Anyone here work night shift-past or present? Need advice pls.

myblkcat · Sep 9, 2004

My rules for working nights:

1) Wear a mask and earplugs while sleeping during the day.

2) Turn off ALL the phones. But just in case, change the voicemail to let people know what hours are appropriate to call. Only took a week for the phone to stop ringing while I was sleeping.

3) Plan for time for a nap just in case I didn't sleep long enough the first time.

4) Stay busy and active at work.

5) Have a buddy that I could call in case I started getting sleepy on the way driving home from work.

6) Eat. I don't sleep well on an empty stomach so I usually at when I woke up, before going to work, and a meal at work.

laughing weasel · Sep 9, 2004

I am a cheapskate I cut up cardboard boxes with razor trim to fit. Be careful where you stick the tape to keep the cutouts in the window if you leave the tape on for a while it will bond with any porous surface.

jetta1 · Sep 10, 2004

Wow! You all have been really thoughtful and helpful with all your replies! Thanks to everyone! I just worked my first three night shifts (in a row) and I'm doing okay. I don't have a problem with staying awake at all because there is still a lot to do on nights, but getting some sleep at home is kind of hard. I woke up at noon after my first shift (3 hours of sleep) and could not go back to sleep! The second day I got about 5.5 hours. I'm curous to see how much sleep I get today.

I got some earplugs and those work great but I still need to get something to cover my window. I'll have to stop by JC Penney's this weekend because it is so sunny in Texas! Thank you so much for all the advice!

Blackcat99 · Sep 10, 2004

:chuckle I love working night shift. I have just started a new job on night shift. If you have a mother with Alzheimer's be sure to lock your bedroom door to keep her from waking you up. When I get home I eat breakfast and then take Benadryl 25mg for sleep. I don't sleep good unless I take benadryl. I shut off the phone put in my earplugs and wear an eye mask so the room will seem dark. Someone mentioned that certain people can't work night shift. That's so true. When I worked at the VA the RN charge nurse kept falling asleep and I had to keep waking her up. She simply could not stay awake but she was on rotating shifts at that time and she had to work nights. Good luck!

jannecdote · Sep 10, 2004

Night shift is hard, it's just not natural for most of us. But I agree with the previous poster, and wait on the No-Doze until you see how it goes. Drink caffeine, and you'll probably be busy enough to stay awake. If you get really sleepy, wash your face, do some brisk walking---but DO NOT do what I did when working nights after years of day shift at another job--do not start smoking. I did this in my 30's after being an avid and assertive non-smoker--the nicotene woke me up. But as I said, DO NOT do this, because the nicotene is terribly addictive. And then, when you do finally get on permanent days, you will be a smoker. And it's hard to quit.

I agree. I started smoking again when I started working nights after being off of cigs for 13 years. That was 11 years ago. I'm still hooked and I hate it.

montanaladi · Sep 21, 2004

Have worked nights for 7 years, wouldn't have it any other way, I love it. Just wish that management would realize that our hours of sleep are the same as theirs, only during the day. We sleep from 9-4, just like they do, but the do not seem to get the concept.:stone Once you get used to sleeping these strange hours, you will not be able to go back. You too will love it also, I feel that if working nights, one should try to stay on the night schedule:p

Victoriakem · Sep 21, 2004

I used to work night shift & this is what I did to sleep. I put in my ear plugs, those squishy ones you get from the sporting good store, turn on either a noise machine with the wave sound or a fan for white noise, drink warm milk, take a tylenol PM & tell anyone who bothers me that my side of house better be on fire if I am awakened early. You must get your sleep & not be running around all day & expect to be on your toes for work that night. The crew on nights is usually a better team than during the day & wackier. Breakfast after work with the gang is fun, having a beer with your omelette is good stuff & then hitting the rack to do it all over again that night is what it's all about. No suits taking up space while you're trying to work either is another good thing about nights. Hang in there. I gave up night shift recently but may return someday. AND don't forget your eye shade. It's better to sleep when it's dark, at least to you.

