Spent the first 22 years going back and forth between afternoons and mids at a 3 shift department. Retired from there in 2013 to the Sheriff's Office which does 12's. First 6 yrs on mids, mostly by choice. Like you, wanted to do real police work, hated admin bullshit and dayshift calls. Been on days now just past 4 years. My body told me it was time. Does suck getting up at 0430 but I physically feel better. You have to put your health first. I realize now I should have gone to days a little earlier. Biggest difference is how it effects my days off. Have so much more energy to do stuff. Going to retire within a year or two (as they say- I'm one bad day away). Whatever you decide, stay safe.

I remember an old timer who once told me that " the whole world revolves around days. Everything and everybody". He was correct. While it's true you can do more big time police work on nights, your family, you and your social life will suffer if you go on the night shift. You are Type One diabetic. That in itself should keep you on days.

I don't think we are designed to live our lives at night and I do think it affects our health. I did it for five years and am glad I got on days. I'm not LE, but work in chemical plants and I hated going back and forth between night and day shifts.

I'd stick with days.

Quote:
4. Somewhat as a result of the above, I was tired all the time. I’d sit down at home in the evening and just fall asleep wherever I was.

Do you still tend to do that on days?
If so then you should get tested for sleep apnea.
If not, well then I guess that should answer your question. Work the shift that best suits your health needs.

People who work nights do not live as long.

Holmes said those who work during the biological night are making a “huge sacrifice,” explaining: “We know those folks on average are going to die 15 years sooner.
https://shiftworkershealth.com/shift-work-problem/

I worked 3rd shift 11 pm to 7 am for 4-5 years while on the security patrol early on in my career where I’m at now.

I absolutely loved it but then again, I’ve always been a night owl. Loved being able to drive away down the highway and watch all the people heading into work in a traffic jam. Loved not having to deal with all the daytime bullshit.

It can be challenging, though, when you are expected to live in the daytime world like attend family events or parties when that in effect is the middle of the night sleep time for you. I ended up doing like two shifts of sleep of 3 to 4 hours each, and used earplugs and dark curtains.

That was when I was single, though, I’m not sure I could do this with a family like now, if you can make it work with a family, I’d say go for it!

Thanks guys for the insight. The comments about long term health impact are especially poignant, particularly in conjunction with the diabetes. I'm turning 39 next week, and I have to admit that I'm not quite as resilient as I was at 25 when I started doing this. I remember as a reserve often working until 2 or 3 am at the PD for two or three nights in a row and then getting up and going to work at my day job at 8:00am every one of those days. No way I could do that now.

Also, the idea of prioritizing my family time hits home. They are the reason I'm doing the job, not the other way around, and they'll still be a part of my life after the job is long gone.

At the same time, I don't want to just phone it it at work, either. What have some of you guys done in this position to try and help yourself stay switched on and sharp, and have a good attitude?

Lately I've been trying to get as much training as possible. I figure if I can't get regular reps in on the street I can at least get them in the classroom or on the mat. Lately it's been defensive tactics, which I really don't enjoy and am pretty bad at, so it's good practice. I'm also trying to get to the range at least once a week and hope to get into some kind of shooting class before the end of the year.

Any other strategies that you employ to stay active and engaged at work?

I'm currently considering a job (if offered) that will likely land me on nights. I'd never normally do it, but it's a start-up with good stock options. It comes with $5+ more per hour plus a 15% night differential. If not for it being a unique opportunity, I'd never, ever consider working nights again. I absolutely hate it, especially on 12's because you're flipping schedules every 1/2 week. 1/2 week on work time, half normal people time.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Thanks guys for the insight. The comments about long term health impact are especially poignant, particularly in conjunction with the diabetes. I'm turning 39 next week, and I have to admit that I'm not quite as resilient as I was at 25 when I started doing this. I remember as a reserve often working until 2 or 3 am at the PD for two or three nights in a row and then getting up and going to work at my day job at 8:00am every one of those days. No way I could do that now.

Also, the idea of prioritizing my family time hits home. They are the reason I'm doing the job, not the other way around, and they'll still be a part of my life after the job is long gone.

At the same time, I don't want to just phone it it at work, either. What have some of you guys done in this position to try and help yourself stay switched on and sharp, and have a good attitude?

Lately I've been trying to get as much training as possible. I figure if I can't get regular reps in on the street I can at least get them in the classroom or on the mat. Lately it's been defensive tactics, which I really don't enjoy and am pretty bad at, so it's good practice. I'm also trying to get to the range at least once a week and hope to get into some kind of shooting class before the end of the year.

Any other strategies that you employ to stay active and engaged at work?

Now, this is a different question and I’ll give you my newly solicited advice lol

To me, staying switched on and sharp has been directly related to my mental state. My off-duty state.

