Night shifters - ever experience this?

Nurses General Nursing

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I will be honest, it took me a long time to adjust to night shift. But then I had a really good stretch where I thought everything was going to be ok. I kept to the schedule on days off which helped. I felt good at work and slept when I got home. I was on a sleeping 10-4 schedule most days of the week. But lately I am WAY OUT OF WHACK! I mean like I will sleep for 18 hours then be awake for 2 days straight. I am exhausted, have huge bags under my eyes, my skin looks awful and I am sooooooo cranky! It is affecting my attitude at work. Its been about 3 weeks like this. I have tried Benadryl, melatonin, lunesta. But when I can't sleep I can't sleep. I feel crazy. I just lay there in bed and nothing! Even with all the medicine in me. My doctor said ambien is a bad fit for me since I already sleep walk and talk sometimes. But the stretches of insomnia are making me absolutely crazy. My doctor said I need to find a day job, nothing else will help but I really need to stick this out until January at the very least. Any ideas? Anyone have a sudden change in tolerance to night shift? I am afraid my lack of sleep will cause me to harm someone by making a mistake at work. I have not called out yet, but I am going to have to if this keeps up.

Jenni811, RN

1,032 Posts

Specializes in Intermediate care.

Some people handle night shifts much worse than others. Maybe your just not cut out for it.

I can handle it fairly well. I get tired...but i don't know anyone that doesn't, even people who have been doing nights for years and years. I do day/night rotations, so i switch back and fourth alot. and i can hoenstly say i never have issues switching back to a normal schedule. I can easily easily go from working a night shift Sunday 6:30pm-Monday 7:00am and be ready for a day shift by Tuesday.

I figured out a sleep schedule that works for me, i have to force myself to get up at certain times so i am tired by night and force my self to stay awake until a certain time.

If your new to night shifts, don't give up on them. Just try to figure out what works for you. Just because someone doesn't need to sleep before a night shift, or only needs to sleep 4 hours in between working nights doesn't mean you need to be that way to.

I'll tell you this much, when i get home from a night shift i will sleep SOUND until about noon. I wake up, wide awake at noon. Then i take benadryl to make me fall back asleep and i will sleep strait until about 5pm.

If i take benadryl right when i get home from work (around 8) i will sleep sound until about 2 or 2:30. Depends on what i need to do that day and such is how i coordinate it :)

Best of luck!

Jenni

allnurses Guide

JBudd, MSN

3,836 Posts

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

If your doctor is firm about you not working nights, get him to write a letter to that effect and take it to your manager and to HR. One of ours was seriously having stress problems, and was moved to days per her doctor's orders. Work places have to make adjustments for health.

aboucherrn

62 Posts

Specializes in Medical-Surgical / Palliative/ Hospice.

When I try to switch back and forth I get 'crazy'. Sleep is my #1 priority. Fortunately, my husband is a writer and a natural night shifter, so we live on night shift. I sleep 8 hours during the day, every day. My family doesn't understand it, but it's the only way I can function. I tried day shift for a year, and was so nervous about getting up on time that I couldn't sleep through the night. I have worked with people that started on nights, and instantly felt better the week they went to days. Night shift isn't for everyone, but neither is day shift!

beeker

411 Posts

If your doctor is firm about you not working nights, get him to write a letter to that effect and take it to your manager and to HR. One of ours was seriously having stress problems, and was moved to days per her doctor's orders. Work places have to make adjustments for health.

I am pretty sure my doctor would do this for me, but my floor is not a good place to be on day shift. They have run off over 10 nurses since I started 9 months ago. They are constantly short staffed because of how they treat new people. People will go to days, then quit or come back to nights. The night shifters work together and help each other, it is a good group. I am trying to make it to the one year mark so I can do an internal transfer to another floor for days. I am not sure why our unit manager allows it to continue, but the day shift is a bunch of "mean girls" (of all ages) that torture newbies. Then they whine about being short staffed without seeing the irony in it. The only new people who survive the day shift are ones that are hand picked by them, either friends or relatives of those already there.

KrysyRN, BSN

288 Posts

I used to have trouble getting a straight 7-8 hrs of sleep during the day until I tried this: I started pinning up a heavy blanket over my bedroom window, then closing really heavy light-blocking, noise-blocking curtains (from Target) over the blanket and window. This blocks every bit of light coming through. Sleeping in absolute darkness has helped so much with getting a good sleep after working a night shift.

HeartsOpenWide, RN

1 Article; 2,889 Posts

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Nothing worked for me. I put ton foil over the windows, had venetian blinds over that, and thick corduroy drapes over that! I peed in a plastic trash can so I didn't have to go to leave my dark room to pee. I was taking Ambien CR and waking up a few hours later wide away and needed another dose; only managing to fet about 4-5 hours total of sleep. I went to my doctor to see if there were any medications that would work and she listen all the sleep medications available, which I already had tried and none of which worked either. She told me I was taking enough Ambien to drop a horse (I was down to 98 pounds from lack of sleep and no appetite during the nights when I worked--five 8s--) told me I looked "haggard" (I completely broke down in front if her) and that if I didn't go to day shift she was going to put me on disability for exhaustion. Fortunately I was able to get a day shift shortly after that.

Some people just are not made for night shift...

LifeLearner776

34 Posts

I hope you succeed in finding a different floor to transfer to for day shift as I'd feel the same way as you regarding the current situation. A friend told me she used to work night shifts and suddenly her body revolted forcing her to go to day shifts. So it does happen.

anon456, BSN, RN

3 Articles; 1,144 Posts

It has taken me a full year to adjust to night shift. I stop the caffiene at 2 AM. I go home and shower and get into bed with a book and am able to sleep for 5-6 hours. I wake up when kids get home and the I go back to bed on nights off at the regular time. Benedryl helps. I never take sleep aids during the day sleep time because that messes with the body. It knows that nights are for sleeping and on my four nights off a week (even if not three in a row) I try to sleep at night. I also try not to work more than 2 in a row because I want my body to stay used to being awake days not nights. To stay awake at work on slow nights I walk arround the unit and try to stay busy cleaning the med room, organizing rooms (quietly) and offering to help coworkers with tasks.

anon456, BSN, RN

3 Articles; 1,144 Posts

Oh and get out in the sun when you can. I take Vit D because Im low on it but noticed a positive difference in coping with night shift when my levels were better.

joanna73, BSN, RN

4,767 Posts

Specializes in geriatrics.

I'm a permanent nighter for 2 years now. I will have the odd day or two where I won't sleep well, but that's rare. Generally, I sleep fine during the day. I do usually take benadryl and melatonin before bed, which does not negatively affect me. You may not be designed to work nights, from the sounds of it. Ask your physician to write a note. I hope things improve for you soon.

hereinTN

2 Posts

Specializes in LTC, LTAC.
I will be honest, it took me a long time to adjust to night shift. But then I had a really good stretch where I thought everything was going to be ok. I kept to the schedule on days off which helped. I felt good at work and slept when I got home. I was on a sleeping 10-4 schedule most days of the week. But lately I am WAY OUT OF WHACK! I mean like I will sleep for 18 hours then be awake for 2 days straight. I am exhausted, have huge bags under my eyes, my skin looks awful and I am sooooooo cranky! It is affecting my attitude at work. Its been about 3 weeks like this. I have tried Benadryl, melatonin, lunesta. But when I can't sleep I can't sleep. I feel crazy. I just lay there in bed and nothing! Even with all the medicine in me. My doctor said ambien is a bad fit for me since I already sleep walk and talk sometimes. But the stretches of insomnia are making me absolutely crazy. My doctor said I need to find a day job, nothing else will help but I really need to stick this out until January at the very least. Any ideas? Anyone have a sudden change in tolerance to night shift? I am afraid my lack of sleep will cause me to harm someone by making a mistake at work. I have not called out yet, but I am going to have to if this keeps up.

You might try a white noise machine, or run a fan for noise. Also on your off days try to stick with the same schedule. And dont let yourself sleep 18 hours, sleep 8-10 hrs then get up. Also try doing some yoga stretches. Benadryl, Melatonin, etc didnt work for me either, white noise, keeping the room about 68 degrees and using blackout curtains did help me. Good luck from a long time night shift nurse.

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