OSA + Job, work nights occasionally?

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this. I am a software tester for a small/medium CC processing firm and I am just now seeing that we might haev to work some late late nights to accommodate some clients (clients are in africa). I have severe OSA and as you can imagine, sleep terribly without sticking to a good schedule and my CPAP. Currently I sleep from around 11pm to 7:30pm and feel alright but if I deviate I am hit the next day. I think I am going to be asked (read: told) to work some late late nights to work with the client. I know it's bad news to push back on certain things at work but I don't think it's beneficial to me or them to accommodate this request as my performance will easily suffer that night and the next day.

Has anyone had any experience with declining extra (undefined in schedule, I am a normal 9-5ish employee) night work because of OSA?

Have your doctor provide documentation that it is detrimental to your health to have to adjust your schedule. Federal law should back you up under the Disabilities Act.

Yes, if you are in the US check ADA and JAN information however, if you ask for accommodation under ADA, if the employer feels the accommodations suggested by your doctor are "unreasonable" you can lose your job.

This is a link for JAN - search for the sleep parts there

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/

Most places have labour laws that state how many consecutive hours employees are allowed to work, how much overtime per week.
I suggest you talk to your employer about organizing a proper shift work schedule. If you are required to do night work it should be for at minimum a month, anything shorter won't allow your body to adjust.

Or find another job?

algo wrote:I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this. I am a software tester for a small/medium CC processing firm and I am just now seeing that we might haev to work some late late nights to accommodate some clients (clients are in africa). I have severe OSA and as you can imagine, sleep terribly without sticking to a good schedule and my CPAP. Currently I sleep from around 11pm to 7:30pm and feel alright but if I deviate I am hit the next day. I think I am going to be asked (read: told) to work some late late nights to work with the client. I know it's bad news to push back on certain things at work but I don't think it's beneficial to me or them to accommodate this request as my performance will easily suffer that night and the next day.

Has anyone had any experience with declining extra (undefined in schedule, I am a normal 9-5ish employee) night work because of OSA?

It sounds like this will be a one-time deal rather than a regular thing... in that case I would have no problem with it.

I've been on an emergency pager overnight for long periods of time. Yes, it is disruptive to the sleep... but I just deal with it. Given enough time everything eventually changes... and so now I am no longer on the emergency pager as they want me wide awake during the day.

BlackSpinner wrote:Most places have labour laws that state how many consecutive hours employees are allowed to work, how much overtime per week.
I suggest you talk to your employer about organizing a proper shift work schedule. If you are required to do night work it should be for at minimum a month, anything shorter won't allow your body to adjust.

Or find another job?

I'm an exempt employee (no idea why computer software people are exempt like lawyers/doctors) and this would only be a temporary thing (but multiple times). I have many other issues with this employer and I'm in the process of looking for another place but I have to take what I can get for now.. :\

I am always worried about these late night things but I've been lucky for the almost 2 yrs I've been here.

I have a similar situation to your situation, except many of the call-ins are on short notice (read: minutes). Luckily, this is not a huge problem, although there have been a few bad nights. Another situation, closer to what you are experiencing, is occasional 'overnighters' for transmitter maintenance. In the middle of the night is when I seem to do the most difficult and dangerous work (high voltage, big motors and high power RF, along with being 'under the gun' to complete work in a few hours!), and it does not help to be the least bit tired on those nights. My employers have always recognized this, and the next day is paid 'off', even if you didn't work 8 hours at night. It is even more important now, with xPAP therapy, to follow up these times with good sleep. Maybe this is what you can do to compensate.

One thing that hasn't been a real problem for me is that I sleep just fine any time of day, whether or not the room is dark or completely quiet. (I have even been known to successfully sleep next to a stage at a rock music festival.)(I think this is due to the 'cat' part of me ) If you can do that, great. Otherwise, you might take some steps to make sure your sleeping area is dark and quiet during the day.

I do notice though, that AHI, heart rate, tidal volume, etc. is usually higher than when I sleep my normal hours.

What country are you in? Canada? US? other?

I guess I've been fortunate...

The work is a normal 8-5 job with overtime of both the unplanned and planned kind. The current staffing, has me (primary) on call one week every 5 weeks.....and on call the rest of the time as backup. There are also now and then thing that have to take place after hours....which can take place during a defined maintenance window or outside.

Last summer, I got called, and spent hours and hours on the phone working on an issue.... afterwards the boss messaged me...to take the morning off....

Yes, unfortunately, the disruption throws me off for a little more than a day or two....I can work, I'll be far from 100%. As it was that was the night before I had my bike accident on the way to work.....a stupid accident.

More recently....an emergency was brewing and the work was going to need to take place sometime after midnight. Again, I was told that I could just come in 'whenever' the next morning.

I haven't asked for accommodations specific to my OSA, but my boss does know about my OSA. I also get some leeway on how punctual I have to be in in the morning. And, not just because I tend to schedule my appointments to be in the morning....since the doctor/DME offices are a couple blocks from my home....(and 3 blocks the other way is the hospital....sleep lab is closer to work since its in the old hospital which is now the student health center)

Wonder if I'll be putting in some hours this weekend

The Dreamer.

I work mostly nights but for a while I was working three night shifts, day off, then pulling a 12 hour day shift on the ambulance. It is very hard to tell the body to go to sleep at different times. My only suggestion is try and stay up as late as you can the night ( the more the better) before your night shift. Try and get the body to sleep during the day and be somewhat awake at night. Now this sounds short term for you, so you may never get the body to adjust right, but some people have good luck "practicing" staying up all night. Whatever you do make sure your CPAP is in the plan! Nothing worse than trying to sleep during the day AND having your OSA kick in. Wish I had the miracle answer for you. Good luck!

algo wrote:I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this. I am a software tester for a small/medium CC processing firm and I am just now seeing that we might haev to work some late late nights to accommodate some clients (clients are in africa). I have severe OSA and as you can imagine, sleep terribly without sticking to a good schedule and my CPAP. Currently I sleep from around 11pm to 7:30pm and feel alright but if I deviate I am hit the next day. I think I am going to be asked (read: told) to work some late late nights to work with the client. I know it's bad news to push back on certain things at work but I don't think it's beneficial to me or them to accommodate this request as my performance will easily suffer that night and the next day.

Has anyone had any experience with declining extra (undefined in schedule, I am a normal 9-5ish employee) night work because of OSA?

I am a nurse, and also on CPAP. I rotate shifts regularly without any additional issues related to CPAP, as does my husband who is also a nurse, my best friend (also a nurse) and her husband (and ER physician.) It sucks to be asked to work at night if you're not used to it, but I don't see why you should claim that being on CPAP exempts you from doing so. It takes all of us longer to bounce back after a night shift, but we agree that it's more likely related to being 30 years older than it is to CPAP.

Of course your performance is going to suffer that night and the next day. Everyone's does. But your CPAP isn't a reason to refuse the request to work that night. Just suck it up and deal.