Sleep loss and depression, is there a way to mitigate the symptoms?

[Canard]

I work third shift for a couple days and its a regular thing twice a week so I'm able to prepare for it ahead of time. However, there are times when the only other person willing to work 3rd shift becomes incapacitated. When this happens, its either a call to me to fill the gap or, most likely, either have the store manager work or pay someone overtime hours. Recently though I was in such a situation. I've had no notice and was asked to show up then, on the spot. I agreed on the condition that I work only as long as someone else can come in, but no longer then 2 or 3 hours as I was already tired after working at my other job and was already ready to go to sleep. Nobody came to relieve me and I ended up working the entire shift. After the 5th hour, physical condition aside, my mental condition was bad and worsening the longer I stayed up. I was starting to feel that nothing I do will amount to anything, that anything I try to accomplish will fail, I'll never have an SO and be alone for the rest of my life and so on. It got to the point where by the time I finally was able to clock out and head home I felt that I didn't want to go to sleep because that would mean that tomorrow would get here sooner and it'd just be worse then today was. I only slept at all because I was just so overwhelmingly tired. I couldn't even get a full sleep in because I had another job to attend to as well. During THAT shift I couldn't even pretend to be hospitable to customers, I was just kind of angry and tired.

So I'm wondering if there's a way to mitigate these symptoms should something unexpected like that happen. I suppose, if anything at all, I should stand up for myself and assert where my limits stand. However, I believe a lack of communications between involved parties played a part. Still, I do not want to enter a state like that again. Currently, it is not feasible to quit that job. However, it's clear that I can't just show up on no warning at all and work a whole shift.

I do feel that I can't maintain that kind of shift work. Try as I might though, it's very hard for me to get a job anywhere around here. I also want to focus on college and make that a full-time thing, but I also need an income to support myself. I'm really hoping that college study helps find a way to be able to fully support myself in the future, as nigh impossible as that may be in America.

 

[osher]

Canard, one cannot overestimate importance of proper regular sleep. I got really sick (larynx infection) just because i didn't get enough regular sleep in the last month and that is mostly because of work related stress. I also couldn't stand for my rights/be assertive, couldn't quit neither and now i'm paying the price.
Are you aware of importance of things like melatonine supplementation, eating hours/diet in general, LED displays usage limitation, exercise, EE, to get you a chance of proper sleep?

 

[Gaby]

Are you aware of importance of things like melatonine supplementation, eating hours/diet in general, LED displays usage limitation, exercise, EE, to get you a chance of proper sleep?

This is very important, even if hard to implement. Melatonin will help you feel rested on those days you're not working during the night.

If you are very tired during your work, you can have a bottle of water with vitamin C. It helps with adrenal fatigue. Just make sure you don't have iron overload. You can check that with a blood analysis testing for transferrin, total iron binding capacity, ferritin and iron.

Above all, stick to the diet faithfully.

 

[Magpie]

I work third shift for a couple days and its a regular thing twice a week so I'm able to prepare for it ahead of time. However, there are times when the only other person willing to work 3rd shift becomes incapacitated. When this happens, its either a call to me to fill the gap or, most likely, either have the store manager work or pay someone overtime hours. Recently though I was in such a situation. I've had no notice and was asked to show up then, on the spot. I agreed on the condition that I work only as long as someone else can come in, but no longer then 2 or 3 hours as I was already tired after working at my other job and was already ready to go to sleep. Nobody came to relieve me and I ended up working the entire shift. After the 5th hour, physical condition aside, my mental condition was bad and worsening the longer I stayed up. I was starting to feel that nothing I do will amount to anything, that anything I try to accomplish will fail, I'll never have an SO and be alone for the rest of my life and so on. It got to the point where by the time I finally was able to clock out and head home I felt that I didn't want to go to sleep because that would mean that tomorrow would get here sooner and it'd just be worse then today was. I only slept at all because I was just so overwhelmingly tired. I couldn't even get a full sleep in because I had another job to attend to as well. During THAT shift I couldn't even pretend to be hospitable to customers, I was just kind of angry and tired.

