midnight shift coming in may/june, a few ?'s

[GS67]

routine goes ass backwards during the ol' night shift. i will work 10pm to 6 am. i still live 1 hour away from work & my gym is in the city i work so i really have to work out at 615am after work. also have a 15 month old baby & if left home early instead, that would cut into my time w/ her so 615 am it is.
i will be done with the weights round 715- 730 & drive back home(consuming PW shake on the way) get home around 820-830 & go to sleep shortly after. what should i consume as a PW meal when i get home? i have read pros /cons to eat a regular PW meal when i am about to sleep. what do yuo guys think with this DC training? do i get the fats in with cottage cheese still or do i opt for the chicken & big bowl of cherrios? i do not know.

also, anyone know of a good sleep remedy since i usually have trouble sleeping during the day? i usually go through 2 bottles of tylenol pm a shift but there has to be a better, healthier way..

[GS67]

dc, also email me @ [email protected] or [email protected]
want to ask you something

[mobsta]

dam good post raul.. dont mean to hijack this post but i work out in the morning about 545am-6am ,, i wake up about 445am all i could drink is a shake (100% ion) w/ glutamine mixed in water,, the thing is with me also is that i have a weak stomach,, as soon as i drink the protein its off to drop off the kids,, would you recommend anything ?

[GS67]

I always frink the PW shake, not a prob. but i am mainly concerned with the PW meal & eating what i need but not something that might influence fat to be stored as i sleep.

[Kane]

I've been working those same hours for years and it takes awhile to get used to. I train in the afternoon after I wake up but I take in my last meal at 6am.
If you're fairly lean and fat isn't an issue then do as Raul already suggested.
As far as sleeping goes..try blacking out your bedroom. Have absolutely no sunlight coming into the room while you sleep. It'll help trust me...The biggest obstacle for me getting any sleep is noise. Just normal everday shit... traffic, landscaping equipment etc. I tried ear plugs but I can't stand those things.

[1369phil]

I've doing a variety of shifts all of my adult life - that and long hours (always nice to start in the morning and finish work the next morning - anything less than 20 hours doesnt count as a long day!)

Melatonin has helped a lot with me and my wife (who does 12 hour days and nights) - not relying on caffeine during the shift is a help.

Blanking out light and noise is a must.

I've read Raul's post and I almost missed the bit about a post workout drink and THEN a protein/fat shake - dont forget the isolate plus 50/50 glucose/malto ....... I got that right didnt I ,Raul ?

[mobsta]

thanks for that info raul ,, appreciated...

[The Munster]

I worked midnight - 8:00 a.m. for 4.5 years. What everyone is saying here is correct.
Sleeping during the day requires completely blacking out the room. Over the normal blinds in the window, my wife and I tapes foil over the window and then a thick bed comforter hung over that.
Most people on graveyards sleep right after they get home from work so they are sleeping from roughly 7a.m.-9a.m. until roughly 2p.m.-5p.m. I did just the opposite. I got off work at 8a.m. and stayed up until about 2p.m.-3p.m. and slept until 10:30p.m.
If you work during the night and sleep during the day you are not getting hardly any sunlight at all. Not only does that set you up for certain vitamin defficiencies, but it completely jacks with your body's rhythms. That complete (or near) lack of sunlight will really jack you up!
The main thing about working the graveyard and working you proper sleep, workouts, eating, activities, etc is you have to develope a routine that works for you and stick to it. Don't anything jack your routine up or it will knock you way off.

As far as your PW meal (right before going to bed)(not your PW shake immediately following your workout), follow what Raul said. Get some casein, either from shake or cottage cheese.
I like mixing 1-1.5 cups cottage cheese with sugar free chocolate pudding.

Best of luck.