Overnights hangover - one day off

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Howdy and hello ~

I am a new grad, I graduated this past May. The hospice company I worked for as a TMA kept me as an RN, and I also got a job at a local hospital on a tele floor. Both are 12 hour overnight shifts, I work one day a week for hospice and full time for the hospital, now. I have worked full time overnights for the past two years while going to school full time. I have been off of orientation now for maybe two weeks, and I'm feeling pretty good. I work with an awesome staff, love my unit and have really enjoyed my work at both jobs so far. Plus I enjoy working overnights.

Right off the bat with my career, I am doing my best to not get totally burnt out. I haven't taken up any overtime the hospital has offered me (which was really hard to do!!!) and have tried to be selective on what days I pick up, if any. I am trying to exercise on at least a semi-regular basis, eat relatively healthy as you can on overnights (although my intake of chocolate has gone up) and try to be social when the opportunities arise.

Anyway, what this is all getting to...

That one day when you get one night off, like today... I try to get up and do stuff in the afternoon and evening. Sometimes I am successful at that, and other times - such as today - I am not. I am sort of giving myself a break because the past eight months, especially, have been a whirlwind... and now that those have settled down, I sometimes think my body is a little on the tired side. Or does that just sound like a bunch of BS?

Do any of you have that happen? Almost feel hungover and just sleep/lounge? What is your normal sleep/awake schedule for those precious 36 hours?

listen to your body....u only have the one

when u r young, u don't think of aches, pains and illness.

when u get to my age, u wish u had taken better care of ur body

If I felt I really needed to sleep, I did. I stayed on a night schedule as much as possible, since so many stores are open at night, for "basics" like groceries, toiletries, etc....MD appts, I tried to schedule first thing in the morning- if I couldn't get in before 9 am at the latest, I'd pick a different day.

I always thought about nights and days (8-hr shifts) as just being the opposites...I still had 3-11 EVERY day... with 12s, you need to set limits...but if you want to work SOME overtime now and then, for some fun money, go for it !!! Just don't become the "go to" person they hound to come in when everybody else called in for the music festival in town ;)

When I only have 36 hours off I tend take three naps. One when I get home in the am for about 4 or 5 hours, I go to bed for 4 or 5 hours overnight then nap again for several hours before going back in. It usually totals 12 to 15 hours depending on how many days in a row I had done before my one off.

Specializes in Critical Care-Neuro/Trauma ICU.

When I first started working nights at my hospital I got kind of the yucky schedule because I was new. I would consistently be scheduled one on one off one on one off one on...it was a nightmare. I was unable to stay awake so I just kept myself on the night schedule as if I were working. At first I tried staying awake on my day off and after about 3 months of that I ended up not being able to sleep at ALL...it was nightmarish. You might want to consider working at least two in a row with at least 2 days off in the middle. I work 3 on 2 off 3 on then 6 off now and it's great.

Good luck! Listen to your body...if it's asking for sleep give it what it needs!

Specializes in geriatrics.

As people have said, listen to your body. If I only have 2 nights off, sometimes I might stay in my pajamas and not do anything if I'm really tired. Other times I feel ok and I'll get my errands done. I also keep a nighttime schedule and my phone is off during the day.

Thanks for your input, everyone. That is sort of along the lines that I was thinking.... and speaking of... better get a quick nap in before tonight :)

Thanks :)

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