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

RNFROG3, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2004

Jetta-

I agree with the advice of Smilingblueeyes and LydiaGreen. I'm a weekend option night shifter so during the week I'm up w/ my kids(although I admit I'm a better person if left to sleep till 1000AM) During the weekends I go to work from 7p -7a. I work ER so rarely on the weekend do we have time to be sleepy. But on the rare night if I can take my 15 min break or my 30 min lunch-I'll have someone come get me when time is up as a safety back up . I'll go prop up my feet and close my eyes sometimes 15 min can be just the reenergizer I need.

No caffeine after 3 am or I'm still wired when I get home(I have an hour drive home)If I am really having problems I'll take a 3 mg melatonin. It's a natural sleep aid no narcs or drugs to get me kicked out of nursing -we worked too hard to get here. I also sleep with a fan in my room , windows closed, A/C on. I find ear plugs annoying and got my first ear infection since childhood wearing them. The fan makes a soothing white noise and I love the breeze on my face. Hope this helps. I love night shift and think I couldn't work days the people are more laid back, we work better as a team and I like the dark--what can I say some of us are just a little bit nitey(or nutty)

Healthy snacks are a must or you'll find yourself gaining weight. For some reason if the body can't sleep it wants to eat. Plus you'll gt more energy from carrots and dip than that candy bar.

eng_nurse · Sep 28, 2004

Jetta-
I agree with the advice of Smilingblueeyes and LydiaGreen. I'm a weekend option night shifter so during the week I'm up w/ my kids(although I admit I'm a better person if left to sleep till 1000AM) During the weekends I go to work from 7p -7a. I work ER so rarely on the weekend do we have time to be sleepy. But on the rare night if I can take my 15 min break or my 30 min lunch-I'll have someone come get me when time is up as a safety back up . I'll go prop up my feet and close my eyes sometimes 15 min can be just the reenergizer I need.
No caffeine after 3 am or I'm still wired when I get home(I have an hour drive home)If I am really having problems I'll take a 3 mg melatonin. It's a natural sleep aid no narcs or drugs to get me kicked out of nursing -we worked too hard to get here. I also sleep with a fan in my room , windows closed, A/C on. I find ear plugs annoying and got my first ear infection since childhood wearing them. The fan makes a soothing white noise and I love the breeze on my face. Hope this helps. I love night shift and think I couldn't work days the people are more laid back, we work better as a team and I like the dark--what can I say some of us are just a little bit nitey(or nutty)
Healthy snacks are a must or you'll find yourself gaining weight. For some reason if the body can't sleep it wants to eat. Plus you'll gt more energy from carrots and dip than that candy bar.

These are great tips! I am new graduate nurse and will be going to permanent nights once I am off orientation. I have a question ... do you exercise? When do you find is the best time to exercise? Is it realistic to think that I can come home from a 7p-7 a or 11p-7 a shift and go to aerobics/weight lifting at the gym? I just joined the gym again after being away from exercise in over a year, so I am excited about losing this wt I put on during nursing school!

Karen_tn_37211 · Sep 28, 2004

I go to the gym on the days I don't work. Just can't make it when I get off work in the morning. I'm too tired. Plus, exercising wakes me up....... and when I get home from working I need to sleep.

Victoriakem · Sep 28, 2004

It depends if you are single or not. If it's just you at home, you may want to exercise when you get off work & sleep from late am or noon to when you have to get up for work. I have a family & needed to sleep from 9am - 4 pm & then get up to tend to dinner, picking up kids from school, etc before going into work. Eat just before you go to work & take only a light fruit snack & the pounds will go away. Don't eat heavy on nights or you will gain a ton of weight. Eat something when you get home, after your bath like p-nut butter on toast & warm milk & you will sleep well. A glass of wine works well too, but beer just made me get up around noon to pee. Tylenol PM, a fan for white noise, ear plugs & an eye shade were my best friends when on night shift. I also had my cell phone at bedside in case my kids needed to call, because I sure wasn't picking up that land line during the day when I had to sleep. Good luck!

dazzle256 · Sep 28, 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?