I spend the best time I can with my kids doing the things they enjoy (16 and 13). That includes trips to the range and outdoor activities. I stay active and try to get a workout in every day. I say “no” to work when I need to. I don’t eat sugar or carbs if I can help it. I live well within our budgetary means so that I don’t feel the temptation to work extra gigs. I sleep 8 hours as many nights as I can. I spend time with old friends whenever I can. Doing these things keeps my brain sharp (but lets be honest…I don’t really do real work anymore lol)

December 2021 was the first time I got off nights or evenings or 24 hour shifts or some other suck of some variety in 19 years. I switched to an in-service training sergeant slot and focused my time on my kids and my health. I’m about a year older than you, so essentially the same. The above have been my focus since that time. In years prior I experienced every part of the cop-life rollercoaster. I almost got out completely twice (and one of those was when I had to leave my Academy gig for a “promotion”). I’ve been ecstatic and I’ve been miserable as hell. But that retirement is on the horizon in about 11 years and I’ve got to tough it out and make the best of it. I still help teach our TacMed and drivers training at the academy, among a few other things as well. That time working with the younger kids really helps my outlook overall too.

I was able to stay switched on by the anticipation of the action and the hunt. Papa Hemingway was right!
But as I got older and I saw how police work was changing into more paperwork and less effective proactivity, I knew it was time to pull the pin.

I am on overnights. Will be on for 2 years when my time to bid is up in Jan.’25. I have always been a night owl. I am 51 and it doesn’t seem to affect me too much. Days about kill me. The BS, the lazy detectives, the brass, the getting up early. My kids are out of the house so just wife and me. I get up in the afternoon and do my errands, mowing, lifting then. Nights off I usually keep my schedule except going to bed a couple hours early than when I normally come home from the end of tour. Get a lot of reloading, laundry, and reading done. Even when we had a kiddos at home my wife would be up, get the ready for school and stuff. I would get up, get them from school, and start dinner.

We do three 8 hour shifts a day. Used to do a year overnights then 6 months swings/afternoon/C shift. We bid every 6 months by seniority. If you can find someone to trade you can stay on your favorite shift.

Our department usually has training sessions two times for the same stuff. One earlier and then a couple days to a week later the same is offered later in the day so the night shift doesn’t have to get up so early.luckily, our County/District Attorneys office is pretty good about having court in the afternoon for the night shifters too.

Dark curtains,soft white noise, and a cpap machine keeps my sleep pattern pretty good. You have to do what works for you and keeps you healthy. Good luck/ your choice 92tech.

My secret is and always will be “when I’m not at work, I’m off”. I pretend that the job doesn’t exist. I don’t think about work stuff. I no longer yell at the shower head over prosecutors Pennies on the dollar deals. I don’t live in such a fashion that being po-leece defines who I am. This helps me stay focused at work.

I had a boss tell me once that burn out occurs naturally in busy cops. It happens spring and fall. There’s a lot of truth to that.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
My secret is and always will be “when I’m not at work, I’m off”. I pretend that the job doesn’t exist. I don’t think about work stuff. I no longer yell at the shower head over prosecutors Pennies on the dollar deals. I don’t live in such a fashion that being po-leece defines who I am. This helps me stay focused at work.

I had a boss tell me once that burn out occurs naturally in busy cops. It happens spring and fall. There’s a lot of truth to that.

THIS THIS THIS AND THIS!!!!!!
10 years ago I finally figured this out after 8 years on the job.

What a change it was for me. We have take home cars that we can drive however much we want off duty. I have not driven mine off duty in a decade. Prior to that unless I was going on a trip I always took the cruiser because the gas was “free”
As they say nothing on life is free. My life was being the police literally all day and even on my days off. That “free” gas turned into fights in the grocery parking lot (with my wife jumping in on a couple of occasions until backup arrived), a guy following me home and he was about a millisecond away from being shot in my driveway with the neighbor kid playing basketball right there, helping broken down cars, constantly hearing the police radio, needing to help buddies in a fight, etc. when I should have just been Joe Schmo minding my own business.

I also rarely work anything over my 40 hours. I used to get done with work for the week and could not wait for my three days off to be over to get back at it. Now, I get back at it when I need to and use pretty much all my leave time.

We take a 3 week vacation every summer and I use that as my yearly reset and burnout has almost completely disappeared.

The job is SO MUCH better when it is not your life!

18 years down and I can retire in May doesn’t mean I will. Family life and health are number 1 and nights are not good for 95% of people out there. We for the most part just aren’t wired for it.

quote:

I spend the best time I can with my kids doing the things they enjoy (16 and 13). That includes trips to the range and outdoor activities. I stay active and try to get a workout in every day. I say “no” to work when I need to. I don’t eat sugar or carbs if I can help it. I live well within our budgetary means so that I don’t feel the temptation to work extra gigs. I sleep 8 hours as many nights as I can. I spend time with old friends whenever I can. Doing these things keeps my brain sharp (but lets be honest…I don’t really do real work anymore lol)

That pretty much describes me.

Days off are spent with my wife and kids. Shooting, fishing, camping any chance we get, or just walking the dog or throwing the ball around the front yard.

