Working at night - what is your experience?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
November 6, 2010 2:39pm CST
When I was a nursing student I had a part-time jobs where I worked at night. Sometimes there was a patient who couldn't be alone at night for instanse because they were psychotic or suicidal, and it was my job to stay with them from midnight to 7 o'clock in the morning.
When I got back from work I usually had breakfast, watched tv for a while and then I went to bed. I didn't sleep in the evening before I left for work, because that just made me more tired. Now I have another part-time job where I work at night and I still prefer to stay awake in the evening instead of sleeping a few hours.
Have you ever had a job where you worked at night? What kind of job was it and was it hard for you to adapt to a different lifestyle like sleeping during the day? How did you you plan your day, did you sleep some hours before you left for work or did you only sleep after work?
2 people like this
15 responses
@saqi78 (1402)
• Malaysia
6 Nov 10
Yeah I worked in lab for whole night, it was not my job but was my research work, this was my habit to work at night in the lab and sleep in the day time. I mostly started my work after dinner at 8pm and finished it at 6 or 7am in the morning. But I was enjoying my work, and I am again planning to do the same from next week as I have to do lab work again...:0
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
6 Nov 10
It is great that you enjoy the research work that you do. What kind of research are you doing? I also have a habit of working at night and sleeping during the day. Even when I don't have to go to work at night I often stay up and write or read. When I have to study for an exam I also like to study at night and sleep during the day, I guess I am a night owl 
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Nov 10
Yes, when you don't have a family it is easier to take all kinds of jobs and you are more independent. If you are in a relationship or if you have children you have to take other things into consideration. When I had my first part-time job at night I had a boyfriend who also worked at night, our lifestyles were different from the lifestyles that other people had, but as we both worked at night and slept during the day we were able to spend the evenings together.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
6 Nov 10
I currently manage a virtual staff in an online community and I cover a lot of late-night hours. I often go to bed at 3AM. Because I have been self-employed for many years, this isn't a big issue for me. I adapt to whatever contract I have at the time :) I wake up between 9AM and 9:30AM so I am not really on a different schedule than anyone else. Granted I'm not up at 6 or 7AM for the commute like some people.. but my days function pretty much "normally".
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@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
8 Nov 10
I know exactly what you mean, Porcospino... sometimes we have things we truly love to do but they just aren't enough. Like you, I've always combined different sources of income. I am open to lots of different kinds of work and I think you have to keep an open mind. I have things I much prefer to do - but if it comes down to making extra money or not, I'll always take the job LOL
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Nov 10
Your work in the online community sounds interesting, and I like the idea of being self-employed. At the moment I have different kinds of work. I am an artist, but I don't make enough money that way, so I also have some part-time jobs. If I had the choice I would prefer to concentrate on my art, but that isn't realistic.
1 person likes this
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
7 Nov 10
I don't have experience work at overnight before. I did work on second - shift before, but I don't really actually sleep at the morning, and work at night time. But if my work require, I would follow order, and I have to sleep at least 8 hours a day, even during the morning time though.
2 people like this
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
6 Nov 10
I have never worked nights exactly, but I have worked very late (until midnight). I did not mind it very much, but I did not do it for a very long time. The only thing that scared me was to leave the workplace late at night. That did not feel completely safe for some reason, since there were almost never any people around and it was always really dark.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
6 Nov 10
I have experienced the same situation, because I once had a job where I finished at 11 p.m. I had to catch a train to my own town after work and when I arrived at the station it was very dark and there were no people in the street. I didn't like walking from the station to my home, and I didn't feel safe in the dark and empty streets. I always hurried back to my home, but I didn't like that part of the job.
1 person likes this
@fannitia (2167)
• Bulgaria
6 Nov 10
Hi, Porcospino! I've never had a job where you work at night for a long period of time. But I work in tv news and I often work until 9 or 11 o'clock in the evening. Sometimes I have to stay the whole night, but this is not a problem for me. I'm an owl and I'm just like you - if I was awake in the evening, no problem to work untill the next morning. But I hate to get up early.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Nov 10
I also hate to get up early. It is not a problem for me to work all night, but in the morning I love my bed, it is so nice and warm 
I have had different jobs in the past, sometimes I had to get up really early, because I had to commute, but I acutally prefer jobs where I work in the evening or at night. That kind of jobs suit my lifestyle better than jobs where I have to get up really early.
I have had different jobs in the past, sometimes I had to get up really early, because I had to commute, but I acutally prefer jobs where I work in the evening or at night. That kind of jobs suit my lifestyle better than jobs where I have to get up really early.1 person likes this
@DeenaD (2684)
• United States
7 Nov 10
Right now I am working full time during the day, and in addition I have taken on a part time job during the evening. Granted, it is only for three nights a week, but it really tires me out and I feel depressed knowing I have to go to it. I think if you're working evenings and days it really takes away from the quality of your life, but I do know that you've sometimes got to do things you don't like.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
7 Nov 10
i am a morning person and i never have a night job in my entire life... i can never work at night as i won't be able to concentrate at all and i will be sleepy as well... thank God that so far the job that i have are all in the morning and i love it... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@ram_cv (16513)
• India
7 Nov 10
Luckily I have not had a night job. But there have been many instances when I have had to stay up at night to fight off some issues. There was one occasion when I went three days without sleep as we were trying to get something up and running for a major demo. If I sleep very late or work till the morning, most often my next day is completely wasted as I tend to sleep through the day and then the next night as well!!
Cheers!
Ram
@wongchoiyee (7413)
• Malaysia
7 Nov 10
Well, working at night can be more stressful and tiring coz we have to concentrate more where as people are sleeping at that time. Usually I will have a cup of coffee and stuff to keep my stomach full before I go to work.
I work at home so its convenient for me.
@waynegomez (120)
• Philippines
7 Nov 10
I worked as a night shift in a n internet cafe once and my experience was just fine. Sometimes it is a risky one since night time is crime time, I've heard many robbery in cases during the night near the building where I worked from. Another one is going home alone , you dont really know what's gonna happen next, but I needed the job so I took it including the risks.
1 person likes this
@preppydezza (309)
• Philippines
7 Nov 10
i am now working lates (from 10pm-8am). it was quite hard, trying to sleep in the night. i do really try to get some sleep before i go to work. it is just for me though because i love sleeping. ;)
1 person likes this
@titchy1231 (732)
•
8 Nov 10
i have never worked through the night but i work in a pub and can work till 3am
@HeBuguMa (19)
• Bulgaria
7 Nov 10
Hi. I work in a hotel since February 2006 - almost 5 years. I'm receptionist and I work at night too - from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Also I'm a student in university. Sometimes it's terrible. I'm all day at the university, then at work (at night) and then again at the university. Some of these months I sleep only 2-3 hours for twenty-four hours and I feel really tired. When I smell the pillow I'm already asleep.
1 person likes this
@qianyun6 (2067)
• China
7 Nov 10
Hi, Porcospino!
I had this kind of experience only once. I did experiment from 4:00pm to 3:00am the next day. The feeling was too terrible. I can't adapt that kind of life, I won't do that anymore. I like regular lifestyle and won't find a job which may disturb my biological clock.
1 person likes this
