Getting used to operating at night...any advice for downtime routine and sleep?

Start trying to get your schedule adjusted 3-4 days before you start, it will be easier and you'll get better at it over time. Also, make sure to make your sleeping area as dark as possible, it will help you trick your mind into thinking it's "night time".

 

Dunno if anyone else suggested it but here goes....in the winter when its cold, keep the heat turned back. I found that being in and out of the cab multiple times a night goes much better if you keep the cab cool.

Same in the summer, keep the a/c turned back a bit.

If the outside temp is 20 degrees and the cab is too warm, you'll feel cozy and warm, which invites the sandman in.

Water water and more water. Stay away from energy drinks, as they have a lot of sugar. You'll feel great for a while, but then you crash and feel like h#&+.

 

I work from 7pm to 5-7am. The first few days I was a disaster and was constantly pulling over at every other rest area for a few minutes. I bought some night quil sleep pills just to help me adjust the first week or so. I don't take them unless I absolutely have to go to sleep when I'm at home. Water, almonds, dark coffee, and an open window helps in staying awake. Also on your 30 try to sleep through it and before you take off, do a walk around inspection and some stretching, even jumping jacks help because they get the blood flowing.
I'm now 3 months in and the sad part is that on my days off I am still going to sleep around 5-6 am and waking up around 1-3 pm, so it hurts my social life. Good luck out there!

 

Wish I could, but I prefer to drive during the day, I hate night time driving

 

Agreed with the exception of pee test, all drivers should be tested by pee send hair

 

I'm an LTL driver running nights almost 14 years. My start time is 18:30 and usually finish around 6:00. It's Monday thru Friday . But what I usually do is stay up late on Sunday night till about 1 or 2. Then I sleep till about 6:30 or 7:00 on Monday morning. I go run errands till around noon and take a nap till about 4:00 pm. Get up head off to work. When I get home in the morning I stay up a few hours to unwind then go to sleep for 6-7 hours and work nights the rest of the week. On Saturday morning I'll take a nape for about 4-5 hrs and sleep normal that night. And do it all again on Sunday night. That's the downside of nights. And the only to help with social life is to do it that way or similarly. Tweek it as needed. But just a suggestion that works for me.

 

I'm another LTL vampire driver. I work from 0230 to 1100 Saturday through Wednesday.

My schedule is more like a day run, but it still takes some getting used too. You kind of have to adjust your life around your work schedule. If you work nights, try not to do much during the day in your time off, because that'll screw up your biological clock come 'Monday'. I'll give you some tips:

1) Always act like you have a typical 9-5. Most people get home around 6, eat dinner, chill for a few hours and are in bed by 10. You can keep a similar schedule/routine. I'm typically home by noon, eat lunch, chill for a few hours and am in bed by 6 or 7.

2) Paint your bedroom a darker color, so it doesn't reflect that much light. I painted mine a dark green color.

3) Invest into those blackout curtains. They work pretty well.

4) Buy a fan. A fan will cancel out most of the outside noise. Since a fan produces a consistent noise reminiscent of a diesel engine, it'll help you fall asleep.

 

Listen to your body and don't ignore the warning signs. For me working nights for the last couple of years I've never gotten used to it. You just find ways to deal with it.

 

Don't be ashamed, if your house has a room with no windows or a walk in closet? Put your bed in there! If you have family or friends or roommates make them aware that you need to sleep.

The he good thing is that thanks to onDemand movies & the internet, you don't have to be stuck with infomercials and lawyer commercials all night long.

 

With a reefer I am usually doing odd schedules. Never really had a problem, as I know when I need to sleep and 90% of the time can put my head on the pillow and be out in 5 min. Coffee is a short term fix. Better to avoid caffeine and energy drinks in favor of carbs. Light snacks, trail mix, etc. I'm also a fan of power naps.

Many studies have established that sleeping <45 min (to avoid deep or rem sleep) is favorable when you can't shut down for a full cycle. Personally, it works for me and buys me about 1.5 to 2 hrs of awakeness. Usually enough to get thru that 0300-0500 grind. When I feel the fight coming on, I'll stop and take a 20 min nap. If that's not enough I'll do another 20 min. If I'm still fighting after the second one (before leaving, that is), I'm down for 8 or 10 depending on what I need to do with HOS.

Whatever you do, take it serious. If you're fighting to stay awake, you're probably micro-sleeping. Look it up. It's what happens right before you wake up in a ditch.