Can't sleep. Ever. And I'm getting fat.

hilzaberry · Jul 18, 2011

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone! I recently had a thyroid panel that was WNL. I actually went to a physician about a sleep study and he told me that he couldn't do a study until I was off a rotating schedule because it would come out abnormal no matter what. I made an appointment for Thursday and hopefully I'll get some answers then. I really appreciate the exercise tips, will look into a 24 hour gym and Bikram yoga!

Make sure that you TRY the Bikram before you actually purchase a plan because the studios can be quite pricey and if you decide you don't like it that would really suck. Most places have a free week of classes and livingsocial.com sometimes has deals for places that aren't TOO horrible. I do want to warn you of a couple things because my first Bikram was a little startling to say the least.

1) You will sweat more than you have ever sweated in your WHOLE LIFE! I'm talking streaming water, walking through a