Considering quitting...

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daniel7121
daniel7121 Posts: 166 Member
in Chit-Chat
my night shift job! I don't know if I was made for this kind of work. I'm a dispatcher at my local sheriff's office. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the kind of work it entails. But all it takes is one day of staying up too late after my shift and I'm screwed on my sleep for the next 3 days.. I stayed up way too late on Monday to go out of town after my Sunday night shift, and I'm still feeling the effects. I always have things to do during the day so I have to try and get them done in the early morning or late evening. I made a verbal agreement with my supervisor for a year on board, but it's only been 4 months.. However, it's an at-will position so I can quit or be fired at any time for any reason. Anybody been in a similar position? Advice would be appreciated.

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  • chelle_fri
    chelle_fri Posts: 333 Member
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    Suck it up? :wink: Honestly, I'd say you have to figure out if you need this job and if it's worth the deterioration of your health. It seems like you already have the answer but just need some validation. Quit because it's not healthy!
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
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    Anyway you can work days?

    Otherwise don't just quit. First try to get your sleeping schedule under control. Second... look for another job or another opening at the same place before dropping this one. And give your two week notice!! At least that way it wasn't a complete waste of time.

    Don't just quit. I hope you can work it out!
  • rocketass99
    rocketass99 Posts: 537 Member
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    Do you have another job waiting for you? I am sure you are good at your job . we have 4 grown children and their now spouces, I can tell you that a couple of them are having a hard time finding jobs...even the ones with BS and BA degrees. Just Thought.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    my night shift job! I don't know if I was made for this kind of work. I'm a dispatcher at my local sheriff's office. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the kind of work it entails. But all it takes is one day of staying up too late after my shift and I'm screwed on my sleep for the next 3 days.. I stayed up way too late on Monday to go out of town after my Sunday night shift, and I'm still feeling the effects. I always have things to do during the day so I have to try and get them done in the early morning or late evening. I made a verbal agreement with my supervisor for a year on board, but it's only been 4 months.. However, it's an at-will position so I can quit or be fired at any time for any reason. Anybody been in a similar position? Advice would be appreciated.
    I worked 3rd shift for awhile way back when... it was tough to get that sleeping pattern on track and keep it there.

    Melatonin works wonderfully for shift workers, jet lag or simply anyone that's body is low on Melatonin. Our body makes it but only at night, in the dark hours, our bodies can become quite depleted of it which can bring on insomnia, depression, anxiety etc.

    Each night I take a Sundown Super Snooze capsule (over the counter) and it helps me to relax enough to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nothing like the feeling when I'd tried my hand at prescriptions, with that I'd feel really drugged and not awake in the morning.. I wake up well rested and alert and feeling great now that my Melatonin level is getting closer to where it needs to be.

    Just a thought if you're lacking in sleep and it's effecting you in such a way that it may have lowered your bodies natural level.
  • florymonde
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member
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    Given that you like most aspects of your job, I would say you should try really hard to get yourself on a regular schedule. And it might even have to be something where you sleep in two shifts. Maybe you work 10pm to 6am. Then maybe you could sleep from 6:30am to 10:30 am, then have a few hours to run errands, then sleep another 4 hours from 3pm to 7pm. For myself, I need 4 hours straight to get the full sleep cycle happening, and I think that's a pretty common number. But set your schedule, and make sure you do not deviate from it for several weeks, in order to see how well your body can adjust to it.

    Depending on your living arrangements, this could be awkward. If you have kids in school, for instance, their schedule is pretty fixed, so it might be that your job is not compatible with your family's needs.
    Good luck!
  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
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    ahhhh 3rd shifts, I've done them over the years for I'd say about 10 years. You have to have a game plan for sleeping and getting things done. I would always schedule my stuff for my days off so if I was up too late no big deal. I also stayed on my 3rd shift schedule all 7 days. It sucked before there was so many channels to choose from. I always stayed up after work and slept for 5 or 6 hours before my next shift. I wish you luck as you decide.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    I feel like, if you made a verbal commitment, then you should keep your word. 3rd shift can be hard to get used to, I've done it on and off for years. It takes discipline and planning to sleep when and as much as you need and still get stuff done, but some nights it just sucks because you can't avoid giving up sleep for something that needs done. Maybe you can talk to the supervisor you have the agreement with and see how he/she would feel about you moving to another shift, but I would really give it as good a shot as you possibly can first.
  • daniel7121
    daniel7121 Posts: 166 Member
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    Thanks for your input, everyone. I'd like to give some feedback on some suggestions and ideas given so far.

