I Love Night Shift!!!!

[Jr.]

I know I know I'm crazy right?

I am sitting out side watching the sparrows teach their young uns how to fly, listening to the gentle litter patter of the neighbors swamp coolers. The chickens a clucking, the air is dead calm.

I have already weeded and watered the strawberries, weeded and watered the flowers, watered the garden, sprayed the nastiest of weeds camel thorn, sprayed for afids on the peach tree, fed the animals, colleted eggs, and leveled the clearing for the wife a new flower garden, and it is only 10 am.

I love being up before the sun and getting to enjoy all of life's little gifts as well as accomplishing something.

Just felt like sharing. :smile:

[FISH4BUGS]

Jr: You aren't crazy at all.....when I was young I worked third shift in a printing department. "dinner" was often when the sun was coming up. No better time of the day.
Nothing wrong with you at all.

[merlin101]

I also work nights, actually I work half days. 12 on 12 off, I get home just about 4AM. It sucks in the summer cause the kids next door wake me when playing outside. I do like the birds tho.
Some day I'm gonna wire a 1/4 stick to the spark plug of the neighbors lawnmower :)

[Jr.]

I have found that a fan or a window ac unit for white noise keeps just about all sound out.

[scarry scarney]

Yea, I remember working nights all the time when I was in the Military. One day, had taken the son to the BX so he could spend his allowance. In line to pay, another customer asked the son "what does your Daddy do?" He replied:"Nothing, he sleeps all day." Yup, night shift. Got to love it. Come home, crawl into bed, just as the wife is getting up. Warm bed all to yourself.

[TenTea]

I enjoy that time-o-day too, but only because I'm an early riser. haha!

[osteodoc08]

I've always enjoyed working nights. It seems more peaceful at times, Like I can get more accomplished. Then I go home, kids are at school, wife goes out shopping....quiet. I love it. Then I get some rest, enjoy the wife and kids before heading off to work.

I'm on days now, but frequently work 24 hour shifts. Those will take a toll on your body.

[Jr.]

I'm on days now, but frequently work 24 hour shifts. Those will take a toll on your body.
I can imagine! I only work 8 to 12 but we rotate every 4 weeks to a different shift so that really messes with the sleep schedule.

[theperfessor]

When I worked in a factory many years ago I used to love working 3rd shift (11 pm to 7 am). It was the coolest shift to work in an un-airconditioned building and most of the management was gone. When I got off I would go down to a local bar called Hagedorn's and eat two brain sandwiches and drink two fishbowls of draft. Never had trouble sleeping in the mornings and early afternoon after that.

[DCP]

Yea, , another customer asked the son "what does your Daddy do?" He replied:"Nothing, he sleeps all day." Yup, night shift. Got to love it. Come home, crawl into bed, just as the wife is getting up. Warm bed all to yourself.

Isn't this the truth! 17 out of 30 years on night shift

[Gunslinger1911]

I worked rotating shifts a decade ago. 7 days on, 2 or 3 days off, move up a shift. 1st to 2nd to 3rd. Took it's toll, but LOVED 3rd. 9am on a weekday, range EMPTY !!!!

[MaryB]

worked 4-mids for 6 years. Got off work, fired up the grill or smoker when I got home, ate as the sun was coming up, went to bed, repeat. Up at the lake I was a morning riser, get out on the lake fishing at 5AM, no water skiers or jet skies, usually only one out there i the morning mist. Calm usually in the morning and you could hear people waking up from all over the lake.

[dale2242]

I have worked very few night shifts. Never much cared for it.
That being said, I have worked in the timber industry building logging roads. No nights shifts there.
We got up early and sometimes traveled many miles to start work at 6AM.
Being retired, I still get up early and enjoy that time of day most.
The cool mornings of hot summer days are great.....dale

[Pb2au]

Third shift and I never got along. I liked working at night to avoid the heat (as much as you can), but I simply couldn't sleep properly during the day. My circadian rhythm is too strong. Daytime=awake. Night=sleep.
It was nice having the day to do what you like though.
I loved second shift, as I am an early riser by nature.

[rondog]

Never cared that much for it, but I start a new job Sunday for Home Depot, working 9pm-5:30am, so I'd better get used to it. Need to get a blackout shade for the bedroom window, and will have to run the AC all summer instead of having the windows open, otherwise it'll get too stinking hot in the house to sleep.

