Working night shift, difficulty sleeping during the day! - Page 3

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.

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.

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.

^^^ 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)

I feel like this forum needs a special sub-forum for night shifters to commiserate in.

/agrees with investing in an industrial strength fan
//also, melatonin

Hey, I'm thrilled that it worked for you!

Oh, yeah. NOC shifters, sleeping becomes an olympic sport, complete with gear.

I am also thinking about starting a forum and some local groups for night shifters social on days off. Its lonely being up all night, and some of my friends are tired of trying to guess when I have 3 days off, so I can spend the afternoon of the middle one hanging out.


1) Sleeping mask! or fleece ski cap pulled down over eyes. Better than blinds for me.
2) earplugs
3) Family instruction, no purposeful waking 9-6 on pain of death
4) fan
5) melatonin, to be taken in short stretches. no hangover, crazy dreams though after 3 days
6) One cup of coffee or 3 of black tea, within first 3 hours of shift only
7) PLENTY of WATER during shift - dehydration can tire
8) same schedule if 1-2 days off, up nights
9) if 3 days off, last day before next shift, 3-4 hr nap in afternoon, up late, to transition back
10) Mid-sleep bathroom run-keep eyes closed as much as possible.
11) Just before going off to sleep, visualize a dark, comfy starry night in the country, beach, or wherever is pleasant to you. Feel that it is actually night outside your room/sleeping mask.

Oddly, I have to remind people at work (the same people that find it so hard to staff night shift!) that a 3pm meeting is the same for me as if they were blithely expected to show up at work at 3am for meetings. I have had to remind them over and over, politely, to keep it to a minimum. If you ever feel selfish asking coworkers or family for any of these considerations, know that you are doing this to be fully present for your patients and for other drivers on the road. Also know that you should let yourself feel fine for asking for these things, even if it were only for your own benefit. You deserve it.

Check out the article in General Nursing Articles entitled Night Shift For Newbies. I think you will find it very helpful.

Glad it worked for you! Try some melatonin, though...I find it doesn't make me groggy when I wake up, unlike Benadryl. There are different dosages out there, but I usually take 3mg and that is sufficient.

Other things I do:
1. I don't have blackout curtains (I have been meaning to get some!) but instead I use an eye mask. Works wonders.

2. If you can, try sleeping with ear plugs. My husband has learned to be quiet when I'm trying to sleep before work but that doesn't mean out neighbors know how to be...or the landscapers when they come mow the lawn or blow leaves by my window -_- (we live in an apartment). I'm a light sleeper so when that happens, I'm awake and then I can't fall back asleep. Ear plugs can help.

3. I'm a coffee fiend. I drink it before I go to work and drink it while I'm at work, but I cut off the caffeine by 0000. Otherwise I won't be able to sleep when I get home.

4. Remember to hydrate. It's so easy to become dehydrated, especially when you drink a lot of coffee like me! And as a PP said, dehydration can tire.

5. I'm in bed by 0800-0830 (depends when I get off from work) and usually sleep until around 1500-1600. There will be some days where you just won't sleep well, though. Keep that in mind.\

6. Keep it cool. You sleep better when your environment is cooler. I live in Texas where it is HOT so I keep the AC on...I also keep the fan on to circulate air and to help keep the room even cooler.

7. Tell your friends/family when you are sleeping. Remember, their 1pm is your 1am! I turn my phone off for this reason but everyone knows when I am sleeping and when I am awake.