I have to get up at times varying from just after 1am to just after 1pm for my shifts at work (also railway!). I used to hate getting up for earlies, which can start as early as 0300ish where I am. However, I now find the main issue is being able to sleep early enough in the evening before the first one, and maintaining sufficient hours of sleep after that - getting up, per se, is not much of an issue most of the time now, even if it's freezing cold or wet out, apart from maybe the 5th or 6th early if I'm unfortunate enough to have that rostered. The quality of the work itself is often better - the breaks often a bit longer, and the duties themselves, bar a few, shorter. I also love sunrises in obscure parts of the country, and seeing everyone else wake up.
On the other hand, I find it nigh on impossible to now get up around 7-8am - it's between the early and late shift starts which I do, and therefore is only natural on days off, meaning I have no contractual obligation to actually be anywhere, and so I end up having a massive lie in! I find it easier to wake for my usual shiftwork alarm calls - and in fact that's a benefit if, say, I'm going on holiday, as I'm the slightly smug person who's wide awake at 0400 before an early flight or drive!
Apart from when the neighbours are making a racket (other issues can be prevented with a blackout blind and the fact that I am oblivious to natural noises whilst sleeping, like thunder or high winds) I find it even better to be sleeping later for late turns or even night turns. I generally get a longer sleep, going to bed just before the sun rises if it's summer, and usually getting 8 or so hours, compared to the 6 or so that I usually bother to get on earlies!
I usually have to leave an average of 1 hour to get into work with a bit of leeway (the actual travelling time is often somewhat less) and like an hour before that to get ready without any last-minute rushing. Everything is neatly timed including my walk to the station. I used to end up in a mad panic because I basically left 20 minutes too few - now I'd rather get up earlier but be calmer, which I find is often better for my mental wellbeing.
When I'm switching from earlies to lates I regularly have a 21-23 hour day between them, sometimes a bit less. It can't do me any good but I'm not realistically often going to sleep well for 11-12 hours even if I'm shattered. As has been alluded to, lates to earlies is the real killer. If I'm on earlies, I generally find I hate napping, as I naturally end up trying to have my "main" sleep as soon as I hit the pillow. I'm often really tired by the middle of the day but know I won't feel right unless I put off going to bed until the evening, resulting in a wasted afternoon.
hock:
