Anyone work overnight shift???

[NHBelle]

I am looking for something part time to help pay for trip to Disney. I have a 3 year old at home so a day job is out of the question. It wouldn't be worth working If I have to pay for daycare. I also couldn't work nights because hubby works till 6 or 7, SO the only thing I can think of is an overnight position just a couple of nights per week. I was thinking a hotel or grocery store. Anyone else do this? Whats it like? I am worried I will be tired and grumpy after work, but I really want to try it. I can think of anything else to do.

 

[powellrj]

I have done it before, and while I don't mind it, its hard now that my kids are older.

My question is when do you plan to sleep? If you work a regular over night shift, you will be working usually 10 or 11 till 7 in the morning. You would still need childcare for you to get some sleep. Its a really different lifestyle because you are up all night, but you still need to get your 8 hours of sleep during the day. If you DH gets home from work at 7pm and you want to sleep then, you would only get around 2 hours of sleep tops.

Like I said I have done it before and don't mind working at night, you still have to sleep sometime and with a 3 year old at home, you would never be rested without childcare so you could sleep.

 

[mjejj]

I worked an overnight shift (12am-8am) for about a year and a half and it was rough. I ended up going to sleep at 8:30am waking up at 5:00pm,eat dinner and then fall asleep on the couch until about 11pm. I ended up gaining 50lbs(!!!) in one year because all I had the energy to do was sleep and work. The bright side is, if you are sleeping all of the time, you are not spending money! I was definatley NOT an overnight worker. However, I worked with people who loved it and could lead productive lives. My point is, I don't think you know how you will do until you try it. The actual working was great because it was slower ( I worked in a jail) and the phones hardly rang, night shifts usually pay a little more too. Just keep in mind that you have a three year old so are you going to be able to get your sleep during the day. You could give it a try, but if your body dosen't adjust within the first few weeks, it probably won't. Good luck

 

[pperfectmom]

I am currently working a part-time job at a newspaper as a packaging specialist. What I do is insert ads into a machine that sticks them into your paper. I work every Saturday from 9 or 10 am until anywhere between 3 and 6 pm. I also work Tuesday nights from 7 pm until 3:30 am. I don't get home until 4:15 and usually can't fall asleep until about 5:00. My DH does work at a job where he can take off a couple of hours on Wednesday morning, but even then I can only sleep until about 8 or 8:30. I just call myself Zombie Mommy on Wednesdays. During the busier times of year I also had to go in on Wednesday nights from 7 until either 11 or 3:00 and THAT was hard on me. We have to have the extra money right now and I am in the same position as you on childcare. I have 2 little ones and daycare is sooo expensive plus I really don't like the idea of them being there anyway. The newspaper job is easy and pays pretty good for part-time(about $9/hour) so if you have a decent size newspaper around you could look into it. As anyone who has ever had a baby knows, you CAN survive with little or no sleep!

 

[MeMom]

Many, many moons ago, but that was before kids, so it was easier for me then. Have you thought about working at a Tuesday-Thursday school where your three year old could attend free? I did that when I was going to school. Had classes on M-W-F and did T-Th school and he went free. It worked for me, anyway.

 

[swilshire]

I've done it and it's really tough if you try to swap back and forth between sleeping in the daytime and sleeping at night. I started when I was pregnant with #2 and #1 was just over a year old. Continued for about three years, trying to watch the kids all day and nap every chance I got. I never realized how exhausted I was until I got onto a more normal schedule.

The people who do this successfully seem to keep the same sleeping schedule on their off days.

During an earlier time I tried the thing suggested above where I worked at a daycare and DD went there. I hated it, because she was not in my class and I felt like I never saw her. I was in tears every day for the week or two I stayed.

Sheila

 

[Kristi1357]

You could try to deliver newspapers in the very early morning hours.
I know someone who did this for years for extra cash.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have done it for many many years. I worked the 7pm-7am shift. I am currently on maternity leave. If you have nobody to watch your child while you sleep when you come home you will not be able to do it. There is no way you can stay up that many hours. You will get sick. Also- being sleep deprived to that magnitude is the same as being drunk. Your body reacts the same way- so if you had to run to the store it would be the equivalent of DUI. Meaning- that your reaction time would be the same as that of an intoxicated person. I can also tell you from experience that it takes some time to get adjusted to it. My dh and I did this for a long time. I went back to work for a little less than a year after our first son was born. I worked the opposite days as my dh so one of us was always with our son. It was very hard and I never really slept much because I wanted to be with my son as much as possible. I think I was only able to function because I had been working the night shift for so long. Since then I have been having baby after baby so I have been lucky enough to be home. I will eventually go back but it will be on days that my dh is off. I think for your situation I would look into something else. Your dd is old enogh for pre-school. Why not sign her up and get a job at the school? You could also waitress at night. That would bring in good money, they will train you, and the shifts aren't all night. I hope it works out for you. If you have any questions feel free to ask me!

