advice how to make change from days to night shift

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I have always worked days, mostly 12 hour shifts. Now I will be working 12 hour night shifts 7p-7a. Can anyone give me advice on how to make this adjustment as painless as possible? I heard the hard part is from 3-6am then you get a second wind. When do you go to sleep? Seems hard to do right after work but I did it when I did back to back 12 hours day shifts. Did you need ambien at first to make the change to sleeping during the day? Any advice would be appreciated!!!

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Specializes in SRNA.

I usually sleep from 9-10am to 6pm. I wake up, get ready and start my shift at 7pm. I don't have problems staying awake on night shift and I don't use sleep aids.

I know some coworkers talk about taking benadryl to fall asleep.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I sleep during the day and drink 1 can of monster while im getting report and im good for the night..there is alot more than you think to keep you awake and busy

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Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

I do both nights and days, because I do agency and I go where the needs are. When I started doing more nights, I get off and settles by 8am, usually wake up naturally at 12, do some chores if needed and nap from 3-6p. If I am off the next night, skip my nap to ensure that I sleep.

I have no problems staying awake or falling asleep usually. if I am completely exhausted, and cannot keep my eyes open, I just go to bathroom, set my phone alarm and take a 5-10 min snooze. Out of 8 years of nursing, I have done this mabey 5 times. It is enough to give the 2nd wind!! 3-5am are the worse times!!

Oh---another tip I learned was to put aluminum foil on your bedroom windows....it may be bright and sunny at 12noon and it is dark as night in my bedroom!!

Good luck,

Brandie:yawn:

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I take benedryl and I know a nurse that drinks nyquil...LOL. She is so funny!

I turn a fan on in my bedroom.... it is white noise that blocks out stuff during the day. My neighbors were working on their scooter and my husband said "didnt you hear that"?? I didnt hear a anything and slept like a baby!

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

If I'm really tired after working a few shifts in a row, I go to bed immediately when I get home around 9 and sleep until 6 but I often find it best for me to run around getting errands done until noon and then sleeping until 4 so I don't waste my whole day.

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I didn't find it difficult at all, but I'm a night person and I don't usually have trouble staying awake. On my first night back, I try to sleep as late as possible - past noon if I can, but if I wake up early so be it. I've usually been up for a while when I get home that morning, so it's not difficult to go to sleep. I'm always starving when I get home, so I have a snack and a glass of wine (hey, it's my evening) and read for an hour or two. I don't go to bed until my husband gets up around 10, otherwise he'd just wake me. If I'm back that night, I get up around 4 to make something to eat. Rinse, lather, repeat. On my last night, I'll make an 0800 appt. if I need to see a doctor or anything like that. If not, I run errands. I go to sleep those days around noon, then wake up by 4. I can usually sleep well those nights, and if I can't I use the quiet time to study. I do much better with my nights blocked together than with them scattered, but everyone is different. Good luck! If you get tired, just think of that shift differential!

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