From Wikipedia (I kind of like the description):

"There is no certainty as to the origin of this phrase [the graveyard shift]; according to Michael Quinion it is little more than 'an evocative term for the night shift … when … your skin is clammy, there's sand behind your eyeballs, and the world is creepily silent, like the graveyard.'"

At least I'm drinking some tasty coffee tonight. :-)
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I've been working the graveyard shift for almost one year now. I work 4x10 from 9:30pm-8:00am Thur to Sun.

You just start? I'm pretty adjusted (or as much as you can be). Hit me up with any questions.
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Yea, been working about 8 months of it (Tuesday night to Sunday morning with some odds and ends thrown in). We were working rotating shifts, but management thought having steady shifts would be better. :-)

Just curious if there were any other nightowls out there. :-)

So, you sleep in the mornings or evenings?
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When I first started with my company I did 2 years of night shifts. My routine was pretty much stable, although off days changed week to week. My day was to hit the gym from about 8-9pm, then work from 11pm-7am, I would go and run any errands I had, breakfast, etc...hang out smoke a cigar then off to bed. I typically slept no more then 6-7 hours a day. I am a "night owl" by nature. I hate waking up for morning shifts and loved being on night shifts. Too bad I am now the division head and pretty much need to be there during regular business hours with the other "bosses".
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I'm an RN that works 7p-7a in the ER and I'm picking up hours at various times to hit my max limit of 60/week. I just received and accepted an offer for a P /T job on the weekends as well, so my schedule will be 60-70 hours/week from the last week of August until the first week of December. After that, I'll cut back to 36-48 hours/week working part time at each hospital.
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I've been on graveyard for 4 years now and I love it, the wife on the other hand is not too impressed.
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I worked the graveyard in AZ many years ago, I loved it. I am not a morning person and I would work graveyard now if I could.
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Go in at 6PM, off at 3 AM. A "modified 2nd shift"...my butt. Regardless, been doing it for 10 years. Go to bed around 6AM typically.

Biggest effect, injuries. Which is why I'm posting now. Last 3 summers, have been off for a variety of things. Or maybe I'm just falling apart.
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Just got home...usually work 8ish to 6 or 7 AM. Been working nights for 13 years and never really minded doing it.
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I used to work in the service industry and that was as close to a night shift as I got. Usually didn't get home till 3:30 or 4 if I was bartending.


Don't know how I managed to get a degree that way. :-)
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First 14 years or so of my career we rotated shifts every 28 days. 4 weeks on days, 4 on evenings, 4 on graveyard. Brutal.

When we went to permanent shift 12 years ago, I did the first 5 years on graveyard (by choice). Slept in the mornings, averaged about 5 1/2 hours of sleep a day. Finally burnt out at about the 4 year, 9 month mark, and have been on evenings for the last 7 years. Loved graveyard shift right up until the time it kicked my arse. :-)
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I work the graveyard at the Jail. Non-rotating and I love it. 11p-7a. 8 days on, 4 days off, 7 days on, 2 days off.
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I work rotating shifts. We usually work 4, 12 hour shifts at a time. Start on nights and then go to days. We get a 6 day break every five weeks. We work 14 days out of a month.
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I have only done it on occasion when working with Asian clients. I think it is beneficial to ones health to wake up with the sun.
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Arse? Ha! More like...:-)

IME rotating shifts were much easier to handle than straight graveyard shift. I can feel the arse kicking sneaking up on me:-)
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Did the graveyard shift for abour 14 years in Waikiki for a big resort, loved it. It did take a few years once I moved and went to a normal 8-5 type job to adjust. Now when I need to work overnight for a few nights, ouch
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My wife works in retail, she does visuals and has to work overnight for a couple days 1-2 times a month to do roll-out. It really zonks her out of wacks
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Back at it again tonight. It's gonna be a little slow, shame I didn't bring a small cigar :-)
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I'm stuck at the mill....three hours in to my twelve hour shift.
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I've had to pull 24hr shifts before with little more than a 6h notice. I agree with the sand behind your eyeballs and the world can be creepily quiet, especially right before dawn.

When we do big field excerises I usually have to swing my schedule pretty quickly to work the night shift. But usually then my primary job is just to keep the coffee pot running, the generators going and let no sh*t hit the fan.
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