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Graveyard shift and health. Is it possible?


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DH just switched(not by choice) to graveyard shift. 12 hours shift. :glare:

 

He has diabetes already and this shift has caused health problems in the past like sleep deprivation and weight gain.

How can I help DH to stay healthy during this time? He is eating in the middle of the night but can't eat regularly because of the type of work he does.

 

He works 3 days on, then 4 days off living on our "normal" schedule. Terrible for you. I am really not happy about this shift mainly because of his health.

 

Any ideas for meals or anything?

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He would be better off staying on his shift schedule, sleeping at the same time every day. Otherwise he lives in perpetual jet lag, which is very unhealthy.

 

This is what my dh did, many moons ago, when he had to work graveyards. He kept to the same eating/sleeping schedule, on both work and non-work days. If he hadn't, there would have been lack of sleep safety related issues (i.e. driving), on top of the health issues.

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Dh has worked the graveyard shift for about a decade now. Because of the work he does, all the positions at his company are variations of an overnight schedule. I do feel like it's not the best for his body, but he's adjusted and is in pretty good shape overall. If one threw a chronic condition in there, I don't know how he would cope or whether it would be possible. And I know his company has a high turnover rate for this reason. However, he and many others have worked there and are fine with it so I think it can depend on the individual.

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I'm right there with ya!! My dh's health concern is his bp. He's been on mid's for about 2 weeks now, and it's already starting to creep up. Our bodies just aren't designed to sleep opposite our "biological clock."

 

I'm not very familiar with diabetes as far as what he can eat, but here are a few things we do ---

 

1) LOTS and LOTS of crockpot meals! Soups, chicken pot pie (lowfat), etc. We eat one meal from it, then I put the leftovers in individual ziploc containers to put in dh's lunch.

 

2) He went from eating 3 meals a day to eating 5! He has cereal or something small right before he heads home. The WORST thing they can do is eat and then go straight to bed. Eating right before he leaves work gives him about 2 hours before he heads to bed by the time he gets home, showers, etc. Then, we eat our family meal when he wakes up before he goes back in to work. That's his one MAIN meal of day -- lots of protein and veggies and "good" carbs (sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, etc). Then I put a main course (one of the left over crockpot meals) to eat for his dinner. The rest of the shift he kind of "grazes" -- peanut butter on celery, cucumber and ranch dressing, yogurt, nuts, fruit. Again, good carbs & lots of protein. Keeps his sugar regulated, and the protein keeps him from snacking on junk food.

 

3) Protein shakes --- milk, protein powder, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and cinnamon. If the sleep deprivation is getting to him, he'll have one of these with his dinner to perk him up :)

 

4) And lastly, I'm sure you've probably already thought of this, but I made "black out" curtains for the bedroom and bathroom. Turn the a/c down a little when he first lays down. It'll help him get into a deep sleep faster, then kick it back up.

 

Hope that helps! I'll definitely be following this thread to see if there's anything else we can do to help him out.

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He would be better off staying on his shift schedule, sleeping at the same time every day. Otherwise he lives in perpetual jet lag, which is very unhealthy.

 

This is what my dh did, many moons ago, when he had to work graveyards. He kept to the same eating/sleeping schedule, on both work and non-work days. If he hadn't, there would have been lack of sleep safety related issues (i.e. driving), on top of the health issues.

 

I'm a natural night owl. I have been since I was a teenager. I agree that he should live his off-days on the same or similar schedule. I naturally do not get up early even on my off days. (Early to me is pre-noon.)

 

I know it is bad to switch back and forth but honestly, I have no clue how this could even work. We have 5 kids and he has volunteer commitments. What would he do all night on his days off? He only works 3 days a week.

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I'm right there with ya!! My dh's health concern is his bp. He's been on mid's for about 2 weeks now, and it's already starting to creep up. Our bodies just aren't designed to sleep opposite our "biological clock."

 

I'm not very familiar with diabetes as far as what he can eat, but here are a few things we do ---

 

1) LOTS and LOTS of crockpot meals! Soups, chicken pot pie (lowfat), etc. We eat one meal from it, then I put the leftovers in individual ziploc containers to put in dh's lunch.

 

2) He went from eating 3 meals a day to eating 5! He has cereal or something small right before he heads home. The WORST thing they can do is eat and then go straight to bed. Eating right before he leaves work gives him about 2 hours before he heads to bed by the time he gets home, showers, etc. Then, we eat our family meal when he wakes up before he goes back in to work. That's his one MAIN meal of day -- lots of protein and veggies and "good" carbs (sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, etc). Then I put a main course (one of the left over crockpot meals) to eat for his dinner. The rest of the shift he kind of "grazes" -- peanut butter on celery, cucumber and ranch dressing, yogurt, nuts, fruit. Again, good carbs & lots of protein. Keeps his sugar regulated, and the protein keeps him from snacking on junk food.

