Any Tips on Helping My Husband Through Shift Work?

[nukewife55]

My husband has been in the industry for a while, and is currently in an outage working 5am-5pm. This isn't too bad, but his career plan has him on track to be an operator/SRO. While my current job has me working long hours as well, I am concerned with how rolling shifts will affect us and our plans to start a family. (Note: we are a young couple - married less than 2 years - and all of our family is out of state) Any tips for managing shift work both short or long term?

[hamsamich]

on rotating shifts...you either love it or hate it.  make sure you have a quiet room for him with windows blacked out.  white noise helps keep the daytime noise from getting to him, like a fan.  if he finds out he hates rotating shiftwork enough to do something about it, then you do have options.  My buddy moved to planning to get out of rotating shift work.  I found a new job.  But some people like it.  Good luck.  There are a couple of threads about it, search them for other ideas.

[Already Gone]

He needs a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep during the day.  He should go to bed about 10 to 11 hours prior to each shift -- no sleeping right after a night shift.  That will give him enough time to get in a short workout and be at work on time and still be safe to drive home the next morning.  TiVo his favorite TV shows to watch in the morning.  Schedule meals in rotation so that he eats breakfast at home before work (regardless of the time) lunch at work, and dinner after.  The typical content of each of those meals provides the fat, carbs, and protein useful for that part of the day.  It won't do for him to eat waffles and fruit for dinner (in the am), Turkey sandwiches for breakfast and pork chops with pasta for lunch.  That will just fuel him up right before sleep and bog him down in the middle of his shift. 
A balanced diet, exercise, and a regular sleep pattern are all necessary.  So, don't be tempted to ask him to come to the kids' school during the afternoon when he should be sleeping.  It might be day for everyone else, but it has to be night for him without exceptions.
No caffeine starting with the last two hours of each shift. 
20 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine before work is a great way to warm up the engine.
Be disciplined.  It will be tempting to interact with him in lots of ways when he should be asleep.  Take him shopping or to the movies or get him to fix the dishwasher, but not when he should be sleeping.
Also, it may be hard for him to get to sleep in the afternoon when he is used to having you there.  If you can spare the time, take a little nap in the afternoon when he goes to bed.  It will help him sleep, preserve the bond between you, and get you a little rest break too.

[GLW]

He needs a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep during the day.  He should go to bed about 10 to 11 hours prior to each shift -- no sleeping right after a night shift.  That will give him enough time to get in a short workout and be at work on time and still be safe to drive home the next morning.  TiVo his favorite TV shows to watch in the morning.  Schedule meals in rotation so that he eats breakfast at home before work (regardless of the time) lunch at work, and dinner after.  The typical content of each of those meals provides the fat, carbs, and protein useful for that part of the day.  It won't do for him to eat waffles and fruit for dinner (in the am), Turkey sandwiches for breakfast and pork chops with pasta for lunch.  That will just fuel him up right before sleep and bog him down in the middle of his shift. 
A balanced diet, exercise, and a regular sleep pattern are all necessary.  So, don't be tempted to ask him to come to the kids' school during the afternoon when he should be sleeping.  It might be day for everyone else, but it has to be night for him without exceptions.
No caffeine starting with the last two hours of each shift. 
20 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine before work is a great way to warm up the engine.
Be disciplined.  It will be tempting to interact with him in lots of ways when he should be asleep.  Take him shopping or to the movies or get him to fix the dishwasher, but not when he should be sleeping.
Also, it may be hard for him to get to sleep in the afternoon when he is used to having you there.  If you can spare the time, take a little nap in the afternoon when he goes to bed.  It will help him sleep, preserve the bond between you, and get you a little rest break too.

We are talking about a man here right?!?

I mean that one looks like it was lifted right out of PETCO's "You and Your New Puppy" booklet,....





peace ole buddy, and, as always, may God protect that special SFC in your life,....

Go Army, Beat Na Air Force!!!!!!!!!

heheheheheheheheheh,....

