Staying Up Late

[Nestito]

I can't quite remember how I got here as it developed casually over time. I usually get 8-9 hours of a sleep everyday, but having it take place from 6AM-1/2PM has become the new norm. I work closing shifts at my job and then find myself being mentally stimulated heavily from there on out. I research, read, get creative (make music) during these late hours until I can no longer maintain alertness and just drift off.

If stress hormones tend to be at their highest during these hours have I developed a bad habit that is costing me?

 

[Tenacity]

Peat writes that sleep is protective against the rise in stress hormones at night, and many publications have indicated that shift workers are more susceptible to degenerative illness. So yeah, it's possible.

 

[opethfeldt]

I'm on a third shift sleep schedule now and I haven't noticed any negative effects on my health, yet. There was an adaptation period where I had digestive issues but that's about all I've noticed in terms of negative effects. I would try and keep your sleeping environment as dark as possible and also try to avoid sun for a few hours before bed, if possible. I'm sure this sleep schedule isn't optimal by any means, but I think it's possible to maintain good health even on a weird sleep schedule, provided you are eating a good diet and keeping stress hormones down with the supplements and techniques we discuss here.

 

[X3CyO]

Do you think falling asleep later is an adaptation to stress via light access at night? Technically you deal with less dark hours this way.

Wonder if a red nightlight would mimic this effect. Kind of like how we’ve evolutionarily slept in front of campfires and fireplaces. Co2.. redlight.

Speculation.

 

[biggirlkisss]

ya going to bed 10pm make a big difference in health you can tell. 9 maybe even if it winter time. Work slowly to get your hours back. Avoid working grave yard stuff at all costs. even the cdc considers night shifts carcinogenic.

https://chekinstitute.com/blog/you-just-cant-cheat-nature-circadian-rhythms-and-your-hormones/

 

[Blossom]

From personal experience working night shifts it seems like there is a small minority of people who are wired for it so to speak. You could possibly be one of those people. I'm not myself but I've met several lifers who have done it for decades and they seem to thrive on a night shift schedule. The one thing they all have in common is that they keep to a night shift schedule even when they're off work. I noticed for myself a tendency to always revert back to days when off for several nights in a row. It seems like in good health we can pull off a night shift schedule even if it's not optimal - like our bodies have the ability to be flexible and tolerate it ok. I handled it better during my recent year long night shift stretch than I did when I worked the same 12 hour overnight shift 20 years ago when I was ill.
To me without any scientific backing and only personal observation to go on I'd say the majority of people do best and have better health keeping to a day schedule while appreciating that there are a few exceptions and humans can be quite adaptable!

 

[Blossom]

Not disagreeing with @biggirlkisss! That's a great link.

I'm grateful that there are people that prefer or are will to work nights though because if you need a firefighter, police officer or an EMS person in the middle of the night it's nice to have available.

 

[biggirlkisss]

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/38933/cdc_38933_DS1.pdf

if you can argue the extra money you need towards red light and food then ok. But I can tell you going to bed at 10pm instead of 2am make a noticeable difference and many would agree based on real life experience. But if it a trade off that worth while so be it.

 

[Blossom]

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/38933/cdc_38933_DS1.pdf

if you can argue the extra money you need towards red light and food then ok. But I can tell you going to bed at 10pm instead of 2am make a noticeable difference and many would agree based on real life experience. But if it a trade off that worth while so be it.

I definitely had worse sleep quality. I don't think the pay difference is enough to compensate for the sacrifice of staying up all night but that's just me. Working nights was just something I had to do for my family at the time. I know people in their mid 60's though who have done it for decades and prefer it so there must be a few exceptions.

 

[biggirlkisss]

i use to stay up till 5am and had no idea what I was doing to my body. They told me I was a night person. That the assumption society makes. And prehaps higher stress horomes or damaged sleep wake cycles lead to this.

 

[Blossom]

i use to stay up till 5am and had no idea what I was doing to my body. They told me I was a night person. That the assumption society makes. And prehaps higher stress horomes or damaged sleep wake cycles lead to this.

I'm glad you figured out they were wrong and found the correct sleep schedule for your health! I didn't like going to bed at 9 am myself and find it amazing that some people voluntarily do that for their whole working lifetime.

 

[biggirlkisss]

you get use to it. I think 10pm would be ok it depends when the sun go down on the season but I don't agree with others say 11:30 in summer time.

 

[raypeatclips]

I asked Peat about a 2am-10am sleeping schedule once and he said having a lot of light during waking hours was most important. That's a bit different from being awake all night and sleeping during the day though.

 

[Blossom]

It's a shame so many businesses are moving towards 24/7 hours. I think lots of people are operating on stress to keep themselves awake at unnatural times. I can see where it's unavoidable in certain fields but in many businesses it seems like pure greed with no consideration for the health consequences on the workers.

 

[Blossom]

I asked Peat about a 2am-10am sleeping schedule once and he said having a lot of light during waking hours was most important. That's a bit different from being awake all night and sleeping during the day though.

The lights were turned off at 9 pm at work so the patients could sleep so you were basically working in the dark minus blue light from monitors and computers. The coworkers I had that preferred night shift said they were always able to sleep 8 hours after work. I usually only managed 4-5.

 

[biggirlkisss]

@Blossom what it like being a nurse is it demanding?

 

[Blossom]

@Blossom what it like being a nurse is it demanding?

Oh, I'm not a nurse but yes from working with them it seems demanding. I think there are some roles that can be less stressful than others. I became a respiratory therapist because I felt ethically I could handle being involved with emergency interventions more than the chronic pill pushing and such. I still don't personally agree with much of what goes on though...Thanks for asking @biggirlkisss.

 

[biggirlkisss]

my mom wanted me to be a nurse but then i have to answer to the board and their strict guidelines. We all have to do things we don't like to make a living to some regard at times. The guidelines can be argued at times depending on them to be more about liability then what best. It's the way of the world. The board even looks at ratemymd and judges doctors based on that. Even worse for lawyers disbarred based on bad reviews.

 

[Blossom]

my mom wanted me to be a nurse but then i have to answer to the board and their strict guidelines. We all have to do things we don't like to make a living to some regard at times. The guidelines can be argued at times depending on them to be more about liability then what best. It's the way of the world. The board even looks at ratemymd and judges doctors based on that. Even worse for lawyers disbarred based on bad reviews.

If you want to be a nurse I think you should shadow several people in different areas. I wouldn't let the board scare you. My cousin was scared too because he had a history of using psychiatric meds and now he's a nurse practitioner.
You can do anything you put your mind to just do something you want to do rather than what someone else wants! You can pm me anytime @biggirlkisss.
Sorry @Nestito for getting slightly off topic!

 

[encerent]

thanks for the reminder. Sleeping early is crucial