Always feeling tired even after work?

So, as I mentioned earlier, I’m 20 years old and started working back in November 2010. My job involves all sorts of different schedules—sometimes we do standard eight-hour shifts (morning from 6 AM to 2 PM, afternoons from 2 PM to 10 PM, and nights from 10 PM to 6 AM), and other times we pull twelve-hour rotations (7 AM to 7 PM or 7 PM to 7 AM). Generally speaking, I don't mind the variety, though sometimes having to get up at 5 AM is a bit of a drag. It isn't even about the physical act of getting out of bed; it's more that I just can't fall asleep. My circadian rhythm has been completely flipped since I started working, and my diet has suffered a little because of it too. For instance, before a morning shift, I often find it impossible to drift off. I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour, say around 10 PM, but I end up tossing and turning or just staring at the wall until 2 AM. I’ve even tried watching movies to help me unwind and hopefully pass out, but of course, that hasn't worked. Work can be pretty intense sometimes and I feel absolutely exhausted, but then I get home and all I want to do is sit at my computer and zone out until I'm totally spent. Also, after night shifts, I can sometimes stay awake until the following evening because I don't feel tired at all—my eyes don't even get red like they do for some people. While others might get a chance to rest their eyes during a night shift, I don't, mostly because I'm just not feeling the fatigue. In fact, I'm writing this right now after getting home from a night shift at 6 AM.
I was thinking about trying something like "Sanval" tablets, but I'm worried about potential side effects or complications. :/

Any advice? Thanks.

It’s still pretty early days for your body to adjust to that kind of pace... it’ll happen eventually. Just give yourself some breathing room—try to actually rest when you can't fall asleep. And maybe try to cut back on the screen time at the computer... that's basically it. Oh, and make sure you're eating actual decent food...
p.s. I'm not exactly a fan of jumping straight to the pills...

wiredfox152 said:It’s still way too early to expect your body to just click into this new rhythm. It’ll happen naturally... just give yourself some grace. Try to actually rest even if you can't fall asleep right away. Also, maybe try to cut back on the screen time? That usually helps. Oh, and definitely watch what you're eating—better nutrition makes a huge difference.
p.s. I’m not one to jump straight to medication unless absolutely necessary..

I’m trying, but it’s honestly pretty tough. Everything is new here, I'm far from home, living on my own... the usual stuff.

Medication was really just a last resort if nothing else worked naturally, honestly.

Honestly, it’s tough—I’ve been there... I used to pull 18-hour shifts, day in and day out... always on call. If you haven't lived through that, you can't really grasp what it does to your body and your head... your immune system just tanks, your metabolism goes sideways, all that... that's why I suggested watching what you eat, seriously, it makes a difference...
It’s a brutal feeling when you're absolutely exhausted but sleep just won't come... I tried taking Person for a while—it's herbal, mostly—but even that didn't do much, though hey, give it a shot, everyone reacts differently...

frozentrucker16 said:Any advice? Thanks.

I wouldn't go for pills, I guess... they mostly just mask what's happening instead of actually fixing the root cause.

Maybe just try switching over to better quality food... things might just sort themselves out that way.

Thanks for all the advice. I’ve been back on my regular shift schedule for a few days now and everything seems to be going smoothly, though I have been oversleeping quite a bit... I’ve got an early morning shift tomorrow, so we’ll see if I can actually manage to pull myself out of bed. Maybe I’ll try coming up with some kind of mantra to help get my head in the right space.