 

3) Protein shakes --- milk, protein powder, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and cinnamon. If the sleep deprivation is getting to him, he'll have one of these with his dinner to perk him up :)

 

4) And lastly, I'm sure you've probably already thought of this, but I made "black out" curtains for the bedroom and bathroom. Turn the a/c down a little when he first lays down. It'll help him get into a deep sleep faster, then kick it back up.

 

Hope that helps! I'll definitely be following this thread to see if there's anything else we can do to help him out.

 

Good ideas, thank you! I am working on making sure he has enough food for his shift. Sometimes he doesn't get a chance to eat the whole shift, or even a break. This, I believe, is one thing that contributed to his diabetes in the first place.

 

I will look into the curtains, too.

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I've been working night shifts (either 8's or 12's depending on the day) for about 2 years now. I've had enough. I've had a lot of success in losing weight since I have decreased my nights. It is really hard to work nights for several days in a row (I was doing 3) and then try to switch back over. It takes two days to start to feel normal again and then you hardly have any time before you have to switch back. I could do nights with no problem if I didn't need to wake up at a reasonable hour ever But, with kids getting up at 8am on my days off it doesn't work for me to be on a schedule of staying up until 6 or 7 am and sleeping until 12-1 every day

 

For meals I would usually take leftovers of whatever or pick up a salad.

 

Eta: Dark curtains and white noise machines are great for when it is light out and there are other people awake in the house when you are trying to sleep!

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My husband works swing shifts. It is hard. He is two weeks day shift, two weeks night shift. Switching is bad, bad, bad. It will be hard to live life always being quiet, always living on a night-shift schedule, but sometimes that is just all you can do.

 

My husband tries to eat a normal schedule. His first meal is Bran Flakes. (Oatmeal if he is really feeling wild and crazy.) :tongue_smilie: Then lunch, then dinner. Sometimes "lunch" is at midnight and "dinner" is at 4:00 am.

 

When we are asleep, my husband reads, watches TV, does Bible study, or surfs the net. He also likes to go to the gym during the late-night time because it is less crowded. He occasionally goes to Wal-Mart (the only place besides the gym that is open 24/7). A few nights ago he cleaned the kitchen that I had left a mess on account of not feeling well.

 

Room darkening curtains or shades are a God-send. We have room darkening blinds sitting behind a bookcase. A darkish paint on the walls is a good idea, also.

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As much as humanly possible keep the night schedule.

I work 3 nights a week and don't get much time to eat so I keep protien bars nuts what ever. Around.

I am lesson planning cooking ahead whatever I can clean house do laundry. Everyone sleeps with a sound machine so it doesn't bug them. I also watch tv catch up on tv shows.

 

I also have a hubby who can't drive and a sick mom who. I help tale care of. On the days I need to take care of them I sleep in as long as I can and nap when I can.

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He would be better off staying on his shift schedule, sleeping at the same time every day. Otherwise he lives in perpetual jet lag, which is very unhealthy.

 

 

This! DD works four nights (12 hr. shifts, sometimes more if a call comes in right before shift change and so some shifts run 14-15 hrs.) per week as a paramedic. She keeps her sleep schedule on her days off. In order to make some time to be with people, she will sometimes sleep 1 -2 hrs. less on those days, but she does not go back to a regular day in between. That is very, very hard on the body. People have been known to have heartattacks, fall asleep at the wheel, serious mood swings, body aches, neurological symptoms, etc.

 

DD takes a whomping huge vitamin D supplement everyday since she sleeps when the sun is shining. This is a HUGE issue for nightworkers and vitamin d deficiency is linked to 125 illnesses/diseases some of which are life threatening. So definitely have your husband on supplements. Carlson Drops (placed on the tongue and with little to no taste - made from butter oil if memory serves) are excellent for this.

 

Pack cashews, walnuts, etc. (unless you have to be a nut free home due to allergies) for him if eating regularly is hard. The nuts have protein and will help his blood sugar levels. DD has smoked almonds in her pockets at all times and honey roasted cashews, too.

 

Faith

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DD takes a whomping huge vitamin D supplement everyday since she sleeps when the sun is shining. This is a HUGE issue for nightworkers and vitamin d deficiency is linked to 125 illnesses/diseases some of which are life threatening. So definitely have your husband on supplements. Carlson Drops (placed on the tongue and with little to no taste - made from butter oil if memory serves) are excellent for this.

 

 

I have NEVER thought of this!! Thanks for the tip :)

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I know it is bad to switch back and forth but honestly, I have no clue how this could even work. We have 5 kids and he has volunteer commitments. What would he do all night on his days off? He only works 3 days a week.

