My fellow nightshifters I have a question for you!

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BonnieandClyde29
BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When do y'all sleep and workout?

I am so tired while I am at work, like head bobbing tired! Constantly...

I work 1030pm-630am, try to sleep as soon as i get home and i generally can sleep for 7-8 hours, and i work out not long after I wake up (3pm-430pm) and work out anywhere between 3-6pm...and I feel great but I get to work and I just want to sleep!!! Maybe it's just me, but I am curious!

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  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,678 Member
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    Not technically a night shifter, but an insomniac who ends up doing most of my work at night. I will usually head to the gym around 11:00pm or so and get home around 2:00am. On a good night I will sleep from around 4:00 or 5:00am to 9:00am and then get going again. If you're a scheduled night shifter you actually probably need to prioritize sleep over exercise. I say this because a lack of sleep will significantly impair your body's production of testosterone. This will make recovering from workouts infinitely more difficult over time. There isn't much sense in prioritizing the workout if your body is incapable of recovering properly. Just my two cents.
  • Bluizflame
    Bluizflame Posts: 151 Member
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    I work from 10p - 6a so almost the same shift as you. Generally i go to the gym after i get out of work. I'll be there from say 630-830 or so, unless i'm taking a class. I get to sleep around 11/12 and then wake up between 830p - 9p. But i only live 3 miles from work, so the commute doesn't take long at all.

    The only part that sucks about going to the gym after i work out is that the calories burned goes on the next day. I log from when i wake up to when i go to sleep. But i'm guessing it all works out in the end.
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Thank you! This is "Bonnie" though, lol....and I do try to make sure I get plenty of sleep, and work out after, but by the time I get to work I am so exhausted...
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Yeah I log from when I wake up to when I go to sleep...or on occasion if I get hungry I will log that onto the next day... I tried working out then sleeping, which was good too, but I hate waking up when it's dark out, I feel like my whole day is wasted and I am missing out on sunshine and being a normal productive member of society lol
  • east2west14
    east2west14 Posts: 161 Member
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    Find a way to get adequate sleep (which you can because your schedule doesn't seem too hectic) and wake up an hour early to workout before work.

    ETA: my schedule is very erratic but when I work nights I usually workout after I get back from work and sleep for several hours
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    After a bit of trial and error I found that working out after I get off work is the best for me. I work from 11pm-7am, workout between 8am-11am for 1-2 hrs, sleep from about 3-4pm to 10:30pm. My start and stop time varies depending on what I have planned for that day and how busy it is at the gym or where I go outside on trails for my jogs/walks.

    I like working out in the mornings for various reasons.
    1) I found my gym isn't as busy in the mornings compared to the evenings
    2) When I did try working out in the evenings before going to work, my sleep would be broken up. I found it easier to fall asleep and sleep better overall after a good workout.
    3) I get sick easily if I workout after eating and need to wait 1-2hrs after eating before working out to avoid that. Working out in the mornings helped with my eating schedule. Typcially I have 1st breakfast at work, get off work and go workout followed by 2nd breakfast after working out.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    I work 4 12 hour shifts with appoximately 1 1/2-2 hour commute each way. I end up getting 5-6 hours of sleep during the day between my shifts. Getting up early to workout is simply NOT an option for me, so I stop at the gym on my way home after work.
  • wrk2hrd
    wrk2hrd Posts: 28
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    Understand that during the overnight hours, you may never NOT feel tired. Some people are not meant to be 3rd shifters - me being one of them.

    Working overnights caused me to suffer from Insomnia for 7 years AFTER I stopped working 3rd shift.

    Read-up on circadian rhythm - http://www.acep.org/content.aspx?id=30560
  • kagevf
    kagevf Posts: 509 Member
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    i have an identical work and workout schedule as you.
    but i only sleep apprx 6hrs.
    how long have you been working nights?
    ive been on night shift for 11years so my body is used to it. I sleep good at night on my off days and i sleep better on my work days.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i find that it really all depends. i can't say "going to work out right after work" or "going to sleep and then work out!"

    i usually work 3-4 night shifts in a row, and the only times i have scheduled to work out is the day of my first night shift, and then the day of my last night shift. usually i drive to the pool and swim on my last night shift. cold and invigorating, and full body work out. great way to shake off the cobwebs of night shifts.
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    That's a good point! ....I've had insomnia for about 10 years now, so I am always up late so I've usually always worked 2nd or 3rd shift, but I've worked 3rd shift for a year straight a few years ago, I've only gotten back into working 3rd shift since July 2013. I like it to an extent, but for me it's somewhat a depressing shift, only reason why I stay at it is for the pay because I need it...

    On my nights off I try to sleep like a normal person and be up during the day and go to sleep about 1-3am, but I just think it's getting to me because I always feel tired and hungry at night time or at work...sometimes I think it's because of boredom, so I restrict myself from binging at work

    Understand that during the overnight hours, you may never NOT feel tired. Some people are not meant to be 3rd shifters - me being one of them.

    Working overnights caused me to suffer from Insomnia for 7 years AFTER I stopped working 3rd shift.

    Read-up on circadian rhythm - http://www.acep.org/content.aspx?id=30560
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    I work a permanent 3rd shift as well (22h30-06h30), and threat it as a typical 9-5 routine.

    Get off work, straight to the gym, from 7h-7h30 till about 8h30, home, wife and kids up, then take them to school, mornings, is usually reserved for groceries, appts, and normally running around. After lunch, wind down from the day and relax, bed usually around 2h30-3pm, sleep until 9pm. Weekends I switch back to a "normal" schedule only because of the kids.

    For me, I find a few benefits with this:

    1) Going to the gym at the time is less busy
    2) Grocery shopping, or any shopping is easier early in the morning
    3) No need for time off work for Dr Appt or any type of appt

    For my food log, I log from the time I get up (9pm), until I go to bed the next day (2-3pm).

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