Sleeping in the Closet?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I feel pretty ridiculous even typing this sentence, but I'm seriously considering buying a twin mattress and dedicating my walk-in closet as my 'night shift sleeping space' as the only windowless room in the house. I've tried every light-blocking 'blackout shade' technology I can think of, and I can't get my bedroom room dark enough; I love night shift on the whole, but this lack of sleep is driving me nuts. Have any other fellow night shifters resorted to sleeping in equally bizarre places?

I think my dream home would have a small, windowless den or office where I could sleep anytime I want. Why isn't this a thing?

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
It's not a matter of light or dark. Your circadian rhythm, cannot adjust. Find a day job, in the meantime use a sleep mask.

Best wishes.

In my case, this must be correct. I have gotten SO used to sleeping during the day that I have no need for a blacked-out room. I can't have my window WIDE open on a bright sunny day, but as long as my curtains are closed, I'm good.

Noise is another matter. If the kids are home, I have to have a fan on or something to drown them out.

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LOL Orion!! :) I actually wondered if the neighbors might think I was weird for a brief minute...but I'm in my mid-30's now, and am moving past the point where I care about what others think as much as I used to ;)

I'm just glad my 6 month stint of night shift happened after I moved to a house and out of the townhouse community that came complete with a vigorous twice-weekly landscaping team!!

Oh the landscaping woes!!! I would JUST start to fall asleep at 8am when along came the landscapers right out my window. Grr

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Before clicking on it, I fully expected this topic to have been written by that poster who is determined to live in a cargo van.

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Put cardboard over the glass windows. Use masking tape to hold it up. If light still comes in around it, put towels over the top of the curtain rod and around the window where the light might still be coming in. This plus turning off the phone and someone else being home to answer the door plus Benadryl, Melatonin, prescription sleep Rx, and a fan did the trick for me for several years.

Alternatively, sleep in your closet if that's what you need to do. Or try to get off of Night shift. Best wishes.

Have you tried getting a call room at your hospital? I did that for a while.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I did this exact thing for the two years I worked nights. The twin mattress fit in it perfectly. My walkin closet had an AC vent to it and an electrical outlet. I plugged a fan into it for the background drone noise. Total darkness inside even during the day.

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One of the benefits of using a CPAP is that you can completely cover your head with a blanket and not suffocate, because your air is coming from the bedside CPAP. I also used blackout curtains, ear plugs, and a rain sounds MP3 on loop.

After night shift for 2 years...NEVER AGAIN.

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If light is coming in around the blackouts, buy some spring tension rods and place them vertically in the window opening - tucking the curtains behind them. Made my room so dark I would bump into the furniture..

Now that IS mean, maryjean! :happy:

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Specializes in IMCU, Oncology.

Why why not try an RX for Ambien or Lunesta? It would require a lot less time and effort and will probably make you sleep during your needed 8 hour period. If I had to work nights, that is what I'd do because there would be no other way I could sleep during the day no matter what I did!

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Foil completely blocked light for me. I blocked my windows with foil, and used a fan for white noise. But there's not much you can do if you're bouncing back and forth between sleeping during the day and night. That has more to do with your circadian rhythm, but light during the day will definitely not help.

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Just come out of the closet! :inlove:

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Up your caffeine intake to crash easier

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Lol@ this thread. OP just make sure there's good airflow in the closet. I too struggle with day sleep after working night (not in nursing yet) so have my pen and paper ready for these tips for when I graduate. One of my nursing instructor said not to go to sleep right away after work. Give yourself 2-3 hours and then go to bed. Same as someone working day shift would do. I wonder if this helps stay asleep longer???

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