 

Some of the volunteer commitments might have to go.... you can work what he does with the kids around when he is awake & not at work. Work & kids would come before the volunteer stuff in our house. My dh used to leave for work at 10:15pm, get home at 7:45am. Visit, eat "dinner", go to bed at 9am, get up at 4pm. He'd be with us, the kids, whatever until it was time to leave for work again. On his days off (he worked 4, was off 3), he kept the sleep schedule, for the most part, going to be a little earlier, up at 3pm. We tried an opposite sleep schedule, where he stayed up until 2pm, sleeping until 9pm but his body didn't go for it.

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This caused horrible health problems for dh and I both when we worked night shift. Dh is type 1 diabetic. He didn't remember most of that summer and it really messed up his insulin needs. :grouphug: wish I had good advice for you!

 

My husband has major depressive disorder and is on multiple medications. He had to obtain a letter from his psychiatrist to be able to remain on permanent day shift at his job. (They usually rotate shifts. He's unable to cope with that.)

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My dh works a similar schedule (4 10hr shifts from 9pm to 7am). Better than it was, he was working 2 12hr shifts and a 16. Hated it. Dh is also a type II diabetic. He had major trouble getting his blood sugar stable, he's now stable and his last A1C was below 7% for the first time since he was diagnosed. Super proud of him. :) First time his doctor didn't chew him out for not getting his act together. ;)

 

The main thing that helped dh was kick-starting better eating habits when we started the South Beach diet. He started noticing his blood sugar FINALLY getting below the max acceptable levels. His doctor was happy, said it was a good diet but to make sure he adds more carbs in or he can get too low. Dh added in carrots and apples and it's all good now.

 

Dh HAS to eat more than 3 meals or his blood sugar spins out of control. He also has to make sure to get no less than 8 hrs of sleep. His job also doesn't permit him to eat as often as he needs too. He's lucky that he can cook some of his meals at work. He eats a lot of chicken salads (will mix it up by making buffalo chicken and bbq chicken and such), fish and veggies, sandwhiches, etc. He learned to get creative doing SB, he also likes to cook. He makes sure to take things that are easy to eat as he goes like cheese sticks, carrots (especially baby carrots), sliced apples, nuts, crackers, etc.

 

He started taking a vitamin pack he found at Walmart that is for diabetics. He's noticed a difference since then.

 

Dh tried keeping the work sleep schedule during his days off but it didn't work for him. Our neighbors are incredibly noisy and we live on a very very VERY busy street. He ended up having to get a prescription for a sleep aid, he doesn't take it often though, he's scared of getting addicted. He makes a point of getting up at least twice to eat something, he found it helps him sleep better and keeps his blood sugars more stable.

 

I don't remember who recommended it to us, but I HIGHLY recommend your dh having his testosterone levels checked. After we were told to do this, dh had his checked and it is too low. He's on testosterone shots and his energy is much better, he sleeps better, feels better, all the way around is better.

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My husband has major depressive disorder and is on multiple medications. He had to obtain a letter from his psychiatrist to be able to remain on permanent day shift at his job. (They usually rotate shifts. He's unable to cope with that.)

 

I would see this option as a LAST resort, after trying to keep a stable sleep schedule & working with the dietary issues for a long enough time for it to be a real effort. Not having to rotate could cause friction with co-workers who still have to, especially since that will mean someone else won't get their turn at the coveted day shift during rotation. I would imagine that could cause some hostility, especially if it is a permanent thing. Please don't think I lack compassion for the medical needs but if everything else hasn't been tried first, with real effort, I wouldn't do this, as it can create other problems...

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I would see this option as a LAST resort, after trying to keep a stable sleep schedule & working with the dietary issues for a long enough time for it to be a real effort. Not having to rotate could cause friction with co-workers who still have to, especially since that will mean someone else won't get their turn at the coveted day shift during rotation. I would imagine that could cause some hostility, especially if it is a permanent thing. Please don't think I lack compassion for the medical needs but if everything else hasn't been tried first, with real effort, I wouldn't do this, as it can create other problems...

 

We did try everything else first. Believe me. I am a night-shifter and I am no stranger to the coping strategies useful to people who work nights. I'm talking about someone who is very nearly completely incapacitated by his depression, especially in the winter and on night shifts. If I wanted to deal with the government bull**** and 2 years of him being out of work, I could make a strong case for his depression being disabling. As long he is able to and wants to work at least part-time, we'll do that, but he requires some accommodation. Tough s*** to his co-workers who think they actually know anything about him or his mental/emotional health. I don't cry about their handicapped parking tags.

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DD does OK working 3 (12-hr) night shifts in a row as an RN at the hospital. She just always sleeps the ENTIRE time she is off between shifts AND the entire day after that 3rd shift. She then stays up about 5 hours and then sleeps again the entire next night.

