Cycling And Night Shifts



Carrera

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Feb 2, 2004
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I'd like to ask any night-shift roadies how they feel about training but sleeping out of hours.
I've been working nights for almost 3 years but lately my employers have been giving me a lot of hours. I often work up to 60 - 70 hours a week, which involves staying up all night and going to bed around 8.00 a.m. I used to finish at 6.00 a.m. which was far more convenient and my body seemed to handle it better.
Most of the other night-shift-workers aren't healthy. Most smoke and eat through the night and put weight on so they become terribly unfit. Myself, I rise around 2.00 a.m. and will cycle late afternoon. I eat through the night and try to eat well (fruit, fish, brown bread, yoghurt, cereal, veg, past e.t.c.)
Having said that, research on how night work affects the body isn't positive. Researchers conclude that working nights is bad for you, increases risk of getting an ulcer or being fatigued e.t.c.
I try to keep a regular sleeping pattern but do people think nights and cycling are compatible? There are times the combination of trying to keep up with my sports while working long hours exhausts me. I took 2 days off last week as I felt exhausted.
Is there anyone who has a similar problem with work?
 
Carrera said:
I'd like to ask any night-shift roadies how they feel about training but sleeping out of hours.
I've been working nights for almost 3 years but lately my employers have been giving me a lot of hours. I often work up to 60 - 70 hours a week, which involves staying up all night and going to bed around 8.00 a.m. I used to finish at 6.00 a.m. which was far more convenient and my body seemed to handle it better.
Most of the other night-shift-workers aren't healthy. Most smoke and eat through the night and put weight on so they become terribly unfit. Myself, I rise around 2.00 a.m. and will cycle late afternoon. I eat through the night and try to eat well (fruit, fish, brown bread, yoghurt, cereal, veg, past e.t.c.)
Having said that, research on how night work affects the body isn't positive. Researchers conclude that working nights is bad for you, increases risk of getting an ulcer or being fatigued e.t.c.
I try to keep a regular sleeping pattern but do people think nights and cycling are compatible? There are times the combination of trying to keep up with my sports while working long hours exhausts me. I took 2 days off last week as I felt exhausted.
Is there anyone who has a similar problem with work?

I've been a shift worker (rotating 12 hr shifts, 2 days, 2 nights 4 off) for 16 yrs now. Physically, it sucks.

Any chance of commuting to keep the mileage up? It's a great "cheat" when you're working shift work.
 
Carrera said:
I'd like to ask any night-shift roadies how they feel about training but sleeping out of hours.
I've been working nights for almost 3 years but lately my employers have been giving me a lot of hours. I often work up to 60 - 70 hours a week, which involves staying up all night and going to bed around 8.00 a.m. I used to finish at 6.00 a.m. which was far more convenient and my body seemed to handle it better.
Most of the other night-shift-workers aren't healthy. Most smoke and eat through the night and put weight on so they become terribly unfit. Myself, I rise around 2.00 a.m. and will cycle late afternoon. I eat through the night and try to eat well (fruit, fish, brown bread, yoghurt, cereal, veg, past e.t.c.)
Having said that, research on how night work affects the body isn't positive. Researchers conclude that working nights is bad for you, increases risk of getting an ulcer or being fatigued e.t.c.
I try to keep a regular sleeping pattern but do people think nights and cycling are compatible? There are times the combination of trying to keep up with my sports while working long hours exhausts me. I took 2 days off last week as I felt exhausted.
Is there anyone who has a similar problem with work?

I drove nights for about seven years. I actually liked it, I would work from about 6 PM till 8 AM, come home, sleep for awhile, go out riding for a few hours, come home and take another nap before I headed back to work. Of course I didn't have much of a life outside of that. :)

My current job is a bit different. I start about 3 AM, put in a 12-14 hour day (very physical work), and then I'll try to get in a 30-40 mile ride in after work. I need to hit the ground running as soon as I get home, changed into cycling gear and out the door I go, if I even sit down for 20 minutes or so, I'm screwed. I usually try and shoot for 6 1/2 hours of sleep a night. But come Saturday, after my morning ride, I usually spend the day catching up on my sleep, taking multiple naps and so forth.
 
I also have been working nights as long as I can remember, I work from 8pm or 9pm to 4 or 5am. Then I have an hour drive home to work. So I try to come home unwind a little then get up about 1-2pm. I like to eat one piece of toasted wheat bread with peanut butter and jelly. Then get myself and my bike ready to ride and about 1 hour later I like to set off on my ride, and go for 20 miles or so at a cost about 1hour and 10 minutes or so. But yes, working nights is not very good for bicycling, but I make it work. The worst part is trying for contests, cause they are all during the day. I either would have to go with no sleep or ask for a day off. Oh well, I love cycling so I will not stop no matter what.
 
