# Midshift



## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

My current schedule is 2230-0700, and it rotates every 6 weeks to days/swings/mids. That being said, does anyone have any pointers/advice on adjusting to a rotating schedule like that? I realize it's going to be a part of my future as a potential LEO and I'd like to be able to function without feeling like the walking dead on my days off. Most of the guys in my shop either pop a couple Ambien or down a 6 pack or two, but I like to save that for my days off


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

USMCMP5811 said:


> Nothing like letting the body get used to a set schedule... That being said, smash the company car into something because you "Fell Asleep" should help the argument.....


LMAO although I think that could land me some additional duties and some nice paperwork!


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## niteowl1970 (Jul 7, 2009)

USAF286 said:


> walking dead on my days off. Most of the guys in my shop either pop a couple Ambien or down a 6 pack or two







Stay away from the Ambien.


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## lofu (Feb 25, 2006)

On my first day off I try to get a couple hour power nap in when I first get home. Then I force myself to get up, down a couple 5 Hour Energy throughout the day, power through till About 2300 and then go to bed like a normal human being. 

On my first day back to work, I try to get a nap in from about 2000-2300 before work at 0000.


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## frapmpd24 (Sep 3, 2004)

niteowl1970 said:


> Stay away from the Ambien.


Just ask Patches Kennedy about that evil stuff, you might go out for a late night drive and the cops think your drunk. A Kennedy liquored up? I would never believe it.

Between two departments and 12+ years, I am on my third stint on Mids, this time by choice for a lengthy school commitment, so here's my advice.

If you have the opportunity for OT, try to work it on your scheduled days, so nights off you can get a full night sleep. On your nights off, if possible and you have nothing scheduled, sleep until your body wakes you up. If it's the crack of Noon, so be it, take advantage of the down time.

If you can have both, or at least one, day off, take it easy during the day, do errands, go to the gym, take a walk, get some sun (Vitamin D) live somewhat normal, and recharge.

If you don't find a balance that works, you'll burn your self out quick. If it means getting sleep over working a lot of overtime, go for the sleep.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

lofu said:


> On my first day off I try to get a couple hour power nap in when I first get home. Then I force myself to get up, down a couple 5 Hour Energy throughout the day, power through till About 2300 and then go to bed like a normal human being.
> 
> On my first day back to work, I try to get a nap in from about 2000-2300 before work at 0000.


This is pretty much how I do it also... although I normally work 1800 - 0500, not counting overtime.


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## Rock (Mar 20, 2005)

1800-0500??? What kind of shift is that?


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

Rock said:


> 1800-0500??? What kind of shift is that?


The officers on my watch work 12 hours shifts. As a watch commander, I work 10 hour shifts, although I always seem to be at least an hour overtime.


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2012)

Back in the dark days when I worked a first/last split schedule, I just found it easier to pretty much maintain a vampire lifestyle....even on my days off, I would be awake until 3-4am, and would sleep well into the afternoon. Your body can adjust to a different schedule, as long as it's consistent.

Then again, I was in my 20's, single, and living alone back then. That strategy probably wouldn't work for me right now.


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## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

Come to the Red Side, sleep won't be an issue


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## adroitcuffs (Jun 3, 2006)

It boggles my mind that any agency involved in public safety still uses rotating shifts. It's one thing to change every 4 or 6 months, but shorter rotations bite. At 6 weeks, your body has likely settled into a schedule & then **slam** into a different clock. One station I worked at, near the beginning of my career, rotated every day: 2200 - 0600 for 2 days, 1400 - 2200 for 2 days, 0600 - 1400 for one day, then 2 days off. My body was so confused that even my days off sucked. The reality is that working that kind of shift is flat out dangerous.

I agree with avoiding the Ambien. If you really must take something, try melatonin supplements. Ambien just has too many dangerous side effects, IMHO.


*****


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

adroitcuffs said:


> It boggles my mind that any agency involved in public safety still uses rotating shifts. It's one thing to change every 4 or 6 months, but shorter rotations bite. At 6 weeks, your body has likely settled into a schedule & then **slam** into a different clock.


I agree, especially with all the sleep related studies done over the years.


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

When I worked the mids, I used to go right to sleep when I got home, sleep for 3-4 hours until the late morning/early afternoon. Then I would get up, do my errands, exercise, etc., then take a power nap for a couple hours before my shift. Seemed to work okay for me, but by my last day on, I was definitely dragging a little bit. 

As far as the rotating schedule, I think that's really counterproductive to letting guys settle in and get used to their shifts.


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

mtc said:


> They make you do 6 weeks days, 6 weeks "eves" then 6 weeks Mids?
> 
> OMG are they trying to kill you?
> 
> ...


Yeah, so once you get used to a certain shift..you switch.


