Night shift and Sleeping

time4meRN · Mar 27, 2011

I just started night shift. The best thing I have found it card board up at the windows so that no light gets in. We used masking tape around the card board to keep it tight to the window. The key is to make it light proof , so you would swear it is night time. Keep the room cool, leave a fan on to divert noise. Don't drink caffein for 6 hours before you sleep, eat a small meal with some sort or protein in it before you go to bed so your body doesn't think its time to eat about 1200. So far, most days that has worked for me. I wake up well rested.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2011

I wholeheartedly agree that daytime sleep is not the same quality as nighttime sleep, and yes, people have kids, etc. However, aside from a catnap on your break, we still have a responsibility to be awake at night for these patients. Take a short walk around your unit, drink some coffee, splash some cold water on your face. Whatever. Do what you need to do to stay awake.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2011

I remember one nurse, who would tend to find a quiet med room to rest in every night, was given the responsibility of orienting a new nurse to our floor. Well, when 3 rolled, his usual nap time, his head would bobble and his speech would slow down; this is when having a sleepy time break every shift works to one's disadvantage! Nothing more embarrassing than looking like a drunkard at 3 am!

He was however, the very best nurse to hunt down for a tough IV start. You know the one's where you end up starting one on the shoulder or upper arm. So I never complained about his taking naps. A resource like that is priceless!

I can remember thinking if I dared to sleep in the break room when I did night; someone would soon be vigorously tapping me on the shoulder and barking: "Callacode, Callacode -- wake up, time to give your report." Or heaven forbid, "Your patient is coding, why are you sleeping!"

Some countries like Canada, for example allow their staff time to rest at night, even supplying a resting room. I wish some nurses could realize that sleeping on night shift is not always so particularly bad, especially when the nurse taking a cat-nap has let other nurses know their status.

iNurseUK, RN · Apr 9, 2011

Nurses sleeping on nights is wholly accepted in the UK as long as they are covered by colleagues.

A one or two hour break is condoned by management and sleeping on the break is not frowned upon. Why would it be? if an emergency situation arises the person on break can be quickly woken. Otherwise colleagues can cover the work.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 10, 2011

Nurses sleeping on nights is wholly accepted in the UK as long as they are covered by colleagues.
A one or two hour break is condoned by management and sleeping on the break is not frowned upon. Why would it be? if an emergency situation arises the person on break can be quickly woken. Otherwise colleagues can cover the work.

Well I worked over 8 years night duty in the UK and the management would take disciplinary action if you was caught sleeping and I knew of a couple of nurses that was disciplined for it

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 11, 2011

Well I worked over 8 years night duty in the UK and the management would take disciplinary action if you was caught sleeping and I knew of a couple of nurses that was disciplined for it

Was this years ago in the days of the fearsome old Night Sisters/Night Charge Nurses? I was a night Charge Nurse in the early 90s and I turned a blind eye to staff having a nap on their breaks. I left the UK ten years ago and nurses then always napped on night shift. I currently work nights in France - if we're too busy we don't nap, and if we're quiet, we do. I feel a hundred times fresher after even a ten minute doze and feel I'm probably safer after my nap than when I'm dog tired. Statistics in France show that a majority of nursing and medical mistakes occur between 2am and 3am on the night shift. It's just not normal to be awake and functioning at that hour. Your body's fighting against circadian rhythms, altering cortisol levels etc. and some of the above "no sleep no way" posters seem to have forgotten basic physiology. I find it frankly quite frightening that some nurses can't see that there is a difference between the day shift and the night shift.

Sadly our profession will always have its superheroes - the kinds of nurses that stay late even if there's no need, go into work sick, even when they're infectious and can do a 904 hour shift without dozing off ever. That nurse ain't me. I care for my patients but I care about myself aswell.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 12, 2011

Was this years ago in the days of the fearsome old Night Sisters/Night Charge Nurses? I was a night Charge Nurse in the early 90s and I turned a blind eye to staff having a nap on their breaks. I left the UK ten years ago and nurses then always napped on night shift. I currently work nights in France - if we're too busy we don't nap, and if we're quiet, we do. I feel a hundred times fresher after even a ten minute doze and feel I'm probably safer after my nap than when I'm dog tired. Statistics in France show that a majority of nursing and medical mistakes occur between 2am and 3am on the night shift. It's just not normal to be awake and functioning at that hour. Your body's fighting against circadian rhythms, altering cortisol levels etc. and some of the above "no sleep no way" posters seem to have forgotten basic physiology. I find it frankly quite frightening that some nurses can't see that there is a difference between the day shift and the night shift.
Sadly our profession will always have its superheroes - the kinds of nurses that stay late even if there's no need, go into work sick, even when they're infectious and can do a 904 hour shift without dozing off ever. That nurse ain't me. I care for my patients but I care about myself aswell.

Yes we had the good old night sister however they was not fearsome and the hospital was very big in not allowing anyone to sleep during their shift and even now where I work in Canada we are not allowed to sleep and informed it is a sacking if caught.

Sats if I remember rightly was something similar for the UK and oh so much is nights different to days but somehow management like to think that patients behave themselves on nights and go to sleep............................

pgray1229 · Apr 12, 2011

I was a CNA for years.. I worked the midnight shift for several months. I never once fell asleep. I stayed up the entire shift. When I got home is a different story. I slept all day. Midnights is rough, but if you can handle, go for it. It's usually the quietest of all the shifts.

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2011

This is a spinoff thread from the thread about the nurse getting caught sleeping. I have always wondered if everyone stays awake on night shift (RN Wise). I am a CNA (getting my BSN in May) and every NURSING HOME I have worked in, workers have slept between rounds mostly CNAs but some nurses (LPNs). I have a big fear that I will end up falling asleep during night shift in the hospital and was wondering what keeps night shift nurses up at night??? Is it an easy feat or does it require a bunch of coffee and willpower???

Ha! I can't sleep at night (as evidenced by the fact that it's after 1 am and I'm up cleaning house then surfing the net). I've had problems sleeping at night for years, have found night shift to be a haven for me.

I have problems when I have to float to dayshift. The past two weekends, I had to work dayshift both Saturdays and Sundays. I got a total of 6 hours sleep the weekend before last and this past weekend I got a total of 8 hours. I slept all day today..well, Monday I mean. I find myself needing to consume massive amounts of caffeine on the dayshift.

I guess my natural rhythm is a night owl.

Five&Two Will Do · Apr 12, 2011

I do not like owrking nights. I have trouble sleeping during the day. Many nights my friends I wish I could lay my head on a pillow for even 30 minutes. Not allowed where I work!:angthts:

Katie5 · Apr 12, 2011

I have never once slept on nights, and I don't understand how someone could. I am always busy with something, even if it's just cleaning, or re-stocking, or filing notes. Give me any mundane task! I also drink a ton of tea or coca-cola to keep awake.
If I'm *really* struggling, I blast a loud tune into my head on the iPod.

I suppose blasting itunes on the job is more acceptable:rolleyes:

joanna73, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2011

Playing tunes isn't acceptable either IMO. We all have a professional image to uphold, and a responsibility to stay awake for these people. If you can't handle nights, don't work them. We're not paid to sleep. Unless of course, you are fully covered, and on your break. Maybe that's a little different. Even still, I know of some facilities that don't allow sleeping on breaks.