working 10pm to 5am?

Question

what time is it best to get the proper sleep-- when trying to transtion into the overnight shift? or is there

Answer 1

The best way to get the proper sleep is to follow your natural Circadian rhythms. We evolved in an environment when we went to sleep when it became dark and awoke at the first sign of light. This is hardly doable for most of us these days, but it is believed that our best sleep occurs beforre midnight. When you work this graveyard shift, you greatly upset your Circadian rhythms by throwing off the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland. If you work these hours for an extended period (probably several years?) you can develop various health problems. I've read that, for women, this can increase her odds of developing breast cancer (possibly colon cancer as well). It's best that you do your own research. Here's a link to get you started:
http://tinyurl.com/29xbh9

Answer 2

I worked 11pm to 7am for 18 years and would unwind after work and go to bed around 8 or 8:30 and then sleep till 2. That gave me 6 solid hours of sleep which was fine for me back them. I would often relax on the couch for a while in the evening before work. Take time to find what seems to work the best for you and then stick with that routine. If you find you cannot sleep during the day and are dragging at night after a month or so on this shift then you know this will not work out well for you.

Answer 3

When I worked the graveyard shift, the best sleep I got was right after work in the morning. Came home, went to bed, woke up, hung out, went to work, came home, went to bed, etc.