, I've worked night shifts three nights a week. Getting meals right took quite some time and being just as challenging as getting used to change between day and night sleeping.

What works best for me is a light dinner at work, around 9pm, then a night snack at 2am. Rice cakes, cottage cheese, dried fruits. When I arrive at home, I have breakfast around 8am before going to sleep.

I sleep at noon so I skip lunch, instead I have afternoon tea when I wake up. Oat meal, soy milk, a banana.

When my night shifts are over, I sleep a 10 hours stretch, then catch up with my family. Its dinnertime and the day has passed, but Im back in the rythm again

venus_en_pisces

Eat when you're hungry, don't when you are not. Snack when you want, just don't forget to log them. I worked 7p-7a. Now 4p-2:30a. I also do intermittent fasting, no problems.

Lounmoun

tessex wrote: »

I just started working 6pm to 6am. I am sleepy and hungry all night long when I am working. I work two days and two to three off. I don't know what time or what to eat.

When are your wake and sleep times? How did you space meals before this? Are you getting enough sleep?
Split your calories up however works best for you.

I do best when I eat something every 3-5 hours no matter what time I start.

RodaRose

Absolutely prioritize your sleep. Make sure that you get enough restful sleep during the day.
(Do not use the day to do non-essential chores when you should be sleeping.)

MNLannon

When I started, I just brought a lot of snacks with me to work. Once my body had adjusted to eating at night and I was becoming hungry during my shift, that is when I starting packing a meal.