Night shift sleep schedule

[DreamyEyes]

Just curious, if you work night shift or you have in the past (either 11p-7a or 7p-7a), when do you usually sleep? Do you get a full 8 hours?

I'm just curious because I work nights and generally I will sleep almost as soon as I get home (around 730 or 8 am) and I wake up around 2 or 3 pm. Sometimes 4 pm if I'm really lucky. I wake up feeling rested, but I find that lately I've been exhausted all throughout my shift. I find that if I take a nap, even an hour, right before my shift it helps a TON.

I have tried to stay up later and go to sleep around noon so I can wake up closer to my shift, but that never works out. I'm so exhausted when I get home! I guess I'm not a natural night owl. I do like working nights though, because I find it is more laid back than the other shifts, most of the time.

What about you? Do you stay up and go to sleep later, or do you sleep as soon you get home? Do you sleep in one block or split up your sleep time?

[serenity1]

I work 6p-630a...I sleep as soon as I get home and am up 1-2...I only get 8 hours on nights off. Going to days asap!! Hate feeling exhausted all the time.

[Harrychandler]

I work as a private duty pediatric nurse and work 9pm til 7am 4 days a week. I have been doing it for almost 8 months and I am getting ready to ask for days or evenings. I just can't get used to it. I'm always tired. On my days off I can hardly stay up past 10pm. I also wake up anywhere between 2am and 4am wide awake. My eating patterns are also messed up and I have been suffering stomach problems and backaches.

[Caffeine_IV]

I work 7p-730a and I am in bed by 830-9am most mornings unless it's my last shift...I will do my grocery shopping then before a stretch of time off.

I sleep until 330 sometimes a little later. I do well with 6hours of sleep. I generally have no problems falling asleep. I have a sound machine and blackout curtains. However when I try to be on the "normal" schedule with family..it's hard for me to sleep without an aid (melatonin usually).

I think I function well on night shift but I've never worked days full time so I actually could do better on them but I'm not looking to find out right now.

[NoviceRN10]

I work 12s from 7p-7:30a. I usually get home around 8, and try to get to sleep by 9-9:30. I can't come home and just get right in bed, I need to wind down by surfing the net or watching a dvr'd tv show. I get up around 3p, my kids get off the bus at 4. I can function at work with only 6 hrs of sleep, but when I am home I'm always tired. I keep my bedroom dark, cool, and a fan whirring above my head to help me stay asleep. I tried using Benadryl to help me sleep longer but it only worked as a diuretic . When I am not working I try to stay on my family's sleep schedule. I used to nap all the time but it didn't make me feel any more rested, just the opposite. I'm almost 40 and I find the night shift to be difficult, but everyone handles it differently.