What is the 3rd Shift?
The term 3rd shift means the night or early morning shift, which begins late at night, most often at 11 p.m. or midnight, and continues until morning early in the morning, most often until 7 or 8 a.m. This is also sometimes referred to as the ‘graveyard shift,’ about the fact that it is generally done during the night.
Who Works 3rd Shift?
There are several industries where businesses must run continuously, and therefore, have workers who willingly shift to work at night, the third shift.
Some common examples include:
- Healthcare – Patients get admitted, and nurses, doctors, technicians, and other medical employees must attend to the patients at any one time, as these facilities work round-the-clock.
- Public workers - Teachers, law enforcement, and other public workers including nurses should be awake at night to be able to attend to their duties.
- Transportation services – bus, subway and other public transportation, airports, train, etc. are working at night and may involve employees like drivers, conductors, ground crew, and security.
- Big box stores - Warehouses, distribution centers, and large stores with big inventories of products require overnight stockers, and maintenance of large equipment and machinery that continue to operate at night, thus requiring a third shift.
- hotels & hospitality – this sector consists of front desk, housekeeping, security, and many more, which need continuous staffing to attend to the guests.
- Cleaning – this activity involves washing floors, dusting shelves, cleaning fridges and shelves, and other cleaning tasks that are usually done at night because they inconvenience customers during the day. Security also works during the night.
- Media & information services – News – broadcast, IT services – Website/Server monitoring, Call center support – all of these jobs require 3rd shift work.
Apart from occupations that demand consistent all-night work, some occupations have a very high workload that cannot be managed without covering a shift all day and night. Some of the positions that may fall under this category are security guards, taxi/ride-share drivers, casino employees, etc. You can track your time using time-tracking software.
The Challenges of Working 3rd Shift
Working overnight on a long-term basis can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause health, social, and lifestyle challenges such as: Working overnight on a long-term basis can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause health, social, and lifestyle challenges such as:
- Interrupted sleep – It is challenging to take a good nap during the day because of light, noise, and family chores. This results in reduced productivity and performance and higher chances of sustaining an injury.
- Gastrointestinal problems – It becomes complicated to eat and digest food during the day and sleep at night, resulting in ulcers, constipation, obesity, or gain weight.
- Long-term night shift work poses a threat to one's health especially due to the following effects:
- Family-related challenges – depending on the time it takes to attend family functions, children's activities are very hard. Relationship stress often results.
- Social isolation – It is sad because one cannot relate with people due to our day-night cycle friends and family.
- Risk of accidents – Fatigue and disturbing the natural day-night cycle also enhance the probability of both workplace and car accidents.
Coping with Working Overnight
For those necessary to work the 3rd shift, the following strategies can help reduce health and lifestyle impacts:
- Strict adherence to a sleep schedule and the environment – Avoid disturbing factors like light and noise during day naps that should take 7-8 hours. Think about buying a heavy curtain to block out light completely or using a white noise maker.
- Rational napping - Sleep at certain times when body energy is low, more so during odd hours when there is work to be done.
- Light therapy - This involves exposure to bright light at the right intervals; this helps to manipulate the brain thus creating a proper rhythm.
- Nutrition – Selecting vegetables, grains, and meats that would help in the normal running of the metabolism and digestion of food is also a positive attribute.
- Exercise – Aerobic exercise and physical activity ensure that energy levels are kept high and disease levels countered.
- Being sociable – trying to be active, and remain connected to family and friends at least in terms of communication even if one works in shifts helps to banish loneliness.
Although working at night entails many issues, timing, and coordination of sleep, diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors can significantly lower the long-term repercussions of such a schedule. A few citizens even opt for the regular everyday schedule since the shifts are relatively shorter compared to rotating shifts plus there is an allowance for shift differential pay. Knowing how to address your requirements is vital to support not only an exciting 3rd shift occupation.
