Working overnights...

Charmander191
Charmander191 Posts: 31
in Health and Weight Loss
Really not sure where I should be posting this, but here goes. I am currently working overnights, and let me tell you, I was doing really good with my eating habits and now they've gone to hell. Tonight I had a large Dr. Pepper from Mc D's plus 2 cups of Hot Chocolate to stay awake. I usually work 2 nights overnight, but this week and next I am doing 5+ nights. I need help, what else can I drink to help stay awake? I know my body just needs to get used to being up, but when I go back to 2 days a week I'm going to be back on the soda...

Replies

  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    Green tea.
    Coffee.
    Diet soda.

    There's no need for the excess sugar or calories in regular soda and hot chocolate.
  • Charmander191
    Charmander191 Posts: 31
    I really do not like coffee at all, but I might as well try. Green tea is amazing, but it doesn't help to keep me awake.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    coffee coffee coffee, and maybe try to move around more as that will keep you awake! i have trouble sleeping, should be sleeping now!
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    put a little cream and splenda in it. i hate coffee but that helps. and maybe find some that has flavor
  • fmw123
    fmw123 Posts: 16 Member
    Can you not just get sugar free drinks? Or if you really want a hot chocolate can you not take sachets that are lighter to work with you?
  • Charmander191
    Charmander191 Posts: 31
    @ Annabellj I have been trying to move around, I work at a hotel where people are sleeping, so I feel like I shouldnt be moving around all the time XD

    @ fmw Sugar free sounds like a great idea.
  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    Really not sure where I should be posting this, but here goes. I am currently working overnights, and let me tell you, I was doing really good with my eating habits and now they've gone to hell. Tonight I had a large Dr. Pepper from Mc D's plus 2 cups of Hot Chocolate to stay awake. I usually work 2 nights overnight, but this week and next I am doing 5+ nights. I need help, what else can I drink to help stay awake? I know my body just needs to get used to being up, but when I go back to 2 days a week I'm going to be back on the soda...

    Take a lot of coffee with you in a thermoflask and dont take any change so you cant buy any sodas =)
  • rbrducky
    rbrducky Posts: 34 Member
    I'm working overnights as well, and what gets me through the night is diet energy drinks or coffee sweetened with splenda and a little bit of light creamer. I don't know how active your job is at night, but mine is pretty uneventful after I finish my cleaning until the clients wake up (I work in home health) so I just try to keep moving, even if it's just pacing like a weirdo in the living room it helps lol. I've heard 5-hour energy is great too, I've never tried it, but have a lot of friends who swear by it! Hope this helps! :)
  • jillybean0123
    jillybean0123 Posts: 238 Member
    Try Monster Absolute Zero if you need a ton of caffeine or you could drink coffee with skim milk and splenda. I hate coffee but that is what I drink, not to stay awake, as caffeine doesn't really do much for me, but to keep me warm because the ER I work in is way too cold for me.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Coffee and Diet Mountain Dew are my go-to methods of staying awake on my overnights.

    I'd stay away from Hot Chocolate. It has tryptophan(sp?) which makes you sleepy.

    Oh and you might want to look into this group for MFP'ers working overnight shifts:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers
  • Charmander191
    Charmander191 Posts: 31
    I'm working overnights as well, and what gets me through the night is diet energy drinks or coffee sweetened with splenda and a little bit of light creamer. I don't know how active your job is at night, but mine is pretty uneventful after I finish my cleaning until the clients wake up (I work in home health) so I just try to keep moving, even if it's just pacing like a weirdo in the living room it helps lol. I've heard 5-hour energy is great too, I've never tried it, but have a lot of friends who swear by it! Hope this helps! :)

    Mine is really uneventful. I do tons of computer work, and the most "moving" I do is delivering the receipts, putting them under people's doors and starting breakfast. Energy drinks make me sick, so that's a definate no go.
  • WingMan380
    WingMan380 Posts: 2,139 Member
    I also work 2nd and 3rd shifts at a hotel. For me the key is getting enough sleep during the day by establishing a regular sleeping pattern. I try to go to bed the same time every morning adjusting my sleep hours slightly for when I work 2nd shift.

    I am lucky that I have a hugh lobby/atrium and I do my walking/exercise while I am at work after I get my paperwork done. At about 3am which is half way through the shift, I go out and walk the lobby for 30 min and that gets the blood pumping and I am good to go the rest of the night, plus I get to count that in my exercise on here which is a bounus. I am ADD/ADHD and I have a difficult time staying on the treadmill for 30-40 min so I prefer to walk outside, but with the cold weather that kinda puts a damper on that one so getting to walk inside here at work is great for me.
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
    I work overnights and you just have to pack a lot of food for yourself. Also, sugar free energy drinks (without taurine) work.
  • Charmander191
    Charmander191 Posts: 31
    I also work 2nd and 3rd shifts at a hotel. For me the key is getting enough sleep during the day by establishing a regular sleeping pattern. I try to go to bed the same time every morning adjusting my sleep hours slightly for when I work 2nd shift.

    I am lucky that I have a hugh lobby/atrium and I do my walking/exercise while I am at work after I get my paperwork done. At about 3am which is half way through the shift, I go out and walk the lobby for 30 min and that gets the blood pumping and I am good to go the rest of the night, plus I get to count that in my exercise on here which is a bounus. I am ADD/ADHD and I have a difficult time staying on the treadmill for 30-40 min so I prefer to walk outside, but with the cold weather that kinda puts a damper on that one so getting to walk inside here at work is great for me.

    We are def not allowed to walk on the treadmill or I would. I get my paperwork done within 1 - 2 hours of getting into work, and then sit around looking for things to do for the rest of my shift.
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    I've worked overnights for 3.5 years now. Get yourself into a good sleeping pattern then just drink water. I personally have a bad crash after drinking anything with caffeine.

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