Don't Bother Me While I Sleep! Never Mess With A Sleeping Nurse

[Joe V]

Get enough sleep? What do you do to guarantee that you get your sleep? Do you have house rules for when you are sleeping? Share your stories...

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[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I was working one night when right around 2am my co-worker nonchalantly picks up the phone and I hear this:

"Hi baby, how are you? uh huh, . . . oh, were you sleeping? Well, I was just wanting to call and discuss with you that when I'm working and you call me at 2pm it's kind of like me calling you right now at 2am. uh huh, . . . well, I love you and I'll see you in the morning!"

Love it!!!

Thank all that is holy; my husband also works nights so we understand each other's need to stay asleep until we are ready to get up.

My cell phone is on silent and if it's a true emergency, call the police, if they feel it's that important, they'll bang on my door (it's happened).

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I had to do this to my dad once......

That was 20 years ago, and to this day, he starts out every phone conversation with "You weren't sleeping, were you?" :)

[KY RN]

I told my children it had to be blood, bones, and brains before they could wake me up. They burst in because one had fallen on his bike and hit his head. My son said, "Mom, this time it is blood, bones, and I think BRAIN!"

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

The thing that REALLY grinds my... bottom - when dayshift calls at the crack of noon - do you want to work tonight? Do you want to come in early?

No. I want to sleep. Buh-bye.

I don't turn off my phone, because I want to be available in emergencies. Fortunately, my family is considerate and also comprised of odd-shift workers. My mom will ask for my schedule so she will know when it is OK to call for casual reasons.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I know not everyone can have the latest phone, but please consider that many of the later model smart phones (and probably not so smart phones) can be programmed to only ring for certain phone numbers. On the older models you could program only certain numbers to ring and all others to use a "silent ring". I'm not certain on the next feature but I think my latest phone has a feature where if the same number rings me 2-3 times in a row within minutes, it will ring audibly. I need to get my techie brother to explain that feature to me, but that would be great for concerned parents.

Also, one needs to test this safely, but turns out I can sleep with earplugs and hear my alarm almost every time. The other times I attribute to severe sleep deficit when I would sleep through alarms, crashes, anything (it's happened).

[theantichick]

My house phone doesn't ring. There is a sign on my door for sales critters and delivery guys. My child knows that if she had to wake me up it better also involve calling 911. Anyone important enough to have my cell number also has my work schedule, and most drop a text to see if I'm awake. Work is instructed to only call the cell if they actively mean to wake me up otherwise leave a message on the home phone.

I generally sleep without interruption. :) CPAP and mask take care of most sensory input. Room cold, warm blankets.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

My landlady once woke me out of a sound sleep 3 hours after I went to bed after night shift. Knocking on my door to ask me some nonsense. I then was wide awake for the rest of the day and my shift that night was horrendous. Going forward, I now have a sign posted on the door (if I am between shifts) that says "If you are reading this, DO NOT knock on this door. I work nights and need several hours of uninterrupted sleep." That put an end to interruptions. BTW, my cell phone ringer is OFF once I am in bed.