Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jacl]

Tonight, I didn't even bother going to sleep.

I'm teaching a class 6:30-8 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My regular shift is 2-9 pm. I have a real problem even thinking about trying to get any shut eye on Monday and Wednesday nights.

Wouldn't I be better off teaching the same shift at least 4 days a week instead of up and down like it is? Of course it would be at least double the money in OT, but it would also allow me to adapt to the schedule much better.

Is anyone going/Has anyone went throught this type of schedule before? What did you do? Take sleeping pills?

[Captain Courageous]

That's one heck of a crappy arrangement right there.

Melatonin is excellent to regulate your sleep cycle, so you might want to look into getting some of that, if it's available where you are. If you take about 10mg of it in a sitting, and then lie down immediately afterwards, you should have no trouble falling asleep within the hour, so long as you're not stressed or nervous about something.

The problem with most OTC sleep aids is that they keep you out for a long time. You might want to try soime benadryl. That does a pretty good job knocking me out without KEEPING me out for extended periods of time. A melatonin/benadryl combo has a tendency to give me the best uninterrupted sleep ever.

[ella]

I second Benadryl, but what an awful schedule! What was it someone posted about employers happily using you up then just going to the puppy bin to get another foreigner? I wish people would refuse to work such hours and force them to hire one person to work mornings and another for evenings.

I love and need my sleep and rest, I feel for you, OP.

[ChopChaeJoe]

Any Yak-si will sell you doxylamine succinate. It'll knock you out real good for about 8 hours. Don't mess with it unless you take it about 10 hours before you're supposed to wake up. Otherwise you will feel severely drugged the next day and people will ask if you are sick.

[jacl]

[riley]

Good luck, glad to hear that the schedule wasn't forced on you. Is this temporary?

[jacl]

[Captain Courageous]

By then you might find yourself syched up with your schedule, and it'll be tough to go back to "normal" when it ends. That's what happened to me when I did a split shift working here in the states. Started out very tough, but within a month I was more or less used to the schedule, took naps at the same time each day, etc. When that stopped, I went through the same process getting back to a normal sleep schedule.

[jacl]

Well, that's no problem. Sometimes I keep that schedule anyway. But when you have to physically go somewhere and teach, it's more of an issue. I really don't think I'll get used to teaching one early morning class twice a week. Ever.

[Qinella]

I'd use sleeping pills.

[Son Deureo!]

Make yourself get up earlier the rest of the week, even when you're not teaching. That way you'll be tired enough to go to bed early when you need to.

It sounds like you're still trying to keep a night owl schedule the rest of your week, and that is guaranteed to grind you down.

[jacl]

[merlot]

2 mg Lorazapam (brand name-- Ativan)

(it's a benzo in the same class as Valium, etc.) --great liitle pills actually for anxiey conrol, but real charmers when it come to sleeping sound and waking up feeling great.

WARNING: Only take them short term until you can get a beter schedule or something; they can be highly addictive.

They are great for international travel as well.

But seriously, BE CAREFUL with these things if your try them.

[ella]

[khyber]

the correct answer is a la MacBain:
"On top of a big pile of money with many beautiful ladies"