But, it should be better than being unemployed. Been that for a year and a half now.

[William Yanda]

I'd rather work nights than a split shift!

[GhostHawk]

I've spent many a morning watching the sun come up while I was fishing, normally the only one on the lake.

I learned that if your not on the water by 5:30 chances are your too late.

Bring a camera, some mornings are worth saving for posterity.

I was almost always back at home by 8 Cleaned fish and sitting down to breakfast with the fishing itch scratched and thinking about that one that got away. :)

[MaryB]

I would come in around 10 for breakfast then I usually had a charter that wanted me to take them out and show them how to fish the lake. My junior and senior year of high school I spent the entire summer at the lake living in mom and dads camper and working as a fishing guide. 2 summers made me more than I could have earned working 4 years at a fast food joint.

[41 mag fan]

I hate night shift...but I don't get home till close to 3am. I work a rotating shift..2 weeks of day 2 weeks of nights. Lots of times they work us a Saturday night, just to have to be up at 4am Monday morning.
I will say i usually get more done on nights than on days, but I sleep better when I'm on days.
I myself would much rather go to bed at 8pm and get up at 4am than go to bed at 3am...just me I guess

[snuffy]

"I Love Night Shift!!!!
Me too! 3rd. shift not so much, but good old second shift, you can do business with shops that are closed when you're working days. When occasionally I was forced into a day schedule, I hated every morning. I'm not the "hit the ground running" sort of guy.

Main reason is;I hate alarm clocks!! Or being woke up in any manner other than naturally waking up. One of my fantasies was to take that dammed alarm clock to the range and blast it to smithereens! Problem is, ya still need one for Dr. appts. and other stuff. I always schedule doctors for afternoon appts. IF possible.

In the A.F., I was on the devil shift, 3 days on 7 to 3 days, 24 hours off, then 3 days 3 to 11, then 24 hours off, then 3 days 11 to 7, then 3 days off. You never knew which end was up, always tired. The rest of the base, and especially the bunkhouse was never quiet. Even to the extent of some buttholes playing music mid-day when I was trying to get some sleep. Nearly got in a fight with just such an individual about his refusal to turn off the music. It took a trip to the first shirts office to educate that dumby.

The tip about "white noise" is a good one. I've used that one myself for30 years or more. Even now that I'm retired, the kids around the park yell and scream early in the mornings, especially now that schools out. I still maintain a night schedule, I'm seldom in bed before midnight. I have a small "personal cooling device" (fan) that runs while I'm asleep. Even from brand new, it had bad bearings, it rattles when it runs. I don't actually hear it, but I don't hear cars starting, kids, or heated arguments from the gay couple next door.

[monadnock#5]

Mon thru Fri, there is no shift I'd rather work than third. That's a good thing, for as long as I'm working at my current occupation, I don't foresee an opportunity to move to another. As I say, that's fine, no problem.

Where third shift doesn't work out for me is on the weekends. I'm rarely called upon to work overtime, so I have to do something even worse.....flip my schedule to match that of the "normal" (wife's) world. Over the years she has been really good about managing her expectations of what will and won't get done on those days. I gotta say though, the older I get, it sure doesn't get easier.

[doc1876]

I worked shifts for 25 years, and swore never again. well due to the "economic crunch" had to do it recently, and I am here to tell you it ain't healthy. would get nothing done, and no sleep. ended up shooting myself in the leg due to being stupid and tired. Told my boss "No more nights", and he has held up to this.
when I worked in the factory, my kids knew not to wake dad up when he was on nights, well, my son did it when he was 18yrs old for a phone call that was supposed to be for him. The army calling to recruit him. He went back to bed, and would not get up, so I told the recruiter to be here tomorrow at 4pm, and he would sign up. He is still in the Army (14years later) and will not wake dad for any reason!! A slow learner, but he did finally learn.

[firefly1957]

Working as a guard then in a GM plant i preferred nights also less management there less stress during the day it is easier to go place with less traffic and shopping takes less time . At times there were problems sleeping as i lived in a small town and had some pretty nasty neighbors at times but it was worse when on days and had to wake @ 3:45 am.

[MaryB]

Yeah when I worked 4-mids the neighbors at the time had a lab that barked non stop because they neglected it. Dog was put down by the town cop finally after it attacked him after it got loose. Dog went after me a few times until it figured out I was boss and not putting up with it.

[Dryball]

Most of my career has been on mids and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've got the most beautiful pictures as the sun is rising. Some neighbors never worked a night shift and they can't comprehend (after 12yrs) what it is like. I have a pair that seem to play dueling lawn mowers around 11am. I no longer feel guilty for going on late night rides on the Softtail...did I mention I have Screamin Eagle pipes. ha ha

[facetious]

I have worked nights for 35 years now working printing news papers, I had one year of days in the mid 80's when I was in my 20's. Ever see old movies that showed old news paper guys all ways having a bottle hid some were? Thy don't even come close to the way it was back in the day. Thy used to joke that if the place ever caught fire all you would see is a big blue flame.:-P. And that doesn't even cover all the other stuff that went on:shock:. I kind of miss the the way it was back then. It was more like going to a party every night instead of work. All the people your mom told you to stay away from, I think thy all ended up working in a news paper some where. Now thy want you to show up to work sober and expect you to stay that way all night! I tell you thy have found every way thy can to suck the fun out of every thing you do. The days of having the foreman come over to the bar after work and buying you a shot and a beer if you would come back to work to cover another shift are long gone.

Any more I tell people that working nights is like being retired with some thing to do at night.

Five more years and every night will be like a night off[smilie=w:

[doc1876]

facitious,

don't get me wrong, the best barbeques ever were on nights in the middle of a paper mill with a nice fire and steaks on the grill, potatoes cooking in the inspector's tester oven. And, yes, I do remember several new years parties, but as far as my daily health and wellbeing, I just can't and won't any more.
When I was in the hospital recently, they asked me if there was anything they could get me, and I said "yes, a time machine".
I feel your pain

[Frank46]

Worked rotating shifts for 30 years. felt like I was meeting myself both coming and going. Loved the 11-7 watch as all the idiots were home in bed and not around to bother me. Course there were interesting things going on despite the weather. Had a tanker ram our dock one night. Diver we had said looked like a sub had been there. Think steel is strong?, tanker hit the dock so hard one of the 14"x14" pilings punctured the bow. captain denied it but when showed the picture admitted they did hit our dock. They never spent the $$ they got to fix the dock. Some years later most of it slid into the water. That cost them very big bucks. Frank

[jonp]

I dislike staying up all night. Always have even when a younger man. When I went out with my friends I was always looking at my watch about 10pm wishing I was home in bed. I'm an early riser. 0400-0500 does not bother me a bit. Right now I'm working 2cd shift. It is not so bad working 1500-2300. I have all morning and day off to play with my casting stuff or go for a motorcycle ride but Midnight is about my limit.

[MaryB]

Had that happen at the casino. We were in the middle of a huge install in a new section and I went out for supper with the crew from Vegas that were part of the new machine package. They helped setup and install so we could crank it out faster and get it online. We all took off for supper, had a half dozen beers and went back to work and pulled another 24 hours on top of the 24 we had already put in. That was our only down time in 2 days. I ended up doing 3 days straight because 2 of the crew quit on us... something about slave labor and no time off.


I have worked nights for 35 years now working printing news papers, I had one year of days in the mid 80's when I was in my 20's. Ever see old movies that showed old news paper guys all ways having a bottle hid some were? Thy don't even come close to the way it was back in the day. Thy used to joke that if the place ever caught fire all you would see is a big blue flame.:-P. And that doesn't even cover all the other stuff that went on:shock:. I kind of miss the the way it was back then. It was more like going to a party every night instead of work. All the people your mom told you to stay away from, I think thy all ended up working in a news paper some where. Now thy want you to show up to work sober and expect you to stay that way all night! I tell you thy have found every way thy can to suck the fun out of every thing you do. The days of having the foreman come over to the bar after work and buying you a shot and a beer if you would come back to work to cover another shift are long gone.

Any more I tell people that working nights is like being retired with some thing to do at night.

Five more years and every night will be like a night off[smilie=w:

[facetious]

I think when it comes to working nights I think it comes down to peoples body rhythms or some thing like that. Over the years I have seen a lot of guys that can not work nights. Can not sleep in the day time no mater what thy do and at night thy are like narcoleptic zombies .

