A Question for you Third Shifters

[Weekend Warrior]

c2
I feel for you
I worked 3rd for 5-6 years.. I was the same way..The best way and only way I could hunt was go to sleep as soon as I got home.. I would sleep for 5-6 hrs Hunted only in the evenings until weekend...Finaly got a day job it doesn't pay as much,I Work 4  10hr day and off Fri,Sat,Sun..
Good Luck

[heydeerman]

4-10s sound good. Wish I could do that.

[OzarkRamblr]

I work nights as well. My normal work hours are 5pm to 6am. I have to be there an hour earlier before every one else since I run a crew. I work a rotating schedule though, 2 on 2 off, 3 on 2 off, 2 on 3 off, it's a normal rotation like that every two weeks. To top it off I'm also an insomniac. I've worked nights for a long time though, before this job I was an EMT and worked twleve hour shifts with a call shift behind my night shifts. Worked 3 on and 4 off. It's definately a life style.

When I was working on the ambulance I learned how to sleep literally any where. I also learned the joys of the "combat nap", grabbing a few minutes whenever I could. You had to to cope with the long and irregular hours.

Now that I work "regular hours", I still take combat naps. That's mostly because of my insomnia though. I consider 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep  an oasis.

To some degree it affects my hunting, I have more time to hunt than the average person. But because of my awful sleep habits I find that I often have to hunt tired. Sometimes when I go to the woods I actually look forward to taking a nap at the base of a tree, it's very peaceful and all the stress and cares of the outside world really seem to melt away. To me it's still been a good trip and I don't usually sleep more than an hour or so. I'm out there for me any way, the focus of my hunting often changes when I get to the woods.

[Molson]

Get some heavy cardboard boxes (diaper boxes or paper towel boxes) from the grocery store and cut them out to fit tight in your windows.  Turn on a fan to drown out the noise and get one of them fancy silk sleeping masks that cover your eyes.  Sleeping in room that's not dark or quiet usually results in about three or four hours of restless sleep, then you're up and moving around in a haze for the day.

Sleeping right after I got home worked best for me.  I could adjust it by a few hours here and there to accomodate morning or evening hunts.  It's best to stay on the same schedule, even on your days off.  If you do, you'll find you can adjust what time you go to bed by about four hours either way and still get good rest. If you fall into the "stay up all day and sleep at night" trap on your days off, you'll always feel fatigued during the work week.

[sticshooter]

You guys should talk with Chad Jones I think he works 3rd shift. And by the looks of his Avatars seems to have found the secret to being a 3rd shift hunter.<><

[papaw]

Deadsmple is point on. Like him I have worked
third shift for years. When you get off work you
stay awake just like any other shift. When I get off work in hunting season I am in the woods
until 11:00am then I go home and od whatever
then sleep. Then I get up about 5:00pm eat and back to the woods until time to go to work. My shift don't start until 10:00pm.
Third shift is a way of life for me. I would not work any other shift. You have to give into it or you it will make you miserable.

[Scott Gray]

I just got off of nights---2300-0730--- after almost 14 years. I am sorry to say I never got used to it. I had the darkened windows and had a box fan going for white noise. It was just hard to sleep knowing that the rest of the world was up.

My son plays sports so I would be up at about 1500 and would be up until it was time to go to work. That was the hard part. In my mind I knew that "normal" folks would just get up and head to work.

 I stayed on nights for so long because my wife worked days and with me working nights there was always someone home to take care of our children if one was sick or such. Now my daughter is 19 and my son is 15 so I was able to change shifts two months ago and you know what? I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! This is the first time in 14 years that I actually feel normal...well, as normal as I can be. I love being home in the evenings knowing that I do not have to drop everything and head to work.

The problem I had was that if I went hunting in the morning after work I would not want to leave in time to get some sleep. Evening hunts always worked out better for me.    

[DTS]

21yrs of 24hr shifts 10-15 a month.  Go straight to the gym start with cardio and finish with cardio.  Nutrition and B complex vitamen.  These shifts really stress the body more than you will ever know. Family responsibilities interupt sleep..no choice if you want to be a good husband and father. You get used to being tired. Know that you are tired and don't get into any emotional conversations or if you find yourself getting angry know it is the stress of sleep deprivation.  Deprivation effects you Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually so BE AWARE..it is your responsibility. You will find certain times of the day are best for restful sleeping so find what works and protect that time like your life depends on it.  Hunting...do not ever hunt in a stand unless you are really strapped in good.  I find ground hunting forces me to stay awake.  I like really cold weather, seems to make it easier to stay awake.  Keep moving, don't stare at one thing to long or you will wake up looking eye to snout,fangs,claws,hooves. Stay away from caffiene and sugar because the lows make it much harder to endure, they are poison to the body. After 21yrs I am still learning how to deal with the shift.  God bless.  DT

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I have been working a 12 hour night shift for 20 years 8pm to 8am. You have to find what works, Yes my windows are dark and I do sleep with a fan to drown out the noise's. I get off work at 8am and in bed by 9am and sleep till around 2pm or 3pm. That is my regular schedule, I try to be consistent I think that is the key. Your'e body will change if you are consistant but at times you can get out of wack.

I went through a time when I had trouble sleeping, Like a couple of years but it was a bad time in my life. Finally I got back on a regular routine and it all smoothed out. I stopped drinking pop, Quit eating fast food,  Tried decafe coffee but it made things worse went back to regular coffee started eating right working out even if just for a run now and then and started taking a one a day vitamin.

I work 14 days a month 7 days and 7 nights. So you can see I have lots of time for Hunting, Fishing, Trapping and camping and lots of family time which is the best part.

You can do it, You just have to get the mind and the body consistant and every thing will work out.    

Tracy

[drewsbow]

I work 5p-5a so I usually just stay up and hunt then sleep .

[mrgreenhead]

Well i work third and hunt and trap all fall . I get out at 630 and somtime dont get to sleep till afters 4 and back up by 830 to leave by 9 . Just ask the women Yes im grumpy as a bear but im doing what i want to do , Start practicing now staying up or getting up early and it will work for you . Art

[LeeNY]

I worked 3rd shift for 5yrs before I retired in 2002. On days that work followed I'd go to bed right when I got home and sleep until around 1:00pm go out until dark. Then back to bed until till an hour or so before work.
When I had the next day off I'd hunt as soon as I got off work until noon then a little nap. Back out before dark. On my days off hunt as much as possible.

Worked for me at the time.

[pete p]

ok, i have just too switched to the 3rd shift...after work afternoons for 15 yrs. i had trouble at first. getting use to it now. i get home at 8, sleep til about 1 or 2 and then i am up all day. go to your doc and get some prescription sleepers. i am getting use to it now. i look forward to being able to hunt every day

[Joseph]

I have been doing straight nights now for 9 years. 7P - 730A.  Bets thing for hunting season is to work every weekend then hunt in the middle of the week when everyone elseis working.  Joseph