[GLW]

My husband has been in the industry for a while, and is currently in an outage working 5am-5pm. This isn't too bad, but his career plan has him on track to be an operator/SRO. While my current job has me working long hours as well, I am concerned with how rolling shifts will affect us and our plans to start a family. (Note: we are a young couple - married less than 2 years - and all of our family is out of state) Any tips for managing shift work both short or long term?

hamasamich said it best:

here's your reading assignment(s);

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,11224.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,5627.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,9264.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,11018.msg60066.html#msg60066

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,16834.msg97508.html#msg97508

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,13626.0.html

that should get you started,...

good luck, when I'm in the field and working shifts it's no big deal, it's even got advantages,...

when I'm home and working shifts it's sucky,...just sucky,...

[Rennhack]

He needs a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep during the day.  He should go to bed about 10 to 11 hours prior to each shift -- no sleeping right after a night shift.  That will give him enough time to get in a short workout and be at work on time and still be safe to drive home the next morning.  TiVo his favorite TV shows to watch in the morning.  Schedule meals in rotation so that he eats breakfast at home before work (regardless of the time) lunch at work, and dinner after.  The typical content of each of those meals provides the fat, carbs, and protein useful for that part of the day.  It won't do for him to eat waffles and fruit for dinner (in the am), Turkey sandwiches for breakfast and pork chops with pasta for lunch.  That will just fuel him up right before sleep and bog him down in the middle of his shift. 
A balanced diet, exercise, and a regular sleep pattern are all necessary.  So, don't be tempted to ask him to come to the kids' school during the afternoon when he should be sleeping.  It might be day for everyone else, but it has to be night for him without exceptions.
No caffeine starting with the last two hours of each shift. 
20 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine before work is a great way to warm up the engine.
Be disciplined.  It will be tempting to interact with him in lots of ways when he should be asleep.  Take him shopping or to the movies or get him to fix the dishwasher, but not when he should be sleeping.
Also, it may be hard for him to get to sleep in the afternoon when he is used to having you there.  If you can spare the time, take a little nap in the afternoon when he goes to bed.  It will help him sleep, preserve the bond between you, and get you a little rest break too.

Already Gone has great advice.  I would disagree on one thing.  Caffeine stays in your system for 10 hours (5 hr half life, so there is still 25% in your system after 10 hours, 13% after 15.), so don't have any for at least 10 hours before its time to go to bed.  Additionally, I prefer a HEPA unit in my room for the white noise.

[Smart People]

And a sleep mask is only $3 at Walmart

[ridgerunner61]

After spending 8+ years on a rotating shift here is what I found.

Before you decide if you love shift or hate shift give yourself some time to "get into the rhythm of shift". There are positives and negatives with shiftwork.

As far as sleeping during the daytime never had any problems. I would come home and after my wife went to work and the kid was at school I would go to sleep and then get up at a set time and start in on yard work or what ever needed done until time to get ready for work. I found that if I could get my yard work etc. done on nights it would free up my days off for fun stuff.

The thing is to make it work for you and your spouse. Remember that they also have to make sacrafices and fill in for you at times.

[hamsamich]

Yeah it took me 2 years to realize I was walking around like a zombie more than half the time even though I was averaging 8 hours of sleep a day.  I hope this doesn't happen to you husband.  Like I said, some people love it, but I wasn't built for it.  I really wanted to like it, the flexibility it gave my life was awesome.

[Bonds 25]

Drugs

Provigil to stay awake and ambien to sleep.....these have made rotating shift work 100 times easier for me.

[ridgerunner61]

take a bottle of tequila tip up for three bubbles... repeat as needed.... will sleep like a baby 

[UncaBuffalo]

take a bottle of tequila tip up for three bubbles... repeat as needed.... will sleep like a baby

It'll make him wake up crying every few hours?  





...or wet himself?!?!?

[ridgerunner61]

crying for more

[storm13]

He needs a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep during the day.  He should go to bed about 10 to 11 hours prior to each shift -- no sleeping right after a night shift. 

??
Maybe your shiftwork is different than mine, and what I think she's asking.  I work 12.5 hour shifts, and I have a 40 minute commute to and from work.  By the time I get home after shift, it's already less than 11 hours before I have to be back, and right at 10 hours before it's time to leave for work.
I have just enough time to get home, feed the animals, go to bed, sleep for 6.5 hours, wake up and shower, grab some coffee, eat a bite, check on the animals, find something to take to work to eat, and head out the door.