So your company has a noon time brownbag lunch meeting to brainstorm the new mission statement. If you're a night shift worker, that meeting is in the middle of your REM sleep. While you might be relieved to miss this particular meeting on mission statements, the truth is, you do miss important meetings and opportunities that are standard fare for workers on a regular day shift.

Training seminars, advancing one's career, continuing education, finding childcare--just staying alert--are all hurdles for those who work the night shift. But some companies are addressing the particular needs of those on the third shift. Here are some "best practices" of companies who provide educational, recreational, and family-friendly opportunities on a 24-hour basis.

A lot of state employees in Illinois who work daytime shifts have been competing for nightshift jobs! The reason: so they can take advantage of a joint union and state program that pays for university classes.

Two year olds at this company pre-school don't just learn their ABC's; they are learning foreign languages, logging onto computers, and enjoying arts and music classes.

It's hard enough to fit continuing education into a night shift schedule, but in some industries there are shifting shifts. This program solves the problem by having the classes shift, too.

Video games, pool tables, watching tv, exercise machines: these are all ways to keep the night shift alert.

How does a single mother with four kids work the night shift, take classes, get her exercise, and fit in a home-cooked meal? Simple -- she does it all in one place -- where she works.

We've all done it under our desks. Or at least thought about doing it in the bathroom stall. But find out who gets shut-eye on the job with the boss's approval.