r/ATC • u/virtuous-ignorance • 3d ago
Question Sleep
I’m new to the job, still struggling to deal with the oscillating sleep schedule. Anybody got any tips for dealing with this?
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u/chicoryghost Current Controller-Enroute 3d ago
Don’t goof off between shifts on a quick turn. Accept that you are going home to get ready for bed and sleeping. That alone is what kills a lot of your energy because we all want some relaxation after work and it just isn’t doable.
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u/AColdChill 3d ago
Magnesium glycinate.
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u/bojack2424 Current Controller-Enroute 3d ago
Every single night now before bed. But I bumped to Bisglycinate instead, stronger hit
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u/Advanced-Guitar-5264 Past Controller 3d ago
Apparently that’s what the union wants.
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u/Hopeful-Engineering5 Current Controller-Tower 3d ago
Its what the controllers want, they are the ones that demand rattlers. If enough at a facility want off of them it will happen but too many want the long weekend
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u/Ditka_Da_Bus_Driver Center Person 3d ago
Has nothing to do with a long weekend. The alternative means more than half the workforce is working nights and mids and never sees their family.
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u/Acceptable_Stage_518 Current Controller-Enroute 2d ago
There are definitely ways to rotate shifts so people aren't stuck on all of one shift. One area in my Z rotates 2 weeks of days/2 weeks of swings/1 week of mids. Most others do 4x10 mids in different ways, with either starting the week on a mid or double mids, or ending the week on split RDO mids or double mids. We also have enough people that prefer all swings that it balances with people that prefer all days.
Also, if you have to use a rattler schedule, it's significantly better for sleep to start the week early and end late, eg. 0530/0630/0700/1300/1500. Controllers don't like it because it shortens their weekend, but there are ways to rotate shifts without sacrificing sleep.
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u/nomar383 Current Controller-TRACON 2d ago
If there wasn’t so much overtime, an all days and all swings rotation could be doable. Like if I had a pay period of all swings and then a pay period of all days and it was plotted out in a predictable way, that could help with sleep for sure. You would have to make the overtime match and give people no OT on the 2 days between the day/swing swap.
All swings all year is a non-starter for most people.
People hate change though and after you did a rattler on shitty days off for ages, you don’t want to be the one to start rotating swings and days.
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u/Acceptable_Stage_518 Current Controller-Enroute 3d ago
Save some sick leave, use it for a few hours on the front of the quick turn, or a full shift when you need it. Try to swap with someone to try to get more steady start times. Honestly, the rattler/quick turn schedules are horrendous, and I'm so glad I don't work them anymore. Do everything you can to get off the rattler.
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u/Sound_Boy_Killa 3d ago
Become an insomniac, develop a split personality disorder, create an underground "fighting club" which ultimately becomes a domestic terrorism organization.
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u/TonyRubak 3d ago
Trade for straight nights (or days)
Ease the quick turn by getting your last night or first day to be a 10-6 or 11-7
Don't work mids
Actually go to sleep when you get home
Don't drink alcohol (it's terrible for your sleep)
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u/cometgrl 3d ago
Keep yourself healthy, eat healthy, make a workout schedule, sleep in when you can to recover but till maybe 8 not 11, short naps after a day shift, not so long that you can’t go to bed later. Be disciplined and go to bed on time.
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u/desavona 3d ago
Set a sleep schedule. Stick to it. Have a discussion with your friends/family about respecting it. Caffeinate in the morning.
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u/Tailwinds-n-TallyHos 2d ago
Swap into nights. Work 4 nights and a dayshift or a mid day shift to alleviate a quick turn. I did this for years until the kids schedules wouldn’t allow for it. The guy I worked with who looked the youngest at retirement worked all nights to have a consistent sleep schedule
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u/SuspiciousCamel8806 3d ago
If only these idiots would give up the rattler…idk why we still do it at all. There is legit no benefit.
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u/Tailwinds-n-TallyHos 2d ago
You can blame Natca for that. They got into bed years ago with the FAA and found someone to say the rattler was the best for us. It should have been an independent sleep study. I blame that decision for our current staffing crisis. The only way to fix it at the time would have been more controllers. Natca was playing checkers and the FAA was playing chess. Rinaldi wasn’t the superstar that people made him out to believe…
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u/theREALBennyAgbayani 3d ago
Obviously there is. Do you think people want to keep the rattler for no reason whatsoever?
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u/SuspiciousCamel8806 3d ago
I just don’t see any benefits whatsoever. It has been proven that it’s not healthy for us in the long term and the extra few hours in the weekend simply aren’t worth it to me. What are the benefits in your opinion?
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u/theREALBennyAgbayani 3d ago
I don’t love it but the obvious plus for some people is the longer weekend.
To them that’s a real benefit. So far cry from “there is legit no benefit”
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u/SuspiciousCamel8806 2d ago
So you’re saying the extra 3-10 ish hours off compared to straight days/eves is worth the sleep deprivation and fatigue when you would most likely be awake during those extra hours? Also, if you worked straight mids you could get 10+ extra hours during your weekend compared to the rattler. But yes I understand hardly anyone wants straight mids.
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u/theREALBennyAgbayani 2d ago
I’m not saying that my guy.
I’m saying other people want that. I’m pretty sure I made that pretty clear.
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u/BieloSagdiyev 2d ago
Get a sleep tracker, pay attention to it. Mine has improved my quality of life dramatically. It was especially hard after having kids and being exhausted from work and home life. Good luck.
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u/igbayotumscray TRACON TMU - Where's my Cheesecake? 3d ago
Stay awake until you can’t anymore, nothing bad can possibly come from that!
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u/Crazy_names 3d ago
I do a meditative self-hypnosis ritual i learned in the army. It sounds stupid but it works. https://youtu.be/_-ml78klt6M?si=3qByvwayMl1RSlh0 This video goes over it very briefly but take the tips in the video and practice them at a much slower pace. Basically you just go from head to toe focusing on each muscle slowly tensing then releasing as you breathe in a 4-5 seconds in/out rhythm. Focus on the breathing and muscle groups. If you still arent asleep when you get down to your feet start again at you feet and work your way back up.
Or 5mg of melatonin
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u/Affectionate_Draw340 3d ago
Being new to the job means your senority sucks so it limits your options the best advice would be try and work straight nights swapping into nights is usually pretty easy. As your senority goes up try and get earlier night shifts later morning shifts. Good sleep takes sacrificing other things thats what i did.
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u/Rupperrt Current Controller-TRACON 3d ago
Depending on your roster and commute, try to stick to as similar a sleep schedule as possible no matter if you’re working morning or afternoon shifts if possible. After nights, try to return to that schedule again.
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u/theMonkybutt 2d ago
Gunnar amber and 70 percent glasses help. FLUX software for computer. Low caffeine.
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u/GrinkusMinkus 3d ago
Watch the Wolf of Wall Street, Matthew McConaughey gives advice that applies here
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u/CropdustingOMdesk 3d ago
It’s only 25 years brother