I've read all the replies and s ome pretty good advise was given. My 2 cents....really pay attention to the no junk food.... not to scare you but I worked night shift for 3 years and at the end of that 3 years I was 40 pounds heavier . Like I said just be careful and take care of yourself and you'll be fine. Who knows maybe you'll like it and 12 hour night shifts in my opinion are easier then 8 hour night shifts. I used to schedule myself one week...Sun, Mon, Tue and the next week Thur , Fri, Sat.....worked great got more then a week off at once.

bellcollector · Sep 28, 2004

I have done nocs for 6yrs. I can not stress enough how hard it is on your body. Unfortunately management does not usually read the research about the effects of nocs on employees. My docs advice has always been to maintain the same schedule even on days off. That would be my advice. Respect your needs and make sure others do as well. Definately watch the nutrition our metabolism is one of the things that slows down on nocs. Good Luck Let us know how it is going for you.

RNFROG3, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2004

Eng_nurse

When I was younger and the hospital I worked at had and gym a block from the hospital I woould work the 12 hours, workout for 1/2-2 hours, drive home (an hour away) and sleep until 4 pm when the kids got home and then go back to work at 7 pm. I worked 3-12 hr shifts a week usually picked up an 8 hr shift per pay periodand rarely got sick. I know I was really dedicated back then and I know I always felt pretty good. I walk with my hubby now in the evenings. It's not nearly enough excercise and I sleep a lot more now-I got the Ti-bo tapes and keep telling myself to get back into the mode.

loerith · Sep 29, 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?

I worked all midnight shift for 6 years. Do yourself a HUGE favor and get OFF those nights ASAP !

Peace,

loerith

CTSCOUT · Nov 16, 2004

One Of The Tricks I Learned After 22 Years On Nights (love The Shift, Must Fit My "clock") Is Not To Switch Back To Day Mode When Off, But Keep Modified Late Night Mode, Ie Go To Sleep About 3 Am, Sleep Until Noon, Then Get All Errands And Things Done In Afternoon And Evening...then The Shock Of First Shift After Some Time Off Isn't So Severe...

LoriChr · Nov 16, 2004

I worked seven years of 11-7 before switching to a day job four years ago. Running a fan in my bedroom for white noise made all the difference for me in sleeping soundly though the day. Making your bedroom as dark as possible is also a must.

As many here have alluded to, you have to work nights to understand what it is like to work them. Management at my old facility would never hesitate to call me as early as 10am after a night shift (usually to ask me to come in early or work an extra shift).

Best of luck, and take good care of yourself. :)

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2004

This has been a great read, lots of great advice!

I'm still a student, but I'm totally a night person, always have been. The job I worked at before starting nursing school, I was on the 3-11 pm shift .... by choice, because I always hated the early day shifts!

I agree that some people are just nightowls! You can't really say to someone that they'll hate nights or to "get off the night shift!"..... everyone's different. Personally, if I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to be at work by 7 .... I find that pure torture! Now I have clinicals at 6:30 am and I just hate it. Once I graduate I plan on getting on the nightshift. Anyone that tries talking to me at 6 am .... well they know not to talk to me lol, I'm likely to hurt someone. I feel more refreshed when I sleep from 3am to 9 pm than I do if I sleep from 11 pm to 5 am, even though they're both 6 hours. I just hate mornings!!

PJA2004 · Nov 16, 2004

I have worked nightshift 7p-7a for two years now and you never get adjusted. It is not bad working nights, its trying to enjoy your time off that is a challenge. :uhoh3: You miss daylight many days, and that is depressing. My husband and children get annoyed because I sleep so much during the day when I have a few nights off. One does not get good sleep during the day like the average person does at night. It is not the same for some reason.(As you can tell I am having a night off tonight, and not in the best mood because I slept through the day instead of getting my errands ran.)

Management does not understand how rough working nights are on the human body. They will schedule mandatory meetings at 3pm and expect you to be there in between shifts. It would be like us having the dayshift come in at 3 am for meeting. I dont see that happening.:rotfl: They do not try to accomadate the night shift workers because it would cause them to lose some zzzz's.

Its usually not difficult to sleep after working long hours at night. But it is necessary to go straight to bed as soon as you get home from work. You do not want to risk getting that "second wind" because you will pay for that when you return the same night to work zombied. Do make sure you turn the ringer off on the phone, because once you are woke up its difficult to go back to sleep. Oh, and make sure you go to the bathroom before going to bed, LOL... or it will wake you up too! You never realize how important sleep is until you work nights.

Like I said, working nights is okay. Its trying to enjoy your nights off that is the downfall. GOOD LUCK!!!