Advice needed from fellow night shift people

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am tired of disappointing people.

I have worked night shift for several years now, and while this has always been an issue, it's gotten worse in the past couple of years I would say. I try so hard to get myself back on a day schedule on days off so that I can visit my family and be awake with them and do things with them. I live alone and am at least two hours' drive away from everyone in my family, and in several cases quite a bit farther, so it takes some doing to see them and requires that I have had enough sleep to be able to drive. All too often, I get there later than planned because I couldn't sleep till early in the morning, and then when I am there, I just can't sleep when they do and am up reading a book at 3 in the morning and tired when we are out doing things. Or else I am there a day later or don't go at all because I just get so wound up and can't sleep and am not safe to drive.

I know it is good to keep on the same night shift schedule on time off as much as possible, but realistically when dealing with the majority of the world, and seeing family that don't live nearby, this doesn't always work.

I guess what set me off to post this thread is that I am going to see a sister in the morning who lives out of town; we have a weekend planned to hang out together and do some things. I worked last night 12 hours, and then stayed up almost all day in an attempt to reset my body to sleep tonight; was awake all told well over 24 hours by the time I crashed this evening. But two hours after I fell asleep, I was up and now cannot sleep again; it's like it's "my time" to be awake whether I have had any sleep or not. I am just frustrated.

Other occasions, I have tried just leaving very early in the morning after being up all night, but then I am exhausted when I get there. Other times, I get there in the evenings (not even that late in the evening) and people are (understandably) ready to go to bed in about an hour after I get there while I am raring to go. I feel like I am missing time with the people who are important to me, and disappointing them as well. I love night shift and have always been an evening/night person, even before nursing, and do not wish to change to a day shift position at my facility for a variety of other reasons as well; so going to a day shift job at this point is a last resort, though I know that will be some folks' first suggestion.

But what is the best way for me to reset on a day off so that I can make planned trips to the people I love, and make the most of them?? Any and all suggestions welcome. I have a thick skin so don't worry about sugar coating things. I am especially looking for practical, concrete strategies of things I can do.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

What I do when I ned to be up for "day" things is sleep about four hours on my first day off. Just come straight home from work and sleep until, say, noon. Then force yourself to get up, even though you're tired. Once you're up and hopefully the sun is out, your body will want to be awake, and you'll be able to do things as though you've had a full night's sleep. But you will wear out quickly, so you should be crashing just about when everyone else is ready for bed.

I feel like I'm not really explaining this well, so I'll give you a timetable:

Work 7p-7a on a Friday, let's say. In bed by 8am. Up at noon. Drive to your family's house, getting there at 3 or 4pm on Saturday. By midnight or so, you should be crashing. You can go to sleep and sleep until 9 or 10am on Sunday, and still have a reasonably long day with your family. To switch back to nights, just stay up extra late the night before your next shift and then get up around noon again.

I use this strategy all the time when I am off for more than a day or two, or when I am on vacation, works like a charm.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Thanks so much- the concrete times really help. The going to bed immediately, then getting up when it's still light and busy out vs. staying up all day then just crashing at like 6/7 in the evening and hoping to stay asleep all night, makes sense. At least in my head- it will take some getting used to, to do it, but will be worth it for sure. Right now I have a tendency to feel very awake after my drive home from work and try to get things accomplished immediately and then (if I'm off that next night) end up staying up several hours and screwing up my sleep schedule often falling asleep at like 2 in the afternoon or something. Your way makes much more sense.

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I would explain things to the family and ask them to come visit you every other time.

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Specializes in LTC.
What I do when I ned to be up for "day" things is sleep about four hours on my first day off. Just come straight home from work and sleep until, say, noon. Then force yourself to get up, even though you're tired. Once you're up and hopefully the sun is out, your body will want to be awake, and you'll be able to do things as though you've had a full night's sleep. But you will wear out quickly, so you should be crashing just about when everyone else is ready for bed.

I feel like I'm not really explaining this well, so I'll give you a timetable:

Work 7p-7a on a Friday, let's say. In bed by 8am. Up at noon. Drive to your family's house, getting there at 3 or 4pm on Saturday. By midnight or so, you should be crashing. You can go to sleep and sleep until 9 or 10am on Sunday, and still have a reasonably long day with your family. To switch back to nights, just stay up extra late the night before your next shift and then get up around noon again.

I use this strategy all the time when I am off for more than a day or two, or when I am on vacation, works like a charm.

Thats what I used to do when I worked nights. I always just slept til noon on my days off so I could actually enjoy my days off.

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I take a sleeping pill my first night off or I do the same thing - wake up after a few hours, even though I'm exhausted. I like unisom - but not the kind that's benadryl. Benadryl doesn't work for me, although it might for you.

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Specializes in LTC, OB/GYN, Primary Care.

I know exactly what you mean. Even if i stay up during the day in hopes to be exhausted at night I can't sleep or only sleep a couple hrs and am up again till early morning my "normal" sleeping time. The only thing that helps is sleeping pills basically forcing myself to sleep at night.

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Sleeping pills. Definitely.

I can't sleep at all during the day no matter what. So I am a zombie at the end of my 3-day schedule...then I sleep for about 24 hours and I'm good. So, yeah, a good part of my life is spent either working, sleeping, or trying to sleep. I'm about 117 in "nurse years."

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Specializes in Psych.

I do what 86tornado does when I have more then one night off in a row. But if I only have one night off, I just stay up. I have a family so it's hard to do the things that most people would do on a "day off" like clean and do errands in the middle of the night. Although sometimes I get some groceries. So when I do have one night off, it's me time.

I think working nights takes a lot of logistical planning in regards to sleeping. If I have any appointments I have to make and such, I do it on my second day off. If that can't be avoided I tell people I work nights so if I am tired or spacey that's why. People are pretty good at understanding.

It took a while for my kids to adjust but I am home, albeit sleeping, when they get home from school, and there for them in the evenings, which I think is the more important time right now at their ages. My husband makes sure they get off to school, as I get home after they leave.

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Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.

When people go to a new time zone they are often told to use melatonin to "reset" their internal time clock and then go to sleep. I wonder if this would work for you? I would read about taking melatonin. Your body makes it when the son goes down and they recommend it for people that work shift work to help them sleep. My husband uses it when he needs to sleep during the day, he is a horrible sleeper. Their are some other natural supplements you can take as well. I would use this to take when you should be sleeping and then you should be able to get some sleep, enjoy the time with your family, then take the melatonin again to reset your clock back to the time you need again.

hope this helps.

angels mommy.

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Stop fighting it. Sleep will come when you're relaxed. While you're up, instead of being sad about it, do something else that you could be doing and then when sleep comes, go sleep. You can sleep in bits.

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I take a sleeping pill my first night off or I do the same thing - wake up after a few hours, even though I'm exhausted. I like unisom - but not the kind that's benadryl. Benadryl doesn't work for me, although it might for you.

Taking a sleeping ;pill does not equate to a well-rested sleep. It might work for you now, but you are not well-rested.

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