In my case my employers wind up giving me more hours than I can handle because most other people can't handle nights at all. Therefore, I end up covering for others. Last week they gave me 7 continuous 12 hour night shifts which comes to over 80 hours over 7 days, so I took a couple of days off and rebelled. Of course, the long hours allow me to spend money on my cycling hobby and training as a whole but I have occasionally felt washed out and knackered.
What I do try to do is black out my room completely so it's dark. I also try to keep a regular sleep pattern and even stay up pretty late on my days off to even things out. However, I felt far better when I finished at 6.00 a.m. as opposed to 8.00 a.m.
Yes, I do cycle to work and cycling is my only means of transport. Sometimes this means cycling with heavy weight-loads as I need a lot of food for a 12 hour shift.
What interests me, though, is the health aspect. Researchers say night shifts are bad for the health, although I don't see why that should be if you keep a regular sleeping pattern. I imagine that I sleep the same hours and work the same hours as the average Australian, although I may not be getting the same amount of daylight (I rose today at 4.00 p.m.)
Another point I'd like to raise is this: Have many people ever complained to employers about being overloaded with work to the point that you can hardly get in any cycling? After 12 hours I find very little time is left to do exercise so I only have time for a quick run before I'm back at work again. I rely on my free days for the longer 3 hour runs.
 
I ride best after being awake for 8-10 hours. Evening rides are so much better than morning ones
 
I work 8 to 8, one week days, one week off, one week nights, one week off. Its easier for me to ride when I'm on nights. I eat around 4:30 or 5 and when I get home around 8:15 I'm off for 30 or 40 miles. Into bed by 11 after a quick bite, blacked out room, kids know to keep quiet. Back up for dinner and off to work again. I'm lucky to have 21 days a month to ride consistently. Like others have said a healthy diet and managing your circadean rhythms can off set any troubles caused by the night shift
 
Carrera said:
In my case my employers wind up giving me more hours than I can handle because most other people can't handle nights at all. Therefore, I end up covering for others. Last week they gave me 7 continuous 12 hour night shifts which comes to over 80 hours over 7 days, so I took a couple of days off and rebelled. Of course, the long hours allow me to spend money on my cycling hobby and training as a whole but I have occasionally felt washed out and knackered.
What I do try to do is black out my room completely so it's dark. I also try to keep a regular sleep pattern and even stay up pretty late on my days off to even things out. However, I felt far better when I finished at 6.00 a.m. as opposed to 8.00 a.m.
Yes, I do cycle to work and cycling is my only means of transport. Sometimes this means cycling with heavy weight-loads as I need a lot of food for a 12 hour shift.
What interests me, though, is the health aspect. Researchers say night shifts are bad for the health, although I don't see why that should be if you keep a regular sleeping pattern. I imagine that I sleep the same hours and work the same hours as the average Australian, although I may not be getting the same amount of daylight (I rose today at 4.00 p.m.)
Another point I'd like to raise is this: Have many people ever complained to employers about being overloaded with work to the point that you can hardly get in any cycling? After 12 hours I find very little time is left to do exercise so I only have time for a quick run before I'm back at work again. I rely on my free days for the longer 3 hour runs.
one reason it is bad for health has to do with sunlight, the amount of sunlight you get a day effects the hormones your body makes, and also vitamin d, one thing that is supposed to help a lot of getting full spectrum lights and getting a lot of light from them while you are working or durring the nights, they arn't as good as real sunlight but it is supposed to help a lot
i don't work nights, but i suffer from seasonal depression and i have found that the amount of sunlight i get has a huge effect on my health and my emotions, i also have had ulcers and things and getting sunlight helpes with the depression and that helps with the ulcers healing
i don't think i could ever work a night shift and i know i could never work so many houres a day
good luck
 
You didn't mention how many nights, though, and the impression I'm getting is you do 12 hour shifts every day. If so, don't you feel tired? I tend to feel dodgy after 3 nights in a row.


