Getting ready for NOC

Starting in November I’m switching over to the NOC shift, something I’ve never done before but need to get used to, since I’ll be a night owl once I start working on my own.

I just read these tips on trying to survive, but I must admit, I am freaking out a bit…ok, maybe more than that.

Like I said, it’s something I’ve never done before. Believe it or not, I’ve never even pulled an all-nighter to study – I’ve never been able to. The only time I can ever remember staying up all night was when I was about 13 when we had a movie night slumber party with lots of laughing, candy, and Mountain Dew to keep me sugared up. And I remember crashing out after watching the sunrise. Not very effective.

I’m actually not so worried about surviving the shift,  because I think that if I can prep myself for it and sleep ahead of time, I’ll be okay. But I am worried about prepping myself for it.  What do I do? Do I sleep the day before? Do I sleep all day in between shifts? Is it better to get work done before I go to sleep or after I wake up and before I go to work? What about on my days off? Can I go about sleeping at night like a regular person?

It seems so very different from what I’ve always been used to that I don’t really know what to think.  I’ve heard lots of great things about NOC, but then everything I read talks about your body hating you, gaining weight, and getting sick all the time.  NO FUN!  And with a wedding in my future sometime in the next year, I’ve got nerves about starting married life and not being home at night

What’s a new-grad to do? What works for you and how long did it take you to adjust to the night schedule?