So I'm wondering if there's a way to mitigate these symptoms should something unexpected like that happen. I suppose, if anything at all, I should stand up for myself and assert where my limits stand. However, I believe a lack of communications between involved parties played a part. Still, I do not want to enter a state like that again. Currently, it is not feasible to quit that job. However, it's clear that I can't just show up on no warning at all and work a whole shift.

I do feel that I can't maintain that kind of shift work. Try as I might though, it's very hard for me to get a job anywhere around here. I also want to focus on college and make that a full-time thing, but I also need an income to support myself. I'm really hoping that college study helps find a way to be able to fully support myself in the future, as nigh impossible as that may be in America.

Hello Canard,
Operating at maximum potential when we are tired is practically impossible, and then having all your doubts and fears feast upon you because your defenses are literally exhausted can certainly lead to that depressed feeling. I'm sorry you got cornered into accepting the extra shift. I do have a question about that though. It would seem to me that your employer wouldn't want to risk having an employee that is exhausted to the point of compromising their job performance, so would it make sense to speak to your employer about the fact that no one came to relieve you as promised? Or would your employer even listen? You said that the only solution when the other 3rd shift person calls out-is to have the manager cover it, or pay someone else overtime....why did you feel like you couldn't allow either of those two options to play out? If you knew you were tired already, wouldn't it just make sense to let the manager cover? Did you accept because you needed the money? Or because you felt guilty about being a good employee and didn't want to disappoint your boss?

It seems perhaps, there are two issues: the first being better communication with your employer regarding the scheduling, and then the actual health/diet aspect for you. The first issue, you might not have a lot of control over. If this is a job you need right now, and are unable to find other employment, then perhaps you will have to make the best of a bad situation. However, the diet and health end of things-you are able to control.
I second osher's inquiry...what things are you doing right now to help with overall diet and health?
Please be encouraged that there are a lot of options out there. It's always darkest before the dawn. You will get through this too. Networking can really help sort out your feelings as well.

Hang in there

 

[Gaby]

FWIW, here is a useful article:

Depression: Why not start with a nutritional solution?
http://www.sott.net/article/293883-Depression-Why-not-start-with-a-nutritional-solution

 

[riclapaz]

Hi Canard, I agree with Magpie , so you see a dialogue with your employer, exposing first performance you in the company has decreased due to the surcharge of work hours, and this would affect the success and development of the company, many managers when they see at risk the gains of the company, so if seeking solutions, one see that you make them to know, and do not seek a solution, I would think to seek some other employment, you mention that this is difficult, it could just be aware if out there goes a job? while you are in this situation seconded the advice already given.

 

[Canard]

Thank you for the advice. The reason why there was such pressure on me to go was because the store there's only two people at all willing to work 3rd shift, further, there isn't a lot of people to cover positions. The main employees usually sit at 40 hours and typically, the company strongly controls against overtime, The rest either don't or can't.

I've experimented a little with melatonin but with mixed results. When I used it the first time it actually got my mind in a weird place, not bad, just kind of bordering on dream-mode and waking mode before I finally fell asleep. Then another time I found I couldn't sleep much while on it. Then another I had this thing where it almost seemed like I was intercepting someone else thoughts or a communication with someone? I wasn't paying too much mind to the actual conversation because for the most part it seems like it was a private conversation with either them-self or someone around them. Oddly, that terminated abruptly in what sounded like a radio being turned off. For that moment however, it seemed I was accidentally eavesdropping on someones thoughts, I'm not sure I could explain better. Mostly though, melatonin hindered my ability to sleep, Gave me some dreams too of mixed variety. For that one time I actually woke up feeling refreshed for what seems like in forever sense that's happened.

I didn't think about doing exercise, but I'm not sure if I should do it while already tired. I think its something I should do anyway. Though my room isn't big and I don't have much of a yard, I'm sure I can find something to do though. Even a walk outside is beneficial in some way, right?

I've hard LED displays can cause sleep disruption because they are a mostly cooler temp of light? Any of the LED's I see usually are. My computer monitors, I think, are fluorescent backlit but I don't know for sure.