 

[aWISHyourHEARTmakes]

My hubby does this now, works overnight that is. So that he can go to school during the day. He dosen't like it so much. And it becomes harder when you have a day off..b/c then your body is used to being up all night. So you can't fall asleep at 11 with the rest of the family. So for instance..yesterday he was off work. He try's to change his sleep around so he can spend time with us..but it goes like this..
he gets home from work at 7 am. He is hungry and wants to relax..so he does. Then the normal..."sleepy" thing starts to kick in around noon. Since, he is so used to that pattern now. So he takes a small nap to try and tide himself over until we go to bed. But that just leads to a tired, grumpy hubby/daddy, who is not productive at all. As far as family activities and so on go.
I would think it would be harder on you to only do it a couple of days a week. Since your body will be yo yoing sleep patterns all week long. And yes, plan on gaining weight. It's almost a given. DH actually lost weight for a while..b/c he coudln't figure out when he was supposed to be eating. But then when his weekends off would come..he only had the energy TO eat. And sometimes, he would just eat to stay awake. So, I don't know if its worth it.
I put an add in the paper to walk dogs a while back, and I now walk 7 dogs a week 3 x's a week. People pay around $30 a week. I am making around $200a week, and my daughter can come along with me. And its only a 20 min. walk, for each dog. It's great. I love it!!

 

[bnhasak]

Tonawanda, if you don't mind me asking, how did you word the ad? Also how do you only do it 3X a week? Just wondering. THat is a wonderful idea for us sahm's. My daughter is in preschool but my youngest is home all day with me. That type of job really has the flexibiility to pick up the kids from school yet still stay with the youngest.

Thanks for any tips advice you have.

 

[Bren's Mom]

I worked the overnight shift as a 911 dispatcher for many years. I was in my 20s and early 30s and even then when I was single with no kids it was awful. I wouldn't do it now, especially if you expect to care for a toddler during the day!!

A daycare is an option, doing childcare yourself is an option, home based business like Tastefully Simple or Discovery toys is an option...but God bless you if you decide to work overnights!

 

[Disneydreaming6]

I work 5:15 - 11:15 my dh gets out of work at 4:30 runs home so I can go to work. Its not too bad, but some nights I don't get to sleep til about 2:30 -3:00. and the next day I am useless. I don't think I could ever do an over night shift. Working in a daycare where your child could go would be great. Even if they are in another class, you would beable to check on them.

 

[aWISHyourHEARTmakes]

bnhasak,

I started by putting flyers at the local Pet Stores, and Vet offices. Then I ran an add in the paper, I started this a few years back, so I don't remember the exact wording..but it went something like this.

NEED SOMEONE RELIABLE TO WALK YOUR DOG? Look no further. I accomadate you and your canine. Available 7 days a week. Call Suzie at 555-5555.

I did the same thing with the flyers and tagged them, so people could just rip off my number.

Most of the people I work for, like to walk their own dog on certin days. And once I met them and talked to them about the other dogs I walked, they were very understanding and helpful with me setting up a "walking scedule" Dog people are nice!

 

[undertheradar]

You could do this part time on Friday and Saturday nights. You will sleep away the weekends, but your 3 yo would be watched by your husband. Hotels, some retailers, security guards, cleaning companies would be options. By working over the weekends, you would eliminate any need for daycare.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I worked the overnight shift as a 911 dispatcher for many years.

Hey fellow dispatcher!

 

[NHBelle]

Thanks everyone. My plan was to do it Friday and Saturday nights so I can sleep during the day on Saturday and Sunday. I dont want full time at all, just for extra money. My local grocery store is currently hiring for an overnight position stalking shelves. I dont know if I can do it or not, I guess I would have to try and see. I have also thought of a paper route, but nothing open so far.

