Night Shift?

[michiemama]

Does anyone work night shifts?

I work 2 nights a week - every other weekend and two weeknights. Shift starts at 11 pm and ends 7:30 am.

On the day I work, I usually wake to take son to school at 7 am, then on the go until work that night. Basically, I'm awake for more than 24 hours.

Any tips on meal timing? I'm thinking of combining two day's worth of food since the day I come home, I essentially sleep til the following shift, meaning I lose an entire day of eating.

HELP!!

[Jem_HA]

Hi MM,

You've probably mentioned it in your diary but how did you go planning meals around your shift work?

[michiemama]

Heya Jem! I just add a meal for every 5-7 hours I am awake. So for example, I will work tomorrow night starting 11 pm. Schedule as follows:

7am - wake up
by 10am - meal 1
3-5pm - meal 2
8-10pm - meal 3
start work at 11pm
(start my meal allowance for the next day during this same shift)
1am-3am - meal 1 or 2 (I usually choose meal 2 to save the lighter meal 1 for morning before I sleep as I usually can't wait the 2 hours before sleeping)
get off work at 730 am
by 830am - meal 1 or 2 (usually meal 1, whichever I didnt eat during the night)
sleep
wake up for work
by 10pm - meal 3 (last of that days allowance, but if I wake up too early, I add an extra meal)
(start the next days meals allowance in the same shift, since I would be sleeping the usual times I should be having the meals)
2am-4am - meal 1 or 2 (usually 2)
by 830am - meal 1 or 2 (usually meal 1)
sleep
by 7:30 pm - meal 3

IF i wake up at 1:30pm to pick up the kid, I eat another meal 2 (added extra meal) around 2pm. If I am able to sleep til 6pm, I just continue on to meal 3.

My schedule is very fluid depending on the day. Some days I work, some days I can afford to sleep more. Some days I can't - the days I have to pick up the Kid from school. So my diet is fluid along with my schedule... Sounds super confusing. Hope this helps.

[CuriousVillage]

Originally Posted by Jem_HA

Hi MM,

You've probably mentioned it in your diary but how did you go planning meals around your shift work?

i also have the same ques as his

[Kristine..]

In my new job, I work rotating rosters

The easiest way to plan for this is to take each calendar day as a separate day

For the 7am - 3pm day, Everything happens within the same Day: I have Meal 1 x 6am, Meal 2 x 11am, and Meal 3 about 6pm, with the fruit / crispbread snacks spaced between and after the Meals.

For the 9am - 5pm day, the pattern is much the same

For the 3pm - 11pm day, everything is a bit later, but Meal three is eaten at work during the Crib Break about 8:30pm

For the 11pm - 7am shift, there are also changes to sleep, so this is how I manage it:

Shift Commencing Day: Sleep later if possible.
Meal 1 about 9am,
Meal 2 about 3pm, Sleep Break of about 90 mins somewhere between 5pm - 8pm, get up / shower / get ready for work
Meal 3 about 9:30pm

Shift Finishing Day:
Tea Break (at work) about 1:30am - Fruit & Crispbread
Crib Break (at work) about 4:00am - Hot Meal 2 (usually soup) & Crispbread
Home about 7:30am, Bed about 8:00am, sleep until about Noon (later if possible)
Meal 1 about 2:00pm (the usual yoghurt, Ryvita & Kiwi)
Sleep Break (90 mins) somewhere between 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Meal 3 about 9:30pm.

Write the meals on your Daily Meal Planner as usual
Eat three meals plus three snacks each day
It doesn't matter what order you eat the Meals in, so I take Meal 2 (soup) and eat it during the Meal Break at work
I have Meal 1 and Meal 3 at home.

I continued to lose weight during the Evening Shift and Night Shift rosters, and made sure I got at least 5 hours sleep each 24 hours, with a 90 minute sleep in the late afternoon / early evening.

Seriously, if you don't have at least the minimum amount of sleep you are not safe to drive and not safe to operate machinery. During daylight saving I had to wait until sunset for my afternoon sleep because of neighbours still outside in their yards during daylight, but during these winter months it has been easier. My household has also adapted and are more respectful of my need to sleep when rostered for these shifts.

Hope this helps

Lotsa love
Kristine

[Andy46]

That's a good plan and if it works for you that's good ....so long as it's working. I found the night shift was the worst and when temptation catches up with you but if tempted ....get as physical as you can and don't let your self-get bored!
Do anything .....something ...take a break and pick up your pace when you can as well ...