I don't buy the food where I live and unfortunately, eating healthy is costly. I DO try and stay away from sugary things in general though. After I changed things up a bit after I found out what I was doing to myself in my first job I kind of make it a point to watch my sugar intake. I think whats odd about that though is after I quit drinking soda so much, not only did lose a bunch of weight but sometimes soda just plain tastes bad. I can't even tolerate drinking too much anymore. If I get thirsty though I usually have some water around. Other then that I don't have any particular dietary controls other then keeping away from sugary stuff. It's too bad that it seems everything is so sugary now!

EE I don't practice, I live with others and usually in a more confined area. I'm hoping to change my place of residence soon though so I should have greater flexibility. I don't want to bother the two other people here and my own room isn't very private or open enough to do anything with. My future living space, while shared with others still, should be a bit more open and allow for more stuff to be done. I have high hopes that the new situation will bring an overall improvement to my health and wellbeing, if different. Though I should, at least, meditate daily. I actually don't know how to meditate and just guess. Searching the internet for related material seems to be very mixed.

In regards to why I didn't stand up for myself then, it's a few things. First thing on my mind was that the person I was covering for was injured and needed help. He's the kind of person that takes his job seriously so he didn't want to leave his post, even with a hole in his leg. The person that he was taking over for in the shift-change was already bordering on overtime hours and has a heart condition, he actually used to work 3rd shift himself but he developed a condition where he heart wasn't beating in the proper sequence or strong enough. So I agreed that I'd work for a couple hours if someone can take over for me. I didn't just get the store manager because she seems so stressed, other employees too are very careful not to involve her out of concern for her heath and well-being. I was also under the impression that someone would come in at around 4 AM, but they didn't. Another employee came in early but wasn't briefed on the situation adequately, to further complicate things the bosses bosses boss was coming by so she needed someone to help finish up things. She could see however that I was beat, not sure if she really understood the extent. When his shift was finally over the store manager came in and she wasn't even made aware of what was going on either, nobody had told her so she was surprised at my presence. Took her a bit to realize it too. Another employee said that if I got too tired to call her and she'd fill in... but by the time I assumed someone would come (and didn't), I figured that someone would come in soon anyway but it wasn't until 5AM. Turns out THAT employee is actually going through a difficult time herself and could use the rest but I didn't know that at the time. When the person came in I was expecting to be relieved but instead I was directed to do some small things to tidy up, which eventually turned into more longer tasks(because of prep-work for boss visit I mentioned.). Through that time my mental state was already in decline and I stopped caring. Which is when the shift end at 7AM happened.

The person I covered for, as far as I've heard required 6 staples. At least he's cleared for work though.

As for looking for other jobs, I'll try to see what's out there, I'll need something with flexible hours because I don't have any details on the happenings with the college yet. I need to make a few calls and gather some paperwork.

 

[Paragon]

I've hard LED displays can cause sleep disruption because they are a mostly cooler temp of light? Any of the LED's I see usually are. My computer monitors, I think, are fluorescent backlit but I don't know for sure.

Hi Canard,

Sorry to hear of the troubles you are having.

Regarding the computer monitor issue, I found a great tool to use, courtesy of a member here actually, Divide By Zero if I remember correctly (apologies if I am mistaken!).

It's called "flux' and it is able to change the colour temperature of your monitor display for much better viewing at times when the body is gearing up for sleep, so as to not interfere as much with this regulation of hormones.

_https://justgetflux.com

 

[Gaby]

Canard, make sure to stay away from gluten and dairy, MSG, processed foods... It is cheaper in the long term to make dietary efforts. You might find out it is not that costly. If you can't afford organic, you'll still benefit from eliminating soy, corn and so forth.

As for melatonin, try a dose of 0.25 or 0.5mg maximum. Specially if you have mixed results. You start with the lowest dose and make your way up depending on the results you get.

As for exercise, yes. It is very important. You can mentally recite the PotS while you are walking, ideally on a natural setting. I do 24 hour shifts very often and have found that doing exercise and keeping touch with nature is essential. Later, you sleep better.

If you don't have the opportunity to do EE, you can at least do PotS before falling asleep, even if you pipe breath through the first phrase before you fall asleep. Pipe breathing is something you can do while working or walking. It is really very helpful.

Sleep on a dark room. Ideally naps should be taken on a dark room too.

My 2 cents!