rotorcaptain said:
I work 8 to 8, one week days, one week off, one week nights, one week off. Its easier for me to ride when I'm on nights. I eat around 4:30 or 5 and when I get home around 8:15 I'm off for 30 or 40 miles. Into bed by 11 after a quick bite, blacked out room, kids know to keep quiet. Back up for dinner and off to work again. I'm lucky to have 21 days a month to ride consistently. Like others have said a healthy diet and managing your circadean rhythms can off set any troubles caused by the night shift
 
moonfroggy said:
one reason it is bad for health has to do with sunlight, the amount of sunlight you get a day effects the hormones your body makes, and also vitamin d, one thing that is supposed to help a lot of getting full spectrum lights and getting a lot of light from them while you are working or durring the nights, they arn't as good as real sunlight but it is supposed to help a lot
i don't work nights, but i suffer from seasonal depression and i have found that the amount of sunlight i get has a huge effect on my health and my emotions, i also have had ulcers and things and getting sunlight helpes with the depression and that helps with the ulcers healing
i don't think i could ever work a night shift and i know i could never work so many houres a day
good luck
Seasonal depression is certainly no joke. I get it every freakin' year. Seems to set in around Thanksgiving and doesn't end until the weather breaks in the spring. My goal is to someday live in Florida so that I can get away from the miserable cold & gloomy weather here in Indiana. Prozac doesn't even seem to help much then. It doesn't suprise me at all that there are more suicides around the first of the year than any other time.
 
well i feel for you all, i start at 5.00am but i have to rise at 3.45am i cycle to and from work, this i use as my training session times, except when the weather permits, i'll ride for an hour or 2 in the evening, plus 3/4 hours on my days off luck has it i have 3 days between each of my days off which gives me quite a good recovery period after long rides. As for sleeping, i can fall asleep anywhere, earlier this week for instance. i fell asleep on the toilet, this morning i nodded of during a team briefing.

luck has it my work collegues find this amusing, the fact that i can nod of at any time or in midst of conversation. but soon as i'm within the versinity of my bike, Thats it, i'm wide awake. well unless i have had under 4hrs sleep aday which is quite often lately.
 
Carrera said:
You didn't mention how many nights, though, and the impression I'm getting is you do 12 hour shifts every day. If so, don't you feel tired? I tend to feel dodgy after 3 nights in a row.

I work 7 days at a time , twelve hour shifts, then I'm off for seven days, then I work 7 nights, twelve hour shifts, then seven off. Days are easy, but the nights can wear on me if I don't make an effort to stick to a good sleeping and eating schedule. About night 5 I find myself having to concentrate that much harder on my work, EMS helicopter pilot, but I know my limitations and have my outs. If I need to cut back the exercise for a day or two to get more rest so be it.

Chris
 
I just did a 42 hour shift. Started Saturday at 12.00 noon and finished this morning (Monday) at 6.00 a.m. Then I get a message asking me to call in this afternoon at the office but I haven't bothered. Companies don't seem to understand that it's pointless making a pile of money if your health packs in due to overload so I always find a way to make time for exercise (whether they like it or not)


rotorcaptain said:
I work 7 days at a time , twelve hour shifts, then I'm off for seven days, then I work 7 nights, twelve hour shifts, then seven off. Days are easy, but the nights can wear on me if I don't make an effort to stick to a good sleeping and eating schedule. About night 5 I find myself having to concentrate that much harder on my work, EMS helicopter pilot, but I know my limitations and have my outs. If I need to cut back the exercise for a day or two to get more rest so be it.

Chris
 
I used to suffer serious depression in my twenties but don't get it any more. I think exercise and attitude were the factors that drove it off. Plus, having a job or a routine helps a lot or just keeping occupied.
Funnily enough, the only drug that would pick me us is vodka in fizzy orange. They say alcohol is a depressant but it seems to do wonders for me. The best is red wine since scientists claim it can actually improve concentration and memory, prevent ageing, is good for the heart and an all around tonic. I imbibe at least 3 glasses of red a day and feel fine.

Doctor Morbius said:
Seasonal depression is certainly no joke. I get it every freakin' year. Seems to set in around Thanksgiving and doesn't end until the weather breaks in the spring. My goal is to someday live in Florida so that I can get away from the miserable cold & gloomy weather here in Indiana. Prozac doesn't even seem to help much then. It doesn't suprise me at all that there are more suicides around the first of the year than any other time.
 
Carrera said:
I used to suffer serious depression in my twenties but don't get it any more. I think exercise and attitude were the factors that drove it off. Plus, having a job or a routine helps a lot or just keeping occupied.
Funnily enough, the only drug that would pick me us is vodka in fizzy orange. They say alcohol is a depressant but it seems to do wonders for me. The best is red wine since scientists claim it can actually improve concentration and memory, prevent ageing, is good for the heart and an all around tonic. I imbibe at least 3 glasses of red a day and feel fine.
maybe you should give vodka with redbull a try, now theres a pick me up, or theres the ingrediants to have to get someone to pick you up...lol :D