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Supplements to help with night shifts?

Legerity

Legerity

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Jul 29, 2010
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I started a new job recently and it has quite a variable schedule. Some weeks I'll be evenings, sometimes overnight shifts, so my body will often have to re-adjust to different sleep schedules.

I was wondering if there are any kind of supplements that may help me either transition from periods of evenings to nights, or of going from night shifts back to evening shifts.

I'd like to avoid chugging caffeine all night because my body just doesn't like it. I was hoping for maybe some kinds of herbal supplements to help with the schedule.

I know melatonin is good for resetting sleep/wake cycles, so I think that may be helpful. But aside from that, I'm not really sure what else might help with the constant schedule adjustments.
 
Honestly, if your schedule is changing that much you may not be able to readjust properly. I would suggest supplementing with melatonin as you said when you really need it and eating healthy/lifting weights. Increasing your body's testosterone will help you sleep like a baby.
 
5htp increases awakeness for me, decreases amount of time needed to get a satisfying sleep, and makes sleep more satisfying.

Green tea too? B vitamins? Testosterone-increasing herbs like eurycoma longifolia?
 
siberian ginseng, ginko bibola, quite high doses of omega 3 seems to make my thoughts clearer and more focused
 
In addition to some of the remedies above and a solid diet, I found a mix of Alpha lipoic acid and folic acid supplements helped moderate the lag. I use a similar mix when traveling (jet lag) and have found it works for me. It is not a cure for insomnia or anything like that, but helps your body re-balance with a varying schedule. Something to try.
 
i work 12hr swing shifts...i work 3 days get 1 day off and work another 3 days. my off week is 3 days off, work 1 day and then have 3 days off and i rotate weekly from days to nights 0530am to 0530pm or 0530pm to 0530am...i have been on this shift for over three years and have never been able to adapt. on day shift i need allot of sleep. on night shift i get next to none. this is a tough schedule...and the only thing that seems to help is low dose adderall witch i get from my dr....who says i have shift work disorder.. if you work a schedule like mine you can forget a sleeping schedule. you will have a nights -days -and days off pattern. and in my situation just about the time im getting use to one schedule if flips..so no circadian rhythm at all.. its tough.. but if its a good job it might be well worth sticking to it... to wrap it up ... youll need adderall and sleeping pills .. the herbal stuff dident cut it for me and made me feel way more tweaked than my low dose amps...sorry for bad grammer and rambling..hope i helped a little ....good luck
 
hey, i find for really decent rewarding sleep and a great energy boost, the ZMA tablets for body building, i have posted bout these a fair bit on this site, but the dreams and depth of sleep i have been getting is unreal.
i recomend this with anyone.
5htp works really well with ZMA too cause of the b6 contents, together making stimulated serotonin production.
 
Thanks for the feedback! So far my first week of nights wasn't so bad. I've been taking a combination supplement formula with ginseng/gingko and other stuff during the shift, along with an energy drink and tea to keep going.

This weekend is evenings, then back to nights in a couple of days. I guess I'll see how things go...
 
Rhodiola and Siberian Ginseng and Fo-Ti really take the edge off fatigue.
 
try getting into a bedtime routine to help your mind/body know its time for bed even if its at different times. Get off work, eat, bath/shower, maybe exercise then bed. Also Melatonin helps but it only enhances quality/length doesn't really help me fall asleep.
 
good on you OP because you found a job . rotating shifts are killer bad .
graveyard is especially lethal.
i worked it 14 consecutive months and had to have my GP doc prescribe dalmane . it would get me down but i couldn't rise to the alarm clock.
totally good foreman would call me up and i'd take off running to get to the job .
i was real young when i worked rotating and don't think i had a problem getting my head down back then.

i have struggled with insomnia for ages now and won't take pills everynight. it doesn't mess me up to miss a night's sleep 'cause i'm a fucking antique now i suppose .

valerian, melatonin, benadryl, etc, - never has helped much . low dose quetiapine can help as it doesn't act as an anti-psychotic but rather a potent antihistamine at 50<100mg.
 
to be clear, siberian ginseng is not actually ginseng (it does not belong to the panax genus). it's very similar but it lacks ginsenocides and you should be able to get the real deal for cheap as well since canadians grow a lot of ginseng. $20 buys me a 3 month supply (daily use) of the stuff and it's grown locally so quality is guaranteed.

see what works for you i guess, i have funky hours too and i find i get the best results starting off the shift with coffee then pulling through the second half with ginseng and pau d'arco tea.

you're gonna need the benefits of pau d'arco to prevent getting sick because your overall health will take a dive with fucked-up shifts distorting your circadian rhythm. they might pay really good money for work like that but you have to trade your health for it.
 
Thats correct Thujone. Its not a true ginseng. Also, its a lot less potent by weight, but also a lot safer to use on a daily basis of you are younger.
 
thought ginseng was something that works in the long term , while not really giving any instant effects such as keeping one awake .

Ginseng is techinically an adaptogen anyways . Not a stim.
 
Right, but Siberian Ginseng is more acute acting and safer for daily use.

Red Ginseng, especially panax variety from hotter climates, can promote inflammation and high blood pressure.
 
I'd be interested in trying siberian ginseng again. In the past when I've used it alone or in combined adrenal gland supplements it really helped with anxiety and energy levels. My current supplement has panax ginseng, and I have not really found it to do anything. I'll make a trip to the health food store later today...

I do the same as you thujone...start the shift with a coffee and then have the supplement in the middle. I'll look into the pau d'arco tea, I've never tried that.

Thanks all!
 
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