 

[mom2alix]

Do you have a Kohl's near you? I worked there for a while doing their ad sets (changing the signs on the fixtures) and stocking. It was only a couple of nights per week and never really 2 nights in a row, but the days varied if they were having a special sale. On the days after I worked, I came home and took a nap until DD woke up, then I got up with her and took another nap when she took hers. Since I didn't work 2 nights in a row, I was able to go to be early the next night. They also gave a pretty decent discount and the pay wasn't too bad since you get a shift differential.

 

[kristenrice]

Hey fellow dispatcher!

Another 911 voice here...paramedic, not dispatcher

The businesses that operate 24/7/365 are blessings and curses. True, there is a lot of flexibilty since every hour of every day needs to be staffed, but it can ruin your internal clock. I work 2:30pm until 4:30am (what is that? afternoon? overnight? ) and on my days off, I am in bed by 1am and up by 7:30am. But on my work nights, I do not get to bed until 5:30am and then I need to sleep until about 2 in the afternoon to function. Your body just doesn't sleep as well when you try and sleep during the day. If you are going to try a shift that is, say 11pm-7am and only on weekends, I would consider staying up in the morning and then "napping" in the afternoon from like 1-6ish. It will suck and you'll be tired for those 2 days, but your clock will not be off kilter.

I am blessed with a schedule that allows me to work full-time but I only have to work 3 days a week. My DH also works full-time :cop: ) from 6a-6p and NEVER on a day after me. I always get to sleep in on the mornings when I get home at 5am. We only have 1 day a week that our shifts overlap (for 4 hours) and the kids go visit Grandpa & Grandma on that day. My old shift had me getting home at 4:30am and DH was leaving at 5:30 so I would sleep for about 3 hours before the kids got up. Then, they would go to Granny's at 4 for 2 hours and I would head back to work for another 12-hour shift on 3 hours of sleep/

FWIW, I think you will be able to adjust to an ovenight shift just fine, but try and keep it to only a few days a week and try to keep your normal schedule as much as possible or you will be run down all the time. Good Luck!

 

[sskem96]

I work overnights as an RN in the newborn nursery. Some days I don't feel like I've had enough sleep, but once I get to work, I'm fine. Most of my co-workers prefer to work several days in a row so they can sleep all day on their days off. I prefer to work every other day, and I basically only sleep every other day. I usually stay awake when I get home, and just go to bed at about 8:00 that night. I sleep all night, get up around 7 to get the kids ready for school, stay up all day (I babysit a 16 mo old on these days), and go to sleep for about 3 hours after supper. My body had adjusted well to this schedule, maybe a little too well since I used to be able to sleep for 12-15 hours at a time, but lately I wake up after 8 hours even if that means it's 4am. Have you thought about being a CNA or nursing tech? A lot of places will pay for your schooling while you're on orientation (only about 6 wks of school), and it pays a lot better than a stocker or paper route would. I wouldn't recommend it unless it's something you really have an interest in though.

 

[spima3]

Thanks everyone. My plan was to do it Friday and Saturday nights so I can sleep during the day on Saturday and Sunday. I dont want full time at all, just for extra money. My local grocery store is currently hiring for an overnight position stalking shelves. I dont know if I can do it or not, I guess I would have to try and see. I have also thought of a paper route, but nothing open so far.

Stocking shelves at a grocery chain is what I did part time about two years ago. If it's only weekends you can manage, but weekdays would be too hard, I think.
When I first started working, 11 to 6 am, I was able to come home and get a few hours sleep while my husband got the kids to school, but our youngest was in pre-school and I would have to pick her up by 11. I watched her all day and around 7 pm I would take a nap and get up for work at 10.
My husband then got a part time job that started at 8 am, (he was looking for Full Time employment) so I started staying up when I got home from work and only napping while the 4 yr old was in Pre-K, about two hours. Still taking the nap in the evening.
After about 4 months I was exhausted and finally had to quit; they cut my hours and the disruption to my family/sleep was no longer worth it.

I am a night owl so the overnight shift would have been ok if I could have come home and slept, but w/ a family and especially w/ a yound child it is way too hard after a few months.

This past Xmas our local TRU was hiring overnight stockers. I wanted to apply but my husband didn't want me too. I know he didn't like putting the kids to bed every night when I worked the overnight shift before, so I think that was his big concern. I think I will do so next Xmas if they do so again, a few months is manageable, especially now that our 3 kids are all in school full time.

lori