CTSCOUT · Sep 22, 2004

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i'm working my first night shift tonight and i have no idea how i'm going to do it! i'm a "day" person and i tried staying up last night but barely made it to 12:30. i'm usually in bed about 10:30 at night and can count on one hand the number of times i've worken up past 9am. i have to work 7p-7a three days this week.
i'm worried that i won't be able to stay awake during the shift and that i won't be able to sleep when i get home. my friends took no-doze in nursing school to stay awake-is that stuff safe? can anyone give me any advice or tips on how to deal?

CTSCOUT · Sep 22, 2004

I Worked The Night Shift For 22 Years, And Loved It For All The Many Reason You Have Already Heard, Less Management Around, More Independant Practice, Great Commraderie Among Co-workers, Etc, Etc...two Major Points...i Always Stayed On A Night Shift Schedule Even On My Days Off...ie Never Went To Bed Befofe 2-3 Am And Often Slept Until Noon...tough If You Have Kids, So Try To Nap When They Are In School...second Is The Not Fair Part...my Union Worked Hard To Achieve Stable Shifts...some Of Us Worked Only Nights And Some Of Us Only Worked Days, Etc...your Hospital Management May Be Blind To All The Research That "rotating" Shifts Wreck Havoc On All Your Body Systems And Is Not Only Unhealthy For You But Unsafe For The Patients You Care For...for Some Of Us, The Night Shift "fits" And Not For Others, You Should Have The Opportunity To Volunteer For One Position Or The Other But Not Both. Good Luck

Dr. Scully · Sep 22, 2004

I'm working my first night shift tonight and I have no idea how I'm going to do it! I'm a "day" person and I tried staying up last night but barely made it to 12:30. I'm usually in bed about 10:30 at night and can count on one hand the number of times I've worken up past 9am. I have to work 7p-7a three days this week.
I'm worried that I won't be able to stay awake during the shift and that I won't be able to sleep when I get home. My friends took No-Doze in nursing school to stay awake-Is that stuff safe? Can anyone give me any advice or tips on how to deal?

Hope it went well for you, jetta. I know working those darn nightime l2 hr shifts are "killers"...! The other nurses' posts are all good advice , for sure! I did the "smoking" thing, and got hooked...not good!! When I got sleepy; I would tell my fellow co-workers that I was heading out for a quick smoke. Usually, the nicotine and "cold" air in the winter was enough to wake me up..but, I would not recommend it. ha! All I can add is that it takes a long time for our bodies to try to adjust to working nights instead of days.

I know the first time I worked nights was when I was out of nursing school about a year; then it was straight 8 hrs shifts...uck! My son was little, so I was a zombie for about a year. I would have phone conversations w/ people and swear I didn't...hehe. The l2 hr shifts were better, at least I tried to schedule 2 in a row as much as possible. I would go home, and go straight to bed as much as possible. Tried to sleep till about 3pm or so, or longer if no one bothered me, or if I did not have something to do.

Just hang in there, and try to stay busy or talk to your co-workers a lot. I have even walked the halls for room checks every hour on the hour. ha! On your days off, try to sleep till noon or so; just to keep yourself on some kind of a schedule. Don't try to stay up all day and sleep that night. I wound up staying up later each night, when I was off to stay on "schedule".

Take care, Pamela :)

purplemania, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2004

I used to take it easy on the day I was returning to work, and get a nap. I would not have trouble till around 2-3 am, because we stayed busy. If things slowed down I would go for a walk up and down the hall, briskly, usually with another nurse. None of us drank coffee. I do not recommend drugs, even OTC, as the healthier approach is to adjust your schedule. After work I went to bed in a DARK room with a fan going to drown noise. I made sure my friends and family knew not to call me ANY day before 3-4 pm (on days off I often kept same schedule. so much easier that way). Drink plenty of water and don't eat high carbs, they make you sleepy. You can do it!

weesyanne · Sep 23, 2004

I agree with all the tips given here. The most important thing for me is to make sure everyone that knows me is aware of my schedule so that I am not awakened during the day when I need to sleep. Also, a small dose of Melatonin usually helps without the grogginess of Benadryl.

I think night shift people are special. We do things sometimes that seem a little bizarre to "normal" people, but that's the beauty of it.