How to Switch from Night Shift to Day Shift and Not Feel like a Zombie 

Excellent work making a decision that's better for you and your family :) I hope the sleep transition to "normal life" isn't too difficult

@@theothershift I hope not too, thank you 😄

Me too

@@shanoofrahman1693 Still the best thing I’ve ever done in my life 😄😄😄

Same here. Having a harder time as I age switching from nights to days as well.

@@brandon152lee it is impossible, and never good long term. I'm at a point where I'm looking for a new career path, and plan to switch in the upcoming year. Regardless of the work and pay, steady dayshift jobs are important to do for your health long term. There will come a point where you just can not do it anymore and will need to change. I don't care what anyone says, it ultimately can't be done long term.

@@joshyjams55ight shift work isn’t even natural. The fact that all these tricks need to be employed like blacking out rooms, ear plugs, light blocking glasses, and STILL having issues, should be proof enough that we were never meant to live a life as a nocturnal person.

I can totally relate!

Thanks for your comment Tanya, it means a lot. If you ever need anything specific answered or want to chat through a night shift problem, please sing out. Emma

Congratulations on your retirement!

Seriously pick up a hobby. My father is also resent retired from shift work also and he is now just drinking and sleeping himself away..

Thanks Philip. Hope you have success trying some new techniques. I'd love to know which ones worked for you!

You’re welcome ghost ayy! Good luck with the transition! Shout out if you need a hand.

You're welcome Jules!

Hi Rs Music! Thanks very much for your kind feedback. If you need any more assistance with transitioning to day shift, feel free to email us via our contact page on the website. Good luck! Enjoy the sunshine.

Hi Thraxxor90! Thanks for your comment and for the feedback. I totally agree it's too long. This is one of the first videos we ever made and were still working out how RU-vid works. Hopefully, you'll agree our newer, shorter videos are hitting the mark.

Hi Teresa. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Magnesium tablets can also help the achy muscles too. I still sware by the SuperGreen Tonik (they have a new berry flavour too - supergreentonik.com/?rfsn=5835055.445e5f) and Swanwick glasses. I'm wearing them as we speak. Compression socks/elevating your legs after work could help too. Good luck. Emma

You're most welcome! Thanks for watching.

Hey Eddy! I totally understand this dilemma. Have you considered going to sleep at around 3am and waking at midday? I know it’s not perfect but you get to have lunch, dinner and enjoy the evening with your family and friends and get 7-9 hours sleep? The other option is to use Melatonin. I am not a huge fan of it personally, but it could be helpful in the two weeks you are on vacation when shifting to day shift? Using blackout glasses, taking regular naps, drinking a ton of water with fruit infused through it or even drinking ginger water would also be things I’d adopt to not become unwell and to sleep better. You’ll probably feel a little out of whack for a few days so remember to be kind to yourself. Good luck. Happy vacation. Cheers, Em

Better to stay on one rotation, how come you went to two weeks swapping? I do the exact same shifts rotsting every two weeks so I know your pain, you always suffer the first dayshift after night blocks after two weeks because your body adjusts and there is no way around it but to hope you sleep the night before your first dayshift.

It really does interfere with the social life. I try to stay in touch with as my people as I can, text messaging, messenger, quick phone calls, ect

Hi Jorko FMI, Thanks for the comment. Rotating shift work can a tough business. This post theothershift.com/night-shift-days-off/ will hopefully help. Feel free to email us at info@theothershift.com and we can work out a plan of attack to help you manage your shift work schedule. Cheers. Em and Dan

I have struggled with this. I cut back my caffeine intake and sometimes drink sleepy time tea. Sleep aids don't work for me, but some of my coworkers swear by Niguil zzz

Hi Rance. That's a big job. Though I haven't done a video on 24-hour shift yet, this blog post we wrote will hopefully give you a few tips - theothershift.com/24-hour-shifts/

Hi. Thanks for your comment. As a nurse working a rotating roster, the transition can sometimes be only one day. I.e, finish on a Saturday morning 0730 and start again on Sunday PM, 1330. This is pretty brutal though. Some people request this on purpose to "get them back to normality" I think it really depends on the type of work and how it's structured. To increase the "switch" time I think a couple of things are essential - sun exposure, limited exposure to blue light when trying to sleep, and eliminating hurdles stopping you from sleeping such as light, temperature, caffeine, alcohol, exercise etc.

Personally, I don't think it's enough. Most adults need 7-9 hours per night, even on night shift to limit the long term health effects I speak about in some other videos. I know this can be almost impossible for some, but it's a good place to aim. Can you have a nap around 3pm? Or not get up so early at 1pm?

Thanks for your comment and watching the video. It's funny you should ask this as I am writing a post as we speak about this topic! A few points I'd start with. 1. Be kind to yourself as your body "unlearns" the night shift habits. This will be hard and won't happen overnight but with time it will get easier. 2. Transition slowly if that suits you. Start going to bed earlier and earlier starting early in the morning then working back. I.e first night go to bed at 5am, then 4am, then 3am... 2. Keep using all your favorite sleeping aids. Blackout blinds, eye masks, white noise, ear plugs, chamomile tea, blue light blocking glasses (we recommend these www.swanwicksleep.com/pages/theothershift?uid=282&oid=3&affid=1532461) 3. I'm looking into gut health foods at the moment and their link to mental health and I think this could really help you transition back. 4. Connection. Enjoy your new "life" with those you love. Go out for dinner, walks, enjoy the sun, laugh. You will be tired but keep smiling. Good luck. Let me know how you go! Emma

Also, thank you for the work you do. Tough, heart breaking/warming job.

Hi Jose. I wish there was a straight forward answer here. As a rotational shift worker, I jumped around from days to nights constantly so my sleeping pattern never really had time to adjust. However, for those who work permanent nights find it easier to adjust to night shift as it becomes the "new normal." Everyone will adjust at different rates based on a number of factors from their sleeping environment, to other stressors. My advice is to find a sleeping routine ASAP, eat healthy foods, find time for some exercise and enjoy some sunshine particularly when adjusting. Good luck.

@@theothershift thank you for the tips.👍🏿

Hi MR. Thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear you are having such a tough time. We recently did a video about night shift and headaches, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mw9zrowAcgs.html I hope it helps.

Taste the suckage...at the mollecular level 😒

who??

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