Food service and sleep patterns

A 2AM start time would wreak havoc on my body. I can't fall asleep before 9:30 or 10 PM.......

 

I used to have a reefer gig with a regular 2am start and very long days. I found it impossible to get a single 6+ hours of sleep, whether before or after work. Either way, my sleep hours were overlapping with time I wanted to be spending with friends and family, and I often sacrificed sleep to do so which could've had tragic consequences.

I ended up researching and experimenting with "biphasic" sleeping, where you sleep in two shorter chunks rather than a full "night's sleep". I got used to it, but you have to be very disciplined about it to make it work.

Now I'm on a night LTL linehaul schedule and it's way easier for me. I'd rather have my schedule flipped completely (starting at 9pm) than deal with those 2am starts. Good luck. It'll take some getting used to.

 

I have never slept more than 4 hours a night regardless of if I was on days or nights. When I had a 2 am start with a 45 minute commute I would go to bed at 8pm and up at midnight, have a small meal, shower and head out, worked 12-14 hour shift, home for dinner with the family, relax and repeat. Still work the same way 24 years into driving, only now I go to bed at 10:30 pm and get up at 2:30 am for a 4 am start. I try to maintain the same schedule even on holidays and weekends, it is easier on my system.

 

I've known a couple people like this. They wouldn't set an alarm or anything, their body would just naturally be fully rested after 4-5 hours of sleep. I wish I could. But I love my beauty sleep.

 

When I worked Foodservice I had a 2am mon start time. Going to bed at 8pm on Suns sucked. My average time was a 3am start at yard clocked in. So I'd get up at 2am. 1am Monday's. I averaged 4 hours of sleep every day. Just couldn't go to bed before 9pm.

4-5 hours of sleep is brutal on a body especially if your doing physical work for 10-14hrs a day.majority of the people there get 3-5 hrs. They try to live a regular life by sacrificing sleep. I suggest nights on Foodservice. Co worker at Foodservice said it got better for him when he switched to nights.