Have any of you managed to work at a nightclub and yet maintain an existence fit for a human being? I've not been at it long, but my weight has yo-yo'd (probably have a diagnosable binge eating disorder now) and while I get a bit of a buzz from the long hours of exhausting work, I now feel like a zombie most of the time.
Possibly I do have a misconception about the proportion of the workforce in white collar occupations on the one hand, and labouring occupations on the other, because I've spent my adult life in the first group.
There's some truth to this, but the more important issue is how you recover.
I used to work 10 hour shifts in a warehouse, tiring job with virtually no sunlight and very monotonous tasks. The only way I managed to stay mentally and physically healthy throughout the period was to:
- Avoid the canteen like the plague, and bring my own food with as much nutritional content as I could pack in -- usually an omlette with every vegetable I could find, or some combination of meat, rice and spinach. I brought a lot of it, too. Hard jobs require plenty of 'clean' calories and micronutrients to keep everything in check.
- Maintain your sleep schedule religiously. Unfortunately, since OP works nights it'll always be an uphill battle, but try to modify the times at which you see natural light and get in your eight hours however possible. There's a load of really helpful tools to manage this -- sun lamps (UV is up to you) to wake you up, sleep masks and black out curtains to turn in and stay asleep. If you live in a noisy area, I'd highly recommend earplugs, or taking the edge of the noise with your own music using sleephones: https://www.sleepphones.co.uk/
- Keep up your physical fitness, preferrably with some outdoor activity. The warehouse made me really appreciate public parks and green spaces, and I imagine a nightclub would do the same. I used to run around a local park before and/or after shifts. The benefits of being physically fit go without saying, and has an impact on all other areas of your life.
Loehr's 'Stress for Success' goes over some practical strategies on how to improve yourself physically to adapt to the stress of work -- albeit in somewhat disturbing corporate Yank language.
Cheflad here, I need to preface my advice by saying a lot of it might not sound possible or desirable but trust me, this is how I've survived the last decade of 16 hour shifts -
-Be active on your days off. If you lie in bed all day you will feel shite and you'll get depressed. It's so important for you to get out and about. Even if it's just walking to the shops for a pint of milk, make sure you don't shut yourself in your house all day. It's so easy to end up doing.
-Go to the gym/exercise. I typically cycled to work and I used to do an hour or two in the gym after work at about 2am. The time's not important, but if you get a solid workout in at least every other day you will have more energy than you ever thought possible.
-Find a way to eat at regular times. It's hard for shift workers to get proper meals, but eating solidly and consistently will do wonders for you physically and mentally, which leads me to...
-Routine is important. Even if you're working different days each week, having a time you get up, brush your teeth, shower, etc is incredibly important. If you don't have some sort of internal routine you will lose your mind.
-Sleep enough. You probably know yourself how much sleep you personally need - never get less, and try not to sleep in, either. It's easy to have another few hours when you've had a long shift the night previous, but TRUST ME, going for a jog is better for you than an extra hour in bed you don't need. It's fucking incredible how much better you'll feel.
I work nights, and currently use some memory foam tipped earphones for white noise/soft music, but the neighbour's screaming kids and/or powertools often wake me up.
How effective are sleephones at blocking out noise? Don't really want to shell out £37 to find them no better than my current situation.
There are some Chinese knockoffs on eBay but I wager they will feel and sound like shit.
Sorry mate, they're not really designed to block out noise as much as a comfortable pair of headphones to sleep with.
If an in-ear type earphone isn't cancelling out the noise, then it's difficult to know what to recommend. It's probably similar to what you've got already, but maybe: https://www.flareaudio.com/collections/isolate
In-ear headphones have less sound-blocking power than ear plugs, because there needs to be a channel for the sound to reach your eardrum.
Ideally you'd get a pair of custom-fit earplugs, but they're rather expensive. I have a pair of ACS custom plugs that I'm very happy with; they offer plugs specifically designed for sleeping for £79.
If you're using normal foam earplugs, the ability of the plugs to block sound is hugely dependent on finding a pair that fits you well. I'd suggest buying a selection pack of different styles, which will help you find the best compromise between noise blocking and comfort. This assortment includes 11 pairs for £3.49. Once you've found a good fit, you can buy them by the box for very little.
It might be possible to double up with earplugs and ear defenders if you sleep on your back and don't move much during sleep. The least bulky option is the Peltor Optime I, which is available with either a normal headband or a behind-the-neck band. The combination provides an astounding level of noise reduction, equivalent to being profoundly deaf.
Constant background noise will reduce the apparent loudness of other sound sources, so you might want to try playing gentle ambient music or white noise through reasonably loud hifi speakers. White noise loud enough to be audible through earplugs could have a masking effect of as much as 70dBa, which would completely drown out someone having a loud conversation in your bedroom.