Can't sleep! My police department rotates from shift to shift every 3 months?

Question

What can I do to sleep longer than 5 hours and not feel
"hung over"?

Answer 1

Tell your police Dept. to show some good leadership and use their people when those people function at their best, you know when you function at a 100% and so do other cops. build your strong department around it's strengths, not some roster or policy.

Answer 2

That depends on the police department. Different departments have different schedules. For example, some shifts start at different times. A day shift might start at 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. or another time. Some officers work 8 hour shifts, some work 10, and some work 12. Some officers have steady shifts, and some rotate shifts. Some have steady days off, and some don't. Some are scheduled to work 5 days and then to be off 2 days, some are scheduled to work 4 days and then to be off 3 days, etc. Some officers in some departments are part-time, and might only work 1 shift a week or less.

Answer 3

I don't know your personal routine...I can speak on behalf of many officers. After sleep, the next overlooked items are diet and excercise. As I said I don't know if you eat proper or work out regularly. If you don't try it for several weeks. You will notice a change in your body. Not visually but internally. I don't have to change shifts. I am fortianate enough to work midnights year round. I am used to my schedual. However, I do have days when I work late or am forced to call for court. If I get up and have a good workout I am energized. I also eat every three hours. Your body is like a fire. Throw small kindling on the fire and it burns hotter. Thus giving you more energy though the day. Also, stay hydrated. Having plenty of water in your body will keep you alert. Although, nothing is worse than standing at a call and having to go to the bathroom! I've had to stop on the way to fight calls just to make sure I would be OK when I got on scene....

Answer 4

The department where I worked did that when I first went there in the mid 70s but the officers went to the FOP and they were able to negotiate with the city and change all that (not long after I went there).

They actually had A, B, C and D companies with D being the Midwatch shift. It not only caused problems for the officers but think of the paperwork the payroll department and time keepers have to deal with all the time ~ talk about a headache !! Been there, done that and it is a bear to deal with that and all the changes when pay increases come around.

Contact your FOP rep and talk with them and be sure and get other officers to back you on this so you can all work towards a better work environment. Might be a good time to get a petition going so you can go in with alot of signatures to try and get this changed.

If you need further information, email me and I'll give you info on someone to talk with back home.

Answer 5

Shift rotation sucks. I have no idea why departments do it. No one seems like it and it's probably not healthy. We do shift bids every six months. Better for your sleep schedule and people like the chance to stay on a shift.

Annnyways. Best advice to try and adjust slowly. Make your room as dark as possible to simulate night time. Try a sleep aid for a few days each time you change shifts to ensure you get your 8 hours of sleep in (more or less depending on your body's need). Also, try to sleep at the same time each shift.

Answer 6

I know how you feel we do the rotating shifts and it can be hard especially in the summer months when the days are longer, and brighter, and warmer. I thought about getting a prescription as many others I know have done but decided against it.

I have tried several things that have helped some.

1) Lay off the caffeine (coffee, soda) and sugary food way before end of shift. We work 12hr shifts so for the first 4 I have my soda and junk snacks and limit anything after that to water and something very light (on nights). On days I try to lay of caffeine by mid afternoon. This stuff affects everyone differently but generally speaking they are counterproductive to sleep. I know it may be hard to get through the night without it.

2) Make your bedroom as dark as possible for sleeping (when you are working nights). For me I simply close the door and I bought room darkening shades, the best ones they had, so the room is almost picth black even on bright sunny days. A thick blanket or many other things over the windows will do the same trick.

3) I generally read a book or the newspaper for a few minutes once I lay down this helps me get my mind off from anything else and I find myself sleepy real fast. Do not watch TV as that stimulates you and even more so if you find yourself interested in what is on. Along those same lines dont read a mystery novel that is going to make you want to keep reading.

