Circadian Rhythm sleeping help???

[cooter]

I am a second year police officer and I have a midnight shift sleeping question. My dept works three 8 hour shifts, 11-7AM, 7-3, 3-11PM. We rotate every 28 days. I am on the midnight 11-7 shift again now and I wanted to know if the veterans had any advise on how to tackle the sleeping question. I usually go to bed at 7:30 am when I get home and today I just woke up at 4PM and feel wasted. I know my Circadian Rhythm is all screwed up now and on my days off, I screw it up even more because I play hockey at 9AM when I am usually sleeping now. I'd like to know what others do, suggest, or don't do that helps with staying healthy and keeping my daytime energy up. I have no kids yet, so that really doesn't play into my schedule right now.
Also, my department voted down 12 hour shifts a few months back... I was one who wanted to try it out, but the veterans didn't, so we are stuck with 8 hours right now. Anyone working 12 hour shifts want to tell me the positives and negatives of it?

Thanks,

Jim

[KenM]

Originally posted by cooter:
Anyone working 12 hour shifts want to tell me the positives and negatives of it?

Never had any problems sleeping, so can't help you with that.

Didn't see any negatives with the 12hr shifts except that during your work days that is all you do ...... work. By the time I got home I was pooped out. All I wanted to do was lay down and sleep.

The positive was the time off and the ability to plan your year in advance if you wanted. We worked Mon/Tues, off Wed/Thur, work Fri/Sat/Sun. The next week was just the opposite, so you got 3 days off every other weekend. Put a holiday or comp time with that and you've got yourself a vacation.