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

LECSniper said:


> I think that surviving Mids is a case by case basis. I know NOBODY who can live as well as I do on my sleep/work schedule. I require very little sleep. Always have since I was a pup. Not sure the Ambien/six pack story is the best place to post in a public forum though. Just my .02


Yeah..I didn't think that through. 0602 isn't my best time of day


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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

Don't like the idea of swings but LOOOOOOOOVE my last/first or so called long/short day schedule!!! I nap before the mid then come home and sleep for 4 or 5 hours during the day to return to work for the eve shift. Then home to sleep before my pay job in the morning and repeat from the beginning.


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

fra444 said:


> Don't like the idea of swings but LOOOOOOOOVE my last/first or so called long/short day schedule!!! I nap before the mid then come home and sleep for 4 or 5 hours during the day to return to work for the eve shift. Then home to sleep before my pay job in the morning and repeat from the beginning.


I loved the alternating shift. Wonder how many departments still have it?

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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

Newton, Fall River I know for sure do it.


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2012)

cc3915 said:


> I loved the alternating shift. Wonder how many departments still have it?


I liked it when I was in my 20's, but I don't think I'd like it too much now.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

Who ever decided that rotating shifts was a good idea, or wanted to be FAIR was an idiot. You get on a shift, you stay on the shift for a bit and you get into the groove. If after a year or so (whenever your department puts up shift bids) then you can try something different, but this changing every 6 weeks is for the birds and to continue it should be fought as cruel and unnecessary punishment.

At my department you can easilly spot the people with the most seniority, we're all on the overnight shift because we LIKE it. I've done about 25 years there and have no desire to work days at this juncture. There are exceptions but even a few of them only changed because of something at home made them.

You get into the routine, you settle down, you do fine. Changing allows no real adjustment.

Does Northeastern still do the rotation bit?


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

fra444 said:


> Don't like the idea of swings but LOOOOOOOOVE my last/first or so called long/short day schedule!!! I nap before the mid then come home and sleep for 4 or 5 hours during the day to return to work for the eve shift. Then home to sleep before my pay job in the morning and repeat from the beginning.


I'm not bright enough to be able to keep it straight. I'd end up sleeping when I was supposed to be at work, forgetting it was my short day or showing up on time off. Straight shifts are all I can handle. Even if we did first half/last half, I'd be on a straight shift, days. I'd be unemployed.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

I started out on two days, two mids. Felt like shit but thank God I was 21.


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## HPD46 (May 13, 2012)

12s are the way to go, 7p to 7a and 7a to 7p - 4 on and 4 off, i would much rather work mids, im not a morning person at all!


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

HPD46 said:


> 12s are the way to go, 7p to 7a and 7a to 7p - 4 on and 4 off, i would much rather work mids, im not a morning person at all!


Yeah we used to do 12 hour shifts..4 on 2 off and we had to stop because people were doing DUMB shit due to lack of sleep and just being mentally/physically drained.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

I take details just before and just after my shift. 12 hour days would eat into my income, but I can see the benefit of them. AND PLEASE don't say, "You can work on your days off!!" I do NOT KNOW the university exists on my days off and I like it that way.


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## HPD46 (May 13, 2012)

USAF286 said:


> Yeah we used to do 12 hour shifts..4 on 2 off and we had to stop because people were doing DUMB shit due to lack of sleep and just being mentally/physically drained.


yea 4 on and 2 off would suck. but 4 and 4 is nice, and there are alot of different ways to do it. the FD by far has the best shift though, they do 24s and work 1 on 2 off then 1 on and 4 off... 



Kilvinsky said:


> I take details just before and just after my shift. 12 hour days would eat into my income, but I can see the benefit of them. AND PLEASE don't say, "You can work on your days off!!" I do NOT KNOW the university exists on my days off and I like it that way.


haha yea thats true, i didnt think of that. i dont have alot of gas left in me to want to work more than 12hrs at a time, although i have done 18s and 16s for overtime, just sucks you have to be right back in...


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

How many people here found the 1600-0000 people loved that shift and HATED 0000-0800, and vice versa? When I started over twenty-something years ago I was on 4p-Mids and loved it. Only thing hated was the midnight-shift jerks who banged out and forced OT.
I have worked Mids at one agency for couple years and wanted to kill myself. Recently we used to do the 4/3 and 3/4 days on/off (12 hour shifts). Then new management decided the "panama schedule" with 3/2 & 2/3 days on/off was better for fair and equitable exposure to incentive pays and reduce OT. I don't know how the Midnight guys are still alive...


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## niteowl1970 (Jul 7, 2009)

2300-0700 for me by choice. Less brass walking around and shift differential. I've been on 3rd for almost 10 years and my sleep cycle is like Frankenstein's monster.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

I actually started on a swing shift after break in, two days, two mids back to back. I felt subhuman and to this day I hate both shifts. Days are full of BS complains, MVA's, past B&E's and medical calls. If I had an affinity for the medical field past helping a fellow officer, i'd have become a doctor.

Eves were definitely the best because the shift was so busy with arrests that before you knew it, the shift was over. You wake up the next day and have the whole morning to go to the gym and get stuff done before heading to back work. You go in ready for the adventure of the shift, it's perfect for people who like to work, not the ROD guys.