 

It really has worked well for our family. She is home every single night for supper. She eats "lunch" at 1am at work. Eats breakfast every day. It's really quite regular.

 

For her, working 3 days means she is off 4 days, and she can even wrangle her schedule so she has a whole week off and it's not even "vacation". We took a trip to Washington DC quite spontaneously in July. :001_smile:

 

I guess I would encourage you to be thankful for his job, and do all I could to make the adjustment smooth for him. Actually, here at home, it's a lot like having a napping toddler again: "Shhh! Remember she's asleep!" :001_smile:

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We did try everything else first. Believe me. I am a night-shifter and I am no stranger to the coping strategies useful to people who work nights. I'm talking about someone who is very nearly completely incapacitated by his depression, especially in the winter and on night shifts. If I wanted to deal with the government bull**** and 2 years of him being out of work, I could make a strong case for his depression being disabling. As long he is able to and wants to work at least part-time, we'll do that, but he requires some accommodation. Tough s*** to his co-workers who think they actually know anything about him or his mental/emotional health. I don't cry about their handicapped parking tags.

 

In no way was I suggesting your dh didn't try other options first. I was suggesting to the OP that other options be tried first. I've seen workplace hostilities occur when someone got first shift all the time, and others had to do extra graveyards. Did not make for good teamwork.

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In no way was I suggesting your dh didn't try other options first. I was suggesting to the OP that other options be tried first. I've seen workplace hostilities occur when someone got first shift all the time, and others had to do extra graveyards. Did not make for good teamwork.

 

Sorry. I hope I wasn't sounding like I was going crazy on you. DH's workplace has seriously had to repaint the parking lot multiple times in the last 15 years to add yet another row of handicapped spaces. These are airplane mechanics. Most of these men are of sound body. It's ridiculous how many of them have obtained handicapped parking tags for non-physical disabilities. (Please don't think I am being derisive of non-physical disabilities. My husband's disability is non-physical, but it doesn't make it any less real. The whole point of handicapped parking and wheelchair shopping carts and scooters is to accommodate people with physical disabilities that make it harder for them to walk from "the back forty". It's not to be exploited by physically healthy individuals who want a space closer to the gate.)

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Its the switching from nights to days and back that is tough on the body. If he can maintain the same schedule all the time (awake nights and sleep days) it would be better for his health.

 

:iagree:When dh rotated, every 4 weeks, it was much harder on his body (and it was a young, 20-something body then) than when he worked graveyards for a solid year. But I liked that we had some fairly normal months in there when he rotated.....

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I work from 2:30p until 1:00a. Eating right has really been a challenge for me, because at 1am, when I'm heading home, I'm STARVING. Typically, I'd hit McD's on the way home (I know, I KNOW!) and then crash into bed just after. Horrible.

 

But, now I have to have a stress test tomorrow and I have GOT to eat better. Fast food then going to bed is awful. So, I started taking a snack of hummus and pretzels to have an hour before I'm of work. Then I'm not famished on the way home and enough time has passed from when I've had the snack and when I go to bed that it's not just sitting on my stomach.

 

I've started taking my dinner to work (in a cute 31 lunch tote! Your dh may not be an enamored by that as I am, though. LOL) and I stopped drinking sodas and just drink either unsweetened iced tea or water with lemon. I take trail mix to nibble on if I get hungry between meals and I take my hummus or cottage cheese and fruit.

 

Working odd hours and trying to eat right is hard. I've been at this job for almost 3 years and I still just got a handle on the eating part. Good luck to your dh!

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This is all very helpful to me. My hubby will be switching jobs in 2 weeks and his shift will change from 5a-3:30p which he has been working for 6 years to 10p-6:30a. The new position is a promotion and will last 5 years. On paper, it actually looks like he will have more sleep and more time with the kids than he does now, but somehow I failed to consider what weekends will do to his schedule and our life. I imagine the first few weeks/months will be pretty ugly while we all adjust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DD does OK working 3 (12-hr) night shifts in a row as an RN at the hospital. She just always sleeps the ENTIRE time she is off between shifts AND the entire day after that 3rd shift. She then stays up about 5 hours and then sleeps again the entire next night.

 

It really has worked well for our family. She is home every single night for supper. She eats "lunch" at 1am at work. Eats breakfast every day. It's really quite regular.

 

For her, working 3 days means she is off 4 days, and she can even wrangle her schedule so she has a whole week off and it's not even "vacation". We took a trip to Washington DC quite spontaneously in July. :001_smile:

 

I guess I would encourage you to be thankful for his job, and do all I could to make the adjustment smooth for him. Actually, here at home, it's a lot like having a napping toddler again: "Shhh! Remember she's asleep!" :001_smile:

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