I'm just the opposite, I was never much of a morning guy. Till I started at the paper it seamed every job I had meant getting up at 4,5 or 6 in the morning. I would shut off the alarm when it went off and never even know it went off. I started putting it across the room so I would have to get up to turn it off. Started getting up to turn it off and go back to bed and not even remember. Then it got to the point that I would keep waking up to make sure I turned on. Just to turn it off and not remember doing it.

When I first started working nights I hated it and never had any intentions of staying there and then one day after waking up I was just laying there thinking that this is great to get to sleep till you wake up. No bleeping alarm clock to wake up to. I have worked nights for the last 35 years and have loved it. I think I feel better to, most nights I get to bed by 3:00 to 3:30 and get up any were from 11:00 and 1:00. It can be a pain to try and plan things sometimes when every one else wants to do some thing early in the morning but for the most part after all the years things seem to work out to fit your life.

I had to work days for two months a few years a go for training on some new equipment and had to be there at 8:00am and were there till 4:00 by the time I got home and cleaned up all I did was eat and sit and watch TV and go to bed by 10:00. I know that sounds good to a lot off you but after two months I felt like ****. It was like my whole day was wasted. I know the hours worked and hours slept were the same but I felt like I was all ways dragging. Then after the first two weeks thy wanted us in at 5:00am. So now I'm getting up at 3:30 when I should be going to bed. We got off at noon so you still had some time to do stuff but by 8:00 I was beat. This was in the summer and it just seamed wrong to be going to bed and the sun was still up. When I went back to nights I just fell right back in to it and felt better and it seems like there is more time in the day too. Most days I'm doing some thing by 1:00 or 2:00 and do not have to leave till 7:00. That's five to six hours of time to do stuff when you are rested and not after working all day.

I think that if people could work around there own sleep rhythms or what ever you want to call it that there would be a lot less health problems and other thing.

[rondog]

I've never liked working nights, just ain't natural.

[Frank46]

Just might be force of habit. When in the Navy I stood watches in the engine room, pump room, and generator room. Used to be 4 on and 8 off and turn to between watches depending which one you were on. But at that time machinest's mates, boiler tenders and certain other ratings became critical because very few were shipping over for another hitch. So watches became 4 on and 4 off and turn to. Then as things got worse it was 6 on and 6 off and they let you sleep sometimes between watches depending on the work load. Then it went to 6 on and 6off with downtime between watches. So when it came to shift work in the power plant or tank farm was no big deal. Did that for 30 years. Went to work in a LNG plant and the watches were 8 hours long with 16 off. Then the idiot manager decided 12 and 12 was better. Now that stunk big time. Shortly after three years of doing that I packed it in. Best decision I ever made. Frank

[facetious]

I wonder if may be people that gravitate to night work mite not be a different lot. I was going to say less driven but I do not think that is right. If any thing thy may be more driven but more laid back. We have a deal were you get paid for all the time that thy mark you up for, if you get done early you get to go home even if your time is not up. At night every thing is on a dead line and the last thing the foreman's want is to miss there dead lines. So it is kind of like incentive pay. So there not going to give you any more to do then thy have to to get every thing done, thy want to go home just like every one else so thy are not going to give you stuff to do just to impress some one higher up. On days it seems like foreman's spend more time trying to show some one how much thy can get done, but while thy my have time lines for getting things done thy are not on deadlines. So if you get every thing done that thy gave you to do there there to give you some more just to show how there getting thing done. So there isn't much incentive to bust your butt just to make them look good to some one higher up. At night while there my be more push to get things done at the same time it seems more laid back with less micro managing . A lot of the guys have been it the trade a long time, thy don't need to be told how to do there job, foreman give you your paper work for what you need to do and and go a way and things get done and you get to go home thy get to go home and every one is happy;).

Just for fun you can mess with the foreman's at night more the ones on days as thy tend to be lower on the totem pole. That's why there on nights for the most part. One night just for fun I asked one foreman if he ever wondered if the people higher up ever ask the people under them to do stuff just to see how thy deal with it. [smilie=1:. I wish there was a way I could have saved the look on his face after having that seed planted in his head.:bigsmyl2:

[trys357]

Worked 3rd shift for most of my life till I retired two years ago.
Fishing every day after work and enjoying life now.