    Asking to be put on the other shift is really out of the question. The department I'm in works on a seniority basis. Since I only started 3-4 months ago, I have to wait until the people "in line" before me basically quit or are terminated before I am eligible to work up to day shift. Kind of sad that we don't rotate but that's what we sign up for. We work 12 hour shifts so it's only a day and night shift, 7-7 respectively.

    A big thing is that most of the time, things are EXTREMELY quiet, further adding to my sleepiness. We can surf the web (no Facebook though) but can't really do things like exercise or move around the building. I am also attending school full time, online for this semester, so that's taken some juggling around. I guess the biggest thing recently is the lack of being able to have freedom to do lots of things for myself personally; hang out with friends, spend time with family, focus on my studies, put work into my online radio station (my newest hobby) and be a semi-normal college kid. I know good jobs are hard to come by now a days and I am grateful for what I have. But, I am only 20 (soon to be 21) and sort of feel like I might be growing up too fast. Anywho, just shedding some more light on the subject. Thanks again to everybody for your input so far, it is greatly appreciated!

    -D
  • pixietoes
    pixietoes Posts: 1,591 Member
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    It's a big deal to take on a commitment like this with the hopes that it will bring a day time shift in time.

    I was your age when I started working thirds, and I loved it, the people I worked with were all fun and the work I did was great. It took me about six months to really get into the sleep habit and in the mean time I just tried to never be late for work and never fall asleep during my coffee break. I loved it, did it for almost three years. I got a great benefits, I made 15% more per hour than folks doing the same job during the day, and I didn't have to deal with some of the stuff day shift people had to put up with, not to mention I had a job that opened the door to the particular department that was never going to hire a beginner for day shift.

    Things I loved? First of all, once I got used to it I could stay up until noon if I wanted to and still have a good evening before going to work. Also, third is WAY better than second, in my books. I learned I could leave work, go home and sleep and wake up just about when my friends got off work in the afternoon/evening. I could still have an active life where as people who worked seconds had a hard time syncing up with the rest of the world. In the summer I would sometimes go sleep at the beach which was lovely. I got to do Christmas shopping while the rest of the world was at work, I'd do an hour or two in the morning and be done in a week! My third shift friends and I knew where we could go hang out after work if we wanted to. We formed a pretty tight knit group the way day shift people never did.

    I hope you find a way to make this work for you, if you don't let me encourage you to be sure you have your next job lined up before you quit this one. :)
  • sicoe17
    sicoe17 Posts: 120 Member
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    I've worked graveyard for 8 years. The trick really is to have a schedule and stick to it. Set yourself a bedtime and follow it. For me it works best to stay awake in the morning and sleep in the afternoon. I work 11pm to 7am and sleep from 1pm to 9pm. If I sleep in the morning and wake upon the afternoon then I'm way too tired by the end of my shift.
  • reginamusicant
    reginamusicant Posts: 12 Member
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    Ultimattly it's up to you. It's really easy to stay in situations we aren't happy with for fear or judgment or letting someone else down... but in this situation you have to put yourself and your health first. Take some time to think about what you CAN do to make this work. Maybe change up your schedule of getting things done, or adjust your sleep schedule a bit.
    If you have tried everything to make it work, and your still exhausted and it's taking a toll on you then just be honest with your boss and let him/her know. I'm sure they realize strange shifts are hard... Just know you gave if all you've got and if it still isn't working then you can walk away knowing you tried everything and NOT have any regrets :)
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
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    Make sure you have another job lined up first then go for it. Be happy.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    I would say don't quit. I had a job similar schedule as yours and it just takes time to get your body used to it. If you like what you are doing then stay.
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
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    Err....with the economy the way it is...be thankful you have a job even if you get sleepy
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?
    Many young people who work dispatch have the ambition to become a LEO at that (or some other) department.

    Working dispatch gives you a chance to do some ride alongs and also is a fantastic way to learn your 10 codes..

    Yes, night shift sucks. I have had my fair share of graveyard but, as you mentioned, seniority.
    It has its perks and, if you decide to quit and find another job, you will be back a tthe bottom of the food chain.

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