ICU Position

Nurseatyourcervix · Jul 31, 2005

I use to work nights in Pediatric step down and other subacute facilities. At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to adjust, either. I tried different techniques. And, I found one that worked for me. Before the night I know I am scheduled to work after having had two nights off in a row....I wake up super early like around 6am...that is early for me. I work out, clean the house, grocery shop....then its like 12noon and I am pooped. So, I sleep until 5:30pm and I'm at work just in the nick of time. The next night I am on schedule and as soon as I get home 830am I am knocking out the zzzzzzzzzz and I wake up by 5pm. I'll repeat again the next night.

The only night you really have to adjust for is after having had nights off before. Like I said, make an attempt to wake up early and take an afternoon nap. For the period of adjustment between just having had one night off...I would sleep as soon as I got home...wake up around 12 noon and finish the day off and go to bed by 11pm. Wake up at 6am, run errands, take a nap by 12noon.

It works, I'm telling you. I did this for two years.

mysticalwaters1 · Jul 31, 2005

I use to work nights in Pediatric step down and other subacute facilities. At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to adjust, either. I tried different techniques. And, I found one that worked for me. Before the night I know I am scheduled to work after having had two nights off in a row....I wake up super early like around 6am...that is early for me. I work out, clean the house, grocery shop....then its like 12noon and I am pooped. So, I sleep until 5:30pm and I'm at work just in the nick of time. The next night I am on schedule and as soon as I get home 830am I am knocking out the zzzzzzzzzz and I wake up by 5pm. I'll repeat again the next night.
The only night you really have to adjust for is after having had nights off before. Like I said, make an attempt to wake up early and take an afternoon nap. For the period of adjustment between just having had one night off...I would sleep as soon as I got home...wake up around 12 noon and finish the day off and go to bed by 11pm. Wake up at 6am, run errands, take a nap by 12noon.
It works, I'm telling you. I did this for two years.

Thanks sounds good!

pricklypear · Jul 31, 2005

I usually sleep till about 2 or 3 on my first day off. Then I'm either really tired by midnight, and can get on a decent daytime schedule, or stay up till 2-3 am and sleep till 10am. If I find myself on an early morning schedule, I nap before my first night back. If I'm on a late schedule, I just sleep in a little more and get things done in the afternoon before work. I never could go home and not sleep that first day. I found that if I deprived myself of too much sleep, I couldn't sleep at all and started hallucinating!

Another thing, try not to let youself get really hungry at night. I would do that, go home and eat like a pig, then sleep. I slept like a log, but I gained weight that I'm still trying to lose!!

I think everybody has their own unique way of dealing with the shift. You just have to find one that works for you through trial and error!