Night shift is killing me-Help!

tknrosales · Feb 12, 2015

I am about to start nights, any advice from anyone would be great! I have never worked nights either and I'm pretty terrified

dinah77, ADN · Feb 12, 2015

Find the good things- you said you were a new nurse, so you probably don't have a lot of comparisons, but as 4.5 yrs of RN experience almost all on days, recently switched to straight nights here is what I like:

Less contact with management

More autonomy

Less dealing with hoardes of concerned family members mucking up your rounds

Less rounding from other disciplines- not having to juggle your cares around OT, PT, etc

Are you on 11p-7a? If so

Here is how I do it

I don't go to bed until 12p or 1p, sleep until 9-9:30,

Then I have part of the day to do stuff so I don't feel like I never have a daytime life

Light blocking curtains? Essential

Earplugs- depends on how light if a sleeper you are- I use them and also have a box fan running on high for noise

Are you taking something to sleep? Try melatonin, add unisom is needed- don't be afraid to ask for ambien

You MUST sleep a full amount

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 12, 2015

Find the good things- you said you were a new nurse, so you probably don't have a lot of comparisons, but as 4.5 yrs of RN experience almost all on days, recently switched to straight nights here is what I like:
Less contact with management
More autonomy
Less dealing with hoardes of concerned family members mucking up your rounds
Less rounding from other disciplines- not having to juggle your cares around OT, PT, etc
Are you on 11p-7a? If so
Here is how I do it
I don't go to bed until 12p or 1p, sleep until 9-9:30,
Then I have part of the day to do stuff so I don't feel like I never have a daytime life
Light blocking curtains? Essential
Earplugs- depends on how light if a sleeper you are- I use them and also have a box fan running on high for noise
Are you taking something to sleep? Try melatonin, add unisom is needed- don't be afraid to ask for ambien
You MUST sleep a full amount

This. :yes:

pedsnurse22 · Feb 12, 2015

Thx so much I really appreciate it. I'm 7pm to 7 am. I am definitely finding out that there are less distractions on nights which I do like especially as a new grad. The shift it self isn't too bad, it's just my sleep schedule. I will try some of your tips. Thx again!!

heron, ASN, RN · Feb 12, 2015

Out of 40+ years at the bedside, I've spent roughly half of them on nights. I found that I had to become an absolute dictator about my sleep ... 6 hours minimum with no phone calls, kids or friends "stopping by" because, of course, you're not at work in the daytime and must be free to hang out. If you're working 3 12s, you can let your sleep schedule "float" a little on your days off, but it really is best to keep to a night-waking schedule as much as possible. Easier if you work your 3 days together. The trick is to establish a steady and consistent wake-sleep rhythm. You will need to get firm with family, friends and management at your job regarding daytime demands.

Americans are notorious for their disregard for the importance of sleep ... do not fall into the trap.

BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2015

Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep between shifts no matter what.

I work 11-7 three-four times a week, and always have those shifts in a row.

The worst time is during the first shift in a week. The night before, I go to bed around 0130, then wake up at 1100, do whatever, and go to work at 2300. Bring coffee. When the shift is over, go home, make breakfast for my husband who just woke up, shower, and go to bed until 1800. I make sure my husband knows the time my alarm is set to, and NEVER wakes me up before that. He even takes his clean clothes out of dresser for later, so he does not bother me. I am known to be very angry when woken up before my alarm sounds. Later, my days and nights are "flipped", and second, third and fourth shifts are not bad.

I agree with previous posts about positive things of overnight nursing.

pedsnurse22 · Feb 13, 2015

Yes I agree the first shift of the week is the hardest. I'm slowly figuring it out and what works for me. I really do appreciate all the input and will definitely be incorporating some of the ideas into my current routine.

Tree5981, ADN, BSN, MSN · Feb 13, 2015

I am a night owl and I do find that the first night is the hardest as well. I find it easier to work 3 nights in a row, and it allows me to switch to a day schedule on my 4 days off so I don't feel like a total hermit. Otherwise, you feel like you are doing nothing but sleeping all the time. I have black covers to black out the windows so I can sleep better. I also take zzzquil if I have a hard time falling asleep after work and I can't wind down.

Tree

Choosejoy522 · Mar 11, 2015

I work 12 hr nights too! One thing that's hard is our first day off is a recovery day too! I work Thurs-Sat nights so Sunday morning when I get off I go to bed until about 1pm; 3pm if I'm totally exhausted or if it was an especially difficult week. Then I stay up for the afternoon/evening and am usually in bed by 10-11pm. That makes it to where I can sleep all night and then be up the next day so I can switch. I hope that helps and makes sense! There have definitely been weeks where I've barely been able to get out of bed too though! You're not alone :-)

Mt.ViewRanchGal · Mar 13, 2015

I work in Adult ICU, straight nights. I despise day shift. :) We have a rule at my house...bleeding, broke or dead...that is the only reason you wake me up. If you are having trouble staying awake, see if your PCP will prescribe Nuvigel for you. Some people are just not cut out to work nights. Messes with their rhythm. I have been a nurse for 30++ years. Most of it straight nights.

DVorahRN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2015

I've been straight nights for 8 years. I keep my sleep/wake schedule the same, so even on my nights off I sleep during the day and stay up at night. If you have family obligations (I don't) this probably won't work for you, so you should try to get all your shifts in a row so you can flip back to days on your days off. A lot of shift workers have "shift work sleep disorder" and can be prescribed Provigil, Nuvigil, or methylphenidate (Ritalin) to help stay awake during the night.

Good luck!