I run every morning, and dobasic body-weight stuff in the evenings before bed, with walks or bike rides in the middle if I can work them in. My diet, especially now with the diabetes, is basically carb free. I feel it immediately if I eat carbs, and my CGM will yell at me, so it's pretty easy to avoid them. The one downside on days is that I pack my lunch and eat alone while everybody else goes out. Night shift always ate together at a neighboring PD, because we all packed.

I could do a better job of turning down the OT. I'm consistently in at least one day a week extra. Social stuff is hard, too, with rotating schedules because anything organized I'm missing every other week. I also have no desire to go out in the evening after working a 12. I typically get about 6 hours of sleep on work days, 8+ on days off...which is better than I was doing on nights.

quote:

But as I got older and I saw how police work was changing into more paperwork and less effective proactivity,

I've come to the conclusion that most dayshift work essentially makes me a secretary for insurance companies and the BMV . The flip side of that, though is that your next call may involve taking on a guy high on meth holding his family in the basement with a rifle, so you've gotta stay sharp. Nights was probably 90% in-progress stuff. Days is mostly BS, but it's bipolar.

quote:

The BS, the lazy detectives, the brass, the getting up early.

The struggle is real. I hate being around it, and pretty much spend as much time out of the office as possible. But I also see how day shift breeds that sort of thing, and I don't want to become that, hence this thread, lol.

quote:

Our department usually has training sessions two times for the same stuff. One earlier and then a couple days to a week later the same is offered later in the day so the night shift doesn’t have to get up so early.luckily, our County/District Attorneys office is pretty good about having court in the afternoon for the night shifters too.

Our problem is that we're dependent upon outside agencies for a large portion of our training, because we don't have our own instructors for all the psychomotor stuff. I do firearms, but we don't have a DTs or EVO instructor. The county is on 12s like us, so they typically provide training at reasonable times, but the city is on 8s and they shift change at 7am, so their stuff is usually at 7 or 8, which means our night guys have to stay over an hour or 2 after working a 12 if they need to go to training over there.

Our Prosecutor's office doesn't give a shit about us, either. Not only do they do traffic court in the mornings from 9-11, they always do it on Tuesdays. When 80% of the agencies in the county work the same 12-hour rotation and work Mon-Tues, that means that you're asking a lot of guys to stay up and work all night, then be at court all morning, and then be back to work at 6:00pm. If they cared at all, they'd schedule it for the afternoon on either a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday...but they don't. If we were truck drivers it would be illegal.

quote:

My secret is and always will be “when I’m not at work, I’m off”.

I'm getting better at that. I don't listen to the radio on my own time, and try to avoid getting into work discussions with buddies while I'm off. People know what I do and bring it up at social stuff, but I do my best to avoid it in conversation when possible.

quote:

We have take home cars that we can drive however much we want off duty. I have not driven mine off duty in a decade. Prior to that unless I was going on a trip I always took the cruiser because the gas was “free”
As they say nothing on life is free. My life was being the police literally all day and even on my days off. That “free” gas turned into fights in the grocery parking lot (with my wife jumping in on a couple of occasions until backup arrived), a guy following me home and he was about a millisecond away from being shot in my driveway with the neighbor kid playing basketball right there, helping broken down cars, constantly hearing the police radio, needing to help buddies in a fight, etc. when I should have just been Joe Schmo minding my own business.

Been there, too. I drive the work car to go to the range or for trips out in the county where I'm not likely to get into anything, but just the other day I had to respond to a rollover wreck, and a few weeks before that it was backing up a buddy on a domestic with my wife in the car. Was just talking to a buddy who had some guy get all up in his business at the Y the other day about his squad. If I'm going into town or driving the family around I'll buy my own gas 95% of the time.

Thanks for the insight, guys. "Talking" it through helps put things into perspective and makes the decision clearer. I appreciate it.

I also "shut off" when off duty. My take home never leaves my driveway, my radio stays off, and I don't wear clothes that identify me as a cop. I wasn't always like this but as you get older you get wiser. I am a loner and don't hang out with other cops off duty. Like was said your family is forever and even though we "identify" as cops the job does end at some point and we need to join society. I (and you) will always be more alert and aware than the average citizen. I am always armed and that won't change. I will admit that day shift isn't as much fun or exciting but as others have said police work itself is changing. Just remember to always put yourself and your family first.

It's encouraging to see how many of you have figured it out: being LE is what you do. You can't let it become who you are. Have a hobby. Spend time away from other cops. When you aren't working make things NMP (not my problem) whenever you can.

There's a great book "Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement" by Gilmartin. It's a quick read but life changing for you and your spouse. I have given away several copies to spouses of newbies.

Since you are on 12 hour shifts, I would stay on day shift. You are never truly off on your days off when you work 12 hour shifts at night.

The day after you are off, you are sleeping. The day before shift, you are sleeping. At least when you are on day shift, your off days aren't spent sleeping.

Also, on day shift, once you are off, you can still do things with the kids.