4) Play some music while you sleep. This one has probably helped the most for me, especially during times when anyone else is around or there are any other noises that might cause to disrupt you. Although there might be reasons for not doing this (like you might not hear the phone ring or the doorbell) it has been great for me. I can now sleep right through my wife and son doing almost anything, If I were awake I would hear them but the constant of the music, pretty much keeps you sleeping. Obviously do not play heavy metal of something like that but you do not have to play nature sounds or classical either, I generally put it on either a country music station or most often one of the soft rock or pop XM stations.

As far as waking up after only 5hrs I still have that problem and that one is even harder to tackle. Generally I just try to lay right there and lull myself back to sleep, I know that sounds funny but what I mean is I just think to myself that I need some more sleep and try to not think about anything else.

Im not sure what schedule you work, we generally do 2 on 2 off and so I always try to keep my schedule completely clear on my in between day of 2 nights shifts. If I know I have nothing else to do I can devote the whole day to sleep and it works out pretty good. If you work say 4 or 5 days straight then try to plan at least 2 of them to do nothing but sleep. If you do not have other things to worry about you will sleep better. I know that is not always possible but you need allot plenty of sleep time.

Phhhew thats enough I think, hope this helps, now Im sleepy and if you read it all you probably are too.

Answer 7

When I was in patrol at my department, we worked 12 hour shifts and rotated every two weeks from days to nights. Is the problem that you don't have time to sleep, or are having problems actually sleeping or falling asleep? If the problem is the time, I do not know of anything to help except for strong coffee. If you are having problems falling asleep or staying asleep, there are several options. Try to stay away from sleeping pills even the over-the-counter ones as they can be addictive if at all possible. Try working out and taking a good hot shower just before going to bed. Find ways to get your mind off of the daily grind before going to bed. Stress is a killer and a sleep robber, find ways to relieve it before going to bed.

Answer 8

Hey, I know how you feel. Im a nurse and Im working my 3rd 12 hour night shift in a row... I talk to my doctor about getting sleeping tablets for when I get home.
As for things you can do without a prescription, drink lots of water while on shift (stop about 2 hours before the end of the shift), eat healthy, sugary, caffeine type drinks dont help trust me!
And when you get home take a hot shower and have a hot drink. You can also try lavender in a burner (before you sleep, not during), or try having crushed lavender in your pillow.
Your local natupath will have herbal sleeping solutions...

But a good sleeps starts by how your body is, so eat well, drink water, and excercise... its tough at first but believe me its worth it!!!

Answer 9

Hello!
It is pretty difficult because your natural body clock is having to readjust.
I have known people to say "I tossed and turned all night hardly had any sleep,but when sleeping had periods of deep sleep because of the tossing and turning they think the whole sleep time was spent like this..
If you try to be aware that your body would have had a period of deep sleep your mind may relax on the issue and it may help change the hung over situation.
Take care!
You people I admire your work is tough!

Answer 10

To sleep better:
1. Make your bedroom as dark as possible.
2. Use a fan for "white noise" or buy one of those little white noise players.
3. Don't work out within an hour of when you want to go to sleep. You can do some light stretching, just enough to get your muscles relaxed.
4. Don't eat before going to sleep. Very bad for your weight, and it will wake you up.
5. If you can't get the entire 8 hours at once, try to get a nap in. I used to wake up after 3 - get some water to drink - stretch my muscles - maybe read a little and I could usually fall back asleep for at least another 3-4 hours.
6. In the coming hot weather, cool and de-humidify your bedroom to make it as comfortable as possible.

To stay awake and alert :
1. Don't rely on caffeine. Very bad for your system.
2. Stay hydrated. Try to drink as much water as possible.
3. Keep your meals on the high protein side - try to stay away from sweets, they will make you sluggish.
4. I used to work out on my lunch if I was particularly tired. Getting your muscles pumped gets your blood and some extra adrenaline flowing, which stimulates your brain.

Take care of yourself. Watch your diet and fluid intake, and be safe out there.

Answer 11

I learned how to sleep fast when I was in the Navy. Today, I work a rotating shift in a hospital boiler plant and rotate shifts every three weeks. It is part of the job. If you can't handle the routine, find a new line of work.