2 or 3 times a month I rotate up to nightshift. It sucks because my nightshifts are NEVER in a row...just one random night thrown in and then I'm back on 12 hour days the next day. It kills me & I am like a zombie for a couple days afterwards. One thing that helps diminish the nightshift hangover (and if you've ever done this kind of flip flopping, it really is like a hangover) is running. Even a short run. But it is the HARDEST THING EVER to get up after a crappy 4 or 5 hours sleep and GET MY BUTT OUT THE DOOR! I know I have to & that I will feel worse if I don't, but it is hard.
I'm always glad I did though, because some of my best speed runs are these days that I negotiate with myself to 'just run hard for 5K'. Today I managed to get progressively faster, which is hard for me. Check this out:
Today, I got out the door & it hurt, but it rocked!!! (And I do
feel better!)
Tomorrow I start 5 12's in a row....so my running streak dies. But I'll be back next week & ready for a long, long shakeout run :-)
Do you rotate shifts?
How do you cope with a disrupted sleep cycle????
Happy Running :-)
7 comments:
Nice run!
I don't rotate shifts, but twice a week I take my son to volleyball practice in St. Louis and don't get home til 11. Well, up til this week. Next week, I'll take him to volleyball once a week and have night classes two additional days. Kind of like shiftwork, but without the pay. I'm not good about getting up early to run when I've been up late, even though I invariably feel much better when I do.
My husband did night shifts while working as a contractor at a nuclear facility during a shutdown (refuel). 12 hour night shifts (45-50 min from home) every night of the week for about a month (save one night for the final game of the world series). It actually was easier than when he worked the same plant's shutdown, but got one day off/week (which was wasted due the "hangover" you describe). He just stayed up the one night he was off and slept as close to his "normal". Great job on using your run to get over the jet lag of the night shift.
Nice run! I don't do shift work but I know the hangover feeling from when I worked at a startup company and pulled several 16-18 shifts and spent the night (2-3 hours of sleep) on a coach at work.
I used to work at a Psych hospital when I was in grad school. Love the flexibility of three days a week but hated three or more in a row!
Throwing a night shift (or a double)in there was always so weird. Definately a hangover feeling. And never quite knowing what to eat!
They were great for reading tho (Counseling texts or for leisure)or getting to the gym when it was not crowded.
I did a night shift for 1 month and I thought i was going to go crazy. Not getting enough sleep. I'm so a morning person. When I least expect to pull out a fast run that is exactly what happens. Congrat on a great run girl
I don't rotate shifts, but my schedule varies a little bit from day to day (typically anywhere between 8am to 6pm). My husband was working a part-time job (today is his LAST day, yay full-time job!) and it was always difficult planning our runs around his schedule since it was NEVER the same every week.
I wished you lived close! We run the exact same pace!!
I could never work the nightshift. I woud fall asleep and get fired.
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