Night Shift Part-Time - Do you switch sleeping patterns back and forth?

[GratefulHeart]

How many of you who work night shift parttime and sleep during the day are able to successfully shift back to being awake during the day and sleeping nights on your days off? Is there too much *jet lag* doing this?

If you are able to successfully switch back to days awake/nights asleep on days off, what does your typical schedule work schedule look like, i.e. are you working every other day, or a few days in a row with the rest of the week off, or???

[fergus51]

I work full time nights and switch to a daytime schedule on my days off. I try to work 3 in a row and after my third I sleep till around 3pm, get up then go back to bed around midnight so I am back on a daytime schedule by the next morning. I find every other day to be exhausting. I need 3 or 4 off in a row to really like having a daytime schedule on my off days.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

What she said....

I like to block my nights together, sleep until 2pm or so, and go to bed around 11pm-12am. I may take an ambien occasionally, and that usually works. If I really have a lot to do the day I get off work, I load up on caffeine, and keep busy. I can usually make it to 9-10pm before I crash. Just don't plan any rigorous or thinking-related activities for the day. :>P