Working night shift, difficulty sleeping during the day!

mustlovepoodles, RN · Aug 9, 2012

Ha! We must have posted at the same time. I used to tell my kids not to wake me up until my hair was n fire or a nuclear bomb in the front yard. Forget Harrison Ford or Johnny Depp--romance was the last thing on my mind. :flamesonb

Kasandra · Aug 9, 2012

Between the two shifts, I prefer night shift. It does, however, mess up my sleep schedule!

On my days off, as long as I have a couple in a row off, I "flip back" to a normal nocturnal sleep pattern so that I can spend time with my family (which includes a 2 and 4 year old who are all about their Mommy). Prior to going back for a night shift the next day, I will stay up as late as possible, still sleep all night, and get in a nap prior to my night shift. I then am back in nocturnal mode.

With the way that I sleep, it is more like being a "rotating" sleep pattern (very much like what nurses must have to do when they have rotating shifts).

What I dislike about nights is getting off of work and being totally wide awake. Unless I am dead tired, I want to watch T.V., eat some food, basically chill out for an hour or two before heading off to bed. I have had some mornings, though, where sleep will not come. Come to think of it, those rare mornings where I cannot go to sleep are when I have alot running through my mind (don't you hate that? I do!). Question: Does anyone have any input as to how to "slow" one's thinking down to go to sleep? What works for you?

I also feel that my habits are not the best food wise: I love caffeine. I drink Mountain Dew (which does not work anymore) and coffee (which I love downing a big cup because I can feel the caffeine in my system!). I do not get in as much water as I should to adequately hydrate. I also eat whatever I want while watching portions although I do need to drop some pounds. However, a girl needs more than greens and rice cakes to have the calories for nursing! Another question: For night shifters: Do you have a workout regimen that works for you? Also: What foods do you eat at work that keeps your weight where you want it to be?

Music in My Heart · Aug 9, 2012

I finally made peace with the Lunesta butterfly.

Often times, just knowing that the butterfly is there if I need it, helps me relax enough to go to sleep.

Not a big fan of meds but working 12, dozing for 2, tossing and turning for 7, and then back at it again is, I think, worse for my body than is the sleeping pill.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Aug 9, 2012

I do melatonin to help me sleep

Music in My Heart · Aug 9, 2012

kasandra said:
between the two shifts, i prefer night shift. it does, however, mess up my sleep schedule!
on my days off, as long as i have a couple in a row off, i "flip back" to a normal nocturnal sleep pattern so that i can spend time with my family (which includes a 2 and 4 year old who are all about their mommy). prior to going back for a night shift the next day, i will stay up as late as possible, still sleep all night, and get in a nap prior to my night shift. i then am back in nocturnal mode.
with the way that i sleep, it is more like being a "rotating" sleep pattern (very much like what nurses must have to do when they have rotating shifts). pretty much how i handle it, too.
what i dislike about nights is getting off of work and being totally wide awake. unless i am dead tired, i want to watch t.v., eat some food, basically chill out for an hour or two before heading off to bed. i have had some mornings, though, where sleep will not come. come to think of it, those rare mornings where i cannot go to sleep are when i have alot running through my mind (don't you hate that? i do!). question: does anyone have any input as to how to "slow" one's thinking down to go to sleep? what works for you? i'm not averse to sleeping meds but i also practice conscious relaxation with pretty good effect.
i also feel that my habits are not the best food wise: i love caffeine. i drink mountain dew (which does not work anymore) and coffee (which i love downing a big cup because i can feel the caffeine in my system!). i do not get in as much water as i should to adequately hydrate. stop the "should" and just do it. there's really no excuse for not staying hydrated. i used an android app to track my water but then just switched back to my 1l bottle x 3 per day... think, "water is medicine." i also eat whatever i want while watching portions although i do need to drop some pounds. however, a girl needs more than greens and rice cakes to have the calories for nursing! another question: for night shifters: do you have a workout regimen that works for you? 24-hr gym or get into a body-weight workout program (check out mark lauren). working out before bed doesn't work for me. also: what foods do you eat at work that keeps your weight where you want it to be? portion control and stay away from chips, candy, donuts, ice cream, fast-food, and booze of all sorts. that's done wonders. recently started on paleo and i'm only 7 lbs about my high-school weight just shy of my 48th birthday (and down 43 lbs from my heaviest). look for opportunities to move and move quickly... park in furthest space, take the stairs, hustle between patients, etc. of all jobs, nursing provides ample opportunity to exercise in situ.

my response in blue...

