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My friend worked a job for the past three years that was high pressure, demanding, super long hours and had an onsite sleep shift as well. He would basically get 2-4 hours of sleep per night for 4 days per week and then have to work 8-16 hour days on that. He would typically get a little more sleep on his three days off, but he found his sleep cycle was still messed up on his days off and he was still not getting enough. I told him for the past two years I could see him turning into a nut job and the job was killing him. The guy basically ran on nerves for three years.
So long story short, he finally had enough and quit this position (slavery is what it was). He told me for the first week being home, he had interrupted sleep. But now for the past month or so, he's been sleeping 8-12 hours per day with a few naps. And the most amazing thing is, he seems WORSE. The guys my best friend and I know him. He's angry, short tempered, no energy and ready to snap at anyone in a second.
So after all that, my question is, generally how long will it take for someone to reset and feel normal after working on lack of sleep for three years. He's been out of his old job for about 7 weeks now. Any ideas?
I brought this to attention and he agreed, he's messed up. He told me it's like the last three years all finally hit him. He feels different too. He said he spoke to an old co-worker who did the same position he did, but for only 18 months and they told him it was a year till they felt normal??? A year?
I managed a convenience store for a while, and usually worked 12 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I did it for 18 months with no day off. When I quit, I slept for a month...every time I woke up, I took Nyquil and went back to sleep (this was back when my husband still knew how to cook simple meals for himself...now I'd never be able to take a month to sleep because he says he can't work the stove). After that month of sleep, I felt much better.
Does your friend have another job yet? Is he stressed out if he doesn't? Angry, short tempered, no energy and ready to snap at anyone sounds like depression, at least the symptoms men have when they're depressed.
It can take a year or so to reset your body clock when it gets that scrambled. I had similar issues about 10 years ago. What really worked for me was to train my body to sleep for 8 hours. I would go to bed at the same time every night whether I was tired or not. I made that time exactly 8 hours before I needed to be up to go to work in the morning. I set an alarm and got up in the morning at the same time 7 days a week.
If I needed it I would take a short nap in the afternoon when I got home from work.
To help me get to sleep I took Chamomile and Valerian tea and for a time (and very carefully) Kava Kava supplement an hour before bed time to help me to relax. If I dd not fall asleep I stayed in bed anyway and no matter how late it was when I finally fell asleep I got up at the same time the next morning. No hitting the snooze alarm. Get up and out f bed as soon as the alarm goes off.
Like I said it took me about a year to get my body trained but now I can pretty reliably go to bed 8 hours before I want to wake up and be up without needing an alarm in the morning.
My friend worked a job for the past three years that was high pressure, demanding, super long hours and had an onsite sleep shift as well. He would basically get 2-4 hours of sleep per night for 4 days per week and then have to work 8-16 hour days on that. He would typically get a little more sleep on his three days off, but he found his sleep cycle was still messed up on his days off and he was still not getting enough. I told him for the past two years I could see him turning into a nut job and the job was killing him. The guy basically ran on nerves for three years.
So long story short, he finally had enough and quit this position (slavery is what it was). He told me for the first week being home, he had interrupted sleep. But now for the past month or so, he's been sleeping 8-12 hours per day with a few naps. And the most amazing thing is, he seems WORSE. The guys my best friend and I know him. He's angry, short tempered, no energy and ready to snap at anyone in a second.
So after all that, my question is, generally how long will it take for someone to reset and feel normal after working on lack of sleep for three years. He's been out of his old job for about 7 weeks now. Any ideas?
I brought this to attention and he agreed, he's messed up. He told me it's like the last three years all finally hit him. He feels different too. He said he spoke to an old co-worker who did the same position he did, but for only 18 months and they told him it was a year till they felt normal??? A year?
That is a really long time to get so little sleep, it is really a wonder he didn't become psychotic and have to be hospitalized. I think it might take him awhile to get back to his old self.
So long story short, he finally had enough and quit this position (slavery is what it was). He told me for the first week being home, he had interrupted sleep. But now for the past month or so, he's been sleeping 8-12 hours per day with a few naps. And the most amazing thing is, he seems WORSE. The guys my best friend and I know him. He's angry, short tempered, no energy and ready to snap at anyone in a second.
So after all that, my question is, generally how long will it take for someone to reset and feel normal after working on lack of sleep for three years. He's been out of his old job for about 7 weeks now. Any ideas?
Ah the joys of oversleeping.
I just wanted to say that when I sleep TOO much (>7 hours/day, take naps, etc.) I ALWAYS feel worse. I have no energy, I'm angry and cranky (thus the snapping, which my husband loves LOL), I'm so obviously out of it (cannot recall words very well, slow-to-speak) and I physically look worse (dark circles are so bad I look like I've been punched in the face.)
Your friend should get checked out by a doctor once he hits the two month mark. He could have an underlying medical condition, maybe something as simple as it being sleep-related. (He's not depressed, is it?) If there's nothing too abnormal in his workup, he can always go for a sleep study. Something could be out of whack but if he can force himself to get up and go, he should.
He should establish and keep regular sleeping habits, as shadowfax mentioned.
By sleeping too much now, that is the habit he is establishing and few people do well with it.
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