Rules for Gaveyard Shift Survival

I have had several people ask me how I manage to live this backward life of the graveyard shift. So, I decided to post a few of my rules here, hoping that they may be of benefit to someone on this planet. If you have any additional rules that you think should be added, please comment on this post and I will definitely consider adding them at a later time...........here we go.

#1. The day is not over, and the new day does not begin, until you wake up. e.g. right now by a calendar standard, it is 0300 on Monday morning. However, it is still SUNDAY NIGHT.

#2. The two hour rule: when I come home from work, I get to sleep for a minimum of two hours, uninterrupted. Exceptions: kids have to go to school, house is on fire, one of the kids has a laceration that will require staples or sutures, or the dog has eaten the cat for a midmorning snack.

#3. Perfect the sleeping area. You should have the following: a fan, blackout curtains, a door that closes, earplugs, and plenty of blankets and pillows. The fan will make lots of white noise, which will block out the everyday sounds. Blackout curtains help fool your body into going right to sleep when you get home. A door that closes to keep the kids and animals out of your sleeping area as much as possible. Significant others are permitted at all times.

#4. Earplugs - keeps the kids and animals out of your head.

#5. TURN OFF THE PHONE!!!!!! There is nothing worse than a phone ringing all day long. I am very fortunate in that I have two cell phones. I turn off the ringer on my personal cell phone when I go to bed. I leave my work cell phone on all the time. That way, if there is a problem, the Mrs. has a way to get a hold of me, as does the school if my oldest decides to stuff himself in a gym locker again. If your mom or dad calls, IGNORE IT. Corollary: call them 12 hours later than they call you, especially around 0200. It only takes about once, and it won't happen again.

#6. If you live in an area with a lot of people that come to your door on a regular basis, you may want to try a sign on the front door with something similar to this wording: "One of the residents that lives here works a night shift schedule. Please do not ring the doorbell or knock on the door"

#7. Avoid coffee/caffeine after midnight...there are a ton of studies on this one. Avoid the Cherry Coke at 0300. Walk around your desk or work area instead.

#8. (one of my personal favorites). Get an iPod (or something like it). Load up a CD with music that is relaxing to you, and that will help you right now. Example.....right now, Hoobastank is playing on my iPod as I'm typing this - not the best choice for nappy time. Load up the Norah Jones or the Beethoven, and you are in business.

#9. The most important one....GET A ROUTINE DOWN AND STAY WITH IT. Here is part of mine. When I get home about 0530, Abby (the cat) usually meets me by the front door. I stop and give her a little love after I take off my boots and leave them next to the door. I look into the kids' bedrooms, and then head back to our bedroom. I brush my teeth, and then rub my face with cold water three times, up and down and pat dry with my big fluffy towel. If anything else needs doing while in the bathroom, then do it now. Having a full bladder wake you up just sucks. Change into comfy pajamas and head for bed. Sometimes make a quick email check or update my Facebook status, other times just get under the blankets. I always tap the Mrs. and let her know that I am home and in bed. Sometimes it's just a sleepy okay, other times its a kiss...her call. But I always tell her. The one time that I didn't let her know, I was still sore a week later.