Night work- How do you stay awake?

[fazer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode....._Stay_Awake/

I watched it the other week, there is a drug you can buy which is apparently good the drug is called Modifinil.

[Gerrard]

The 4am/4pm thing is usually to do with your Circadian Rhythm. Something that's always brought up during Human Factors lectures.

It's easier if you're doing nights constantly, rather than in shifts. When I worked nights at Asda, I basically put my body clock out by about 10-12 hours. Get up at about 6pm, have breakfast, watch TV and go to work for 10pm. Come back at 6am, then stay up to to about 9am (usually watching stuff I'd recorded the previous evening). Got into a good rhythm, but I would suggest you get a night mask and ear plugs (depends what you sleeping arrangements are like), to try and get a more "realistic" night effect for your body.

[AledJ]

The 4am/4pm thing is usually to do with your Circadian Rhythm. Something that's always brought up during Human Factors lectures.

It's easier if you're doing nights constantly, rather than in shifts. When I worked nights at Asda, I basically put my body clock out by about 10-12 hours. Get up at about 6pm, have breakfast, watch TV and go to work for 10pm. Come back at 6am, then stay up to to about 9am (usually watching stuff I'd recorded the previous evening). Got into a good rhythm, but I would suggest you get a night mask and ear plugs (depends what you sleeping arrangements are like), to try and get a more "realistic" night effect for your body.

The curtain in my is a light material so lets light in. Might have a look for a black curtain or night mask as you suggest.

[Guy]

Blackout blinds or covering up the windows is a MUST I found.

[Funkstar]

Thats something that makes it a lot easier offshore. Once you are in your room it doesn't matter what time of day it is, the only light is in the cieling or the glowing emergency escape signage. Luckily there is a light switch for the former and your bunk has a curtain along the side for the latter.

[Knoxville]

Will power and a good book get me through most've my night shifts caffiene free just ocuppying your mind with something helps greatly in my experience

[Guy]

When I was on night shifts, there wasnt that much to do *usually* so had free reign of the net, which got boring pretty quickly. Channel 4 watch online, and the I-Player were my saviour.

Oh and having your own laptop in, and getting paid to pay Fallout 3