Tnyce · Aug 9, 2012

I never have a problem, but I am worse off, I work 2 jobs so once I leave my night shift, I go to another job sometimes to come back that night, and to be honest it doesnt feel like I have been missing sleep, I only feel it when it is time to go to bed than I 'm gone.

macgirl · Aug 9, 2012

I had your problem when I had to work days in school. Believe it or not this subject came up at work...Most who have problems take melatonin, shower, get ready for bed, and take it just before trying to sleep (it's a natural hormone). What I have found is that it helps you fall asleep but doesn't keep you asleep. So take 5 mg of it with 2 benadryl. Really your only doing it 2 days a week. I agree with the advice about sunglasses. I get home, eat, shower and sleep. About 1 hour after I'm home I'm sleeping. The other route is a benzo, like klonopin to sleep (suprisingly common) I admit I use to do before clinicals (2 days, not really worried about an addiction.)

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2012

After years of nights, I finally got tired of feeling miserable all the time. I had no problem falling asleep, or staying asleep, but my body simply could not stay awake all night. About 1:00 a.m. I would get soooo sleepy, I envied the patients asleep in their beds! I found myself a day job and actually felt like I had a life. I only work 8 hour days now, so I really feel great. The turning point for me was when I realized my trached patient's vent was dinging, and I was sitting at the desk in a light sleep. I quit that night-shift job and went to days. I know this doesn't help your situation, but you might just not be a night-shift person.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2012

Oh, just thought of something. If you try the benadryl or melatonin, try it when you are off, to see how if affects you. Benadryl causes me to have a hangover feeling. And melatonin can interfere with any routine meds you might be taking.

Bobmo88 · Aug 9, 2012

I am per-diem ER Tech so I usually work night shifts and I think the hardest part is the first shift after days off.

Before work: If I wake up early in the day, I'll try to do some physical activity to get me tired enough to take a nap, if I nap for a as long as I get 1-3 hours before having to get ready for work I'm usually fine.

Once I'm at work: I'm not a big coffee drinker but do drink tea and try not have any caffeine after 2 am. I also try not to drink too much if any fluids after 4 because if I do I will wake up at 11:30am and will struggle to fall back asleep.

After work: I wear polarized sunglasses since I have about a 30 minute commute back to work and the light can keep me awake. Once I am home, I shower and go straight to bed because if I am doing any sort of activity I will stay awake. My room is nice and dark (my temporary solution of using a dark flannel sheet to cover my blinds became permanent)

I stick to this routine and I am usually able to sleep well when I work consecutive shifts in a row.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 9, 2012

i use ambien. sleep is important; do what you need to do to get some.

that said, non-pharmaceutical tricks to try:

black out drapes or shades. i couldn't sleep past noon in one of the houses i owned -- it turned out that that's when the sun got high enough to shine over the fence and into my bedroom. i had dark drapes, but the sun got through pinholes and around the edges . . . i ended up putting aluminum foil on the windows to completely block the sun and no more problems. (except that the neighbors all thought i was growing pot in there!)

a fan -- both for white noise and for air movement. i have a large, industrial fan that provides a little or a lot of white noise. years ago, i slept through the sounds of my then-boyfriend moving into my house while i was sleeping off a night shift. (and no, i was not expecting the move.) months later, i slept through the noise of him moving out. (at my request.) i've also slept through furniture deliveries, construction next door and most of a dog fight.

ear plugs and a face mask are also said to work -- i could never get used to either, but my husband swears by them.

eat a bit before you go to bed. i used to not do that and would wake up starving at noon.

have a bedtime routine -- take a warm bath, drink hot cocoa and read a chapter of the latest bestseller. or check your email one last time, listen to music -- whatever makes a bedtime routine for you.

make sure your family/friends/housemates/landlord/etc. know that you sleep during the daytime and treat your sleep time as sacred. i once woke up to find an electrician in my bedroom -- the landlord had sent him over and helpfully provided him with a key. if someone repeated violates the sanctity of your sleep, a 2 or 3 am phone call usually takes care of it. ("oh, hi! i was just sitting down for tea, and wondered if this was a good time to chat. no? well i'm wide awake, what do you mean you're sleeping?") i've had to do that to an insurance agent and a few relatives, but it usually only takes one such phone call. led zepplin blasting all night long took care of one upstairs neighbor who used to have tap dancing practice above my bedroom . . . .

make sure you treat your sleep as sacred. most of my colleagues who didn't tolerate night shift are those who "didn't mind" answering their kids math questions or helping hubby find his shoes at 1 pm.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Aug 9, 2012

^^^ EXCELLENT post ^^^

My dad used to call me at 11am and say "Oh, you're STILL asleep?" So I took a deep breath, and dialed him at 0330. And of course I said "Oh, you're STILL asleep?" It stopped! :)

My husband once famously brought my phone into the bedroom and said "There's someone on the phone, I don't know who it is. Did you want to talk to them or keep sleeping?" Yeah, that was the day he almost became my ex-husband. (Today is our 37th anniversary)