Working day shift for the perpetual vampire

[heydelilah]

Well, I got my first position after graduating this May on the day shift at a large hospital (yea me!). Knowing how it can be out there I took it, however, I am so far from a morning person it's ridiculous. As a CNA I worked nights throughout the two years of school and before that I worked grave yard at other jobs.

How do I trick my body into wanting to wake up in the morning and not stay up all night? Even during my preceptorship (days) I just could not make myself sleep before 1am no matter how exhausted I felt. Is there some trick to resetting my circadian rhythm so that I can become an early bird gets the worm kind of person besides way too much caffeine and benedryl?

[Jennie.K]

I am NOT a morning person. What I have found that is the only thing that helps me is to exhaust myself. It takes me about a month to make my body wake regularly before 6 am. I force myself out of bed at 5, first time my alarm goes off. If I snooze once, it's over. Then I don't sit down until I have had a cup of coffee. Also, I make sure I work out and eat really healthy. No caffeine/sugar after 3 pm. A lot of people say to not eat past 7 or 8 but I have to go to bed on a full stomach. I'm in bed by 9 and the cycle starts over :)

Good luck!!

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

Ugh, I totally hear you. I was a night shift nurse pretty much the whole time Ive been an RN. I did a few months of evenings when I first got pregnant, then went on maternity leave. Now Im back, have an 8-5pm job, with a 13 month old baby, and just simply want to die lol. Every morning I literally have to kick myself out of bed. Every morning I feel like if I was still in school, this would be a sick day, or a sleep-in day. Ive tried melatonin, Benadryl, even my Ativan prescription. I somehow manage to fight all of it off. If I manage to fall asleep before 12am, its a fantastic day. Because of the lack of sleep, I always feel brain-dead at work, have less energy with my baby, and am packing on the pounds. I dont know how long I can handle this... But good luck to you figuring it out! I know day shift positions are generally very sought after, and a new grad bagging one is impressive! Good for you!

PS. If you figure out some tricks, let me know, I could sure use it!