Night Shifter can't sleep on days off! HELP!!!

[morningland]

I have always been a night owl.

Working days was challanging because I always needed a sleep aid to help me fall asleep so eairly (2100-2200).

Been working nights for a year and a half. I have always slept like a baby during the days, no problems. But now I am having trouble, I have gone 10 days without good sleep.

First issue, is this. I have five days off in a row and I have tried to get myself into a day schedule by coming home at 0700, sleeping until 1100, then staying up until 0000-0200. Should be able to sleep right? nope. I always wake up 3-4 hours later and then I am utterly wiped out. The same thing will usually happen the second or third night and I am a zombie.

Now, the issue is that I am even having trouble sleeping during the day! Even though I am beyond tired. I wake up after only three hours of sleep.

I fear I am developing shift workers sleep disorder.

I use night shades

other than my days off I go to be at roughly the same time

Ambien puts me to sleep, but I wake up three hours later

Trazadone does the same

I am trying melatonin and valarian root tonight.

Anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it? I'd like to try and have some level of a social life by being able to be awake during the day on my days off. Is this doable, or am I bound to a night schedule. In the end, I wish there was a medication that would knock me out and keep me out for 7-8 hours.

Any advice would be so appreciated.

[vanilla bean]

I worked night shift for years and when I first started I tried every conceivable combination of sleep/wake to try to find something that made sense for my life, allowed me to get some quality sleep, and didn't make me feel like a zombie. For me, the only thing that worked was to stay on my night shift sleeping schedule even on my days off. When I tried to switch back and forth between being a day person and a night person I had the same problems with being unable to fall asleep and feeling like a zombie when I was awake.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I worked permanent nights for 4 years. Keeping to the same schedule on your off days promotes the best sleep. This may not be ideal for you, but the flipping back and forth tends to be more harmful.

I slept during the day and woke up very late in the afternoon when I wanted to go out. Now I'm on days and I wish I could have my nights again.

[bagladyrn, RN]

What I find works best for me (after 32 years on nights) is that on my days off I stay up until about 0400 am and get up at about 12 noon. That way I can still do things during normal business hours but don't mess up my normal sleep cycle too much.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

What I find works best for me (after 32 years on nights) is that on my days off I stay up until about 0400 am and get up at about 12 noon. That way I can still do things during normal business hours but don't mess up my normal sleep cycle too much.

This is exactly the strategy I use as well. Additionally, be sure you're are not being exposed to light (trips to bathroom, etc) during your sleep time. Light falling on the retina supresses melatonin- and drives wakefulness. Could there be some change in environment (traffic/ train noise etc) that is perhaps waking you? Are you using a fan for white noise?