Mids, on the other hand suck! You can't get good sleep, you feel like shit all of the time and you just want to get though the last half of the shift without being bothered because your eyes feel like you've been OC'd and rubbed with sand. It's a necessary evil, though, when you need to finish up school and/or make money on the detail trail. Plus, when something bad happens, it's FUBAR and you're writing your report thinking, i'm gonna get my ass kicked on the stand by some fucking pretty boy atty. who would've shit himself and puked had he seen that crash in person. He's asleep right now...fuck it...this report is two pages, max. I hope that stupid drunk thrashing in the cell block knocks himself out. Twenty minutes later...great, he's asleep too


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## Herrdoktor (Jun 23, 2010)

Midnight shift here is 2100-0700 and I love it. I get plenty of sleep, go to the gym etc. I have enough days off that I can get back to a 'normal' for a two or three days before switching back to vampire mode.

5 on, 4 off, 5 on, 4off, 5 on, 5 off


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

USAF286 said:


> Yeah we used to do 12 hour shifts..4 on 2 off and we had to stop because people were doing DUMB shit due to lack of sleep and just being mentally/physically drained.


Why were you guys working a 4 and 2 on 12 hour shifts? That makes 48 hours in a work week. The whole idea behind 12 hour shifts is to work less days a week, not more.

We've had a 4/10 and 3/12 schedule for about 10 years now and everybody loves it. We don't work the details you guys have although overtime is pretty easy to get with crime scenes, perimeters, arrests, etc.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

LGriffin said:


> Eves were definitely the best because the shift was so busy with arrests that before you knew it, the shift was over. You wake up the next day and have the whole morning to go to the gym and get stuff done before heading to back work. You go in ready for the adventure of the shift, it's perfect for people who like to work, not the ROD guys.
> 
> Mids, on the other hand suck! You can't get good sleep, you feel like shit all of the time and you just want to get though the last half of the shift without being bothered because your eyes feel like you've been OC'd and rubbed with sand. It's a necessary evil, though, when you need to finish up school and/or make money on the detail trail.too.
> 
> ...


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

LA Copper said:


> Why were you guys working a 4 and 2 on 12 hour shifts? That makes 48 hours in a work week. The whole idea behind 12 hour shifts is to work less days a week, not more.
> 
> We've had a 4/10 and 3/12 schedule for about 10 years now and everybody loves it. We don't work the details you guys have although overtime is pretty easy to get with crime scenes, perimeters, arrests, etc.


Haha I know but the USAF doesn't care they just say shut up and color


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

HPD46 said:


> the FD by far has the best shift though, they do 24s and work 1 on 2 off then 1 on and 4 off...


Yep and they get to sleep while at work, watch tv, wash their cars, have a nice sit down meal while it is still warm and no one complains.


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## HPD46 (May 13, 2012)

Ain't that the truth ^


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

x


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## cousteau (Oct 31, 2011)

Before my LE career, I worked a few years 1900-0300, then 0700-1500. Went back to school full time days and worked various shifts full time. Finished school and worked mid-0800 and then worked for a contactor from 0830-whenever. Slept 4 hrs, and did it again. Started LE on mids for 3-4 years, then 2 years 1200-0800 (worst shift ever) Then settled in on 1600-0000 for the past 7 years or so. 1600-0000 is by far the best in my case. Days are not for me as there is too much brass who are not on the same page as each other or the patrolmen. Needless to say, I have had sleep problems over the years. Went to doctor about a year ago and was prescribed 1/2 ambien on as needed basis. Body and mind finally settled down and I have not taken one in months and sleep regularly now, sometimes 10 hours straight, which has not happened in years. I will say it may not be for everyone. (ambien) But do see your doctor, as that's why they go to school for so long. It literally changed my life for the better. I see the family a little less but I spend a lot of family time with days off, comp time, vac time, etc. And during that time with them, my kids and wife have noticed that dad is not grumpy much. Quality over quantity. My younger days I thought any time sleeping meant I was missing something. It was my sanity, now regained.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

I did 1800-0200 for a few years in the days before cable TV and VCRs. I enjoyed the shift, but the wind down time SUCKED. Crappy movies, rebroadcasts of the news and test patterns. When I got up, all that was on was GENERAL HOSPITAL.

I was never closer to jumping off the Tobin Bridge in my life. Then the overnight shift opened up and I've NEVER looked back.


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## topcop14 (Jul 13, 2004)

Been working 2300-0700 for just about 10 years straight. The A&E series the Walking Dead is based on me.


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## cc3915 (Mar 26, 2004)

Never a fan of mids, but worked plenty of them on OT. Eves was my favorite shift. Lots of activity and details on the day shift. Kind of tough on a young family though, but it can work with reg days off, VAC and Per days.


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## topcop14 (Jul 13, 2004)

Same at my place MTC, I work with some of the best people on my job on Mids but I am burnt out.


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