Posted by BluMac on August 17, 2006 at 13:17:54:Hey all, I just wanted to propose this theory to you guys and see what you think, and to see if it has actually been thought of and/or proven.
I was in the Air Force and worked an 11pm-7am night shift for about 5 years. I loved it, though since if i up on those hours on my day off there is nothing to do, I swapped my sleep schedule back to a daytime one for the weekend, then swapped it back before work.Now I'm out of the military and working for a corporation where I work 12.5 hour shifts 3/4 days a week, 7pm-7:30am. I would do the same thing (for a better reason too considering the weekends were longer) as before and swap my sleep schedule back on weekends so i can be up during the day, then back before work. Well that having gone on for months.... I started getting some insomnia... BAD insomnia. I would spend literally all day lying in bed wide awake but still comfortable, but getting no sleep. This has been going on for a long time, and for me to ACTUALLY sleep I need a good combo of pills including ambien CR and tylenol PM.
I have absolutely loved being on night shift all my life, the relaxed atmosphere at work, lack of managment, low traffic on the streets, extra pay, etc. But finally after months of dealing with this lack of sleep I broke down and told the manager that I need to be on dayshift.
Now my question to you is, is it possible that all those years of being nocternal and messing with my sleep schedule are just NOW catching up with me? I'm 25 years old now by the way. And another thing is I hope that once I go to dayshift that I can sleep normal again... this has taught me the value of sleep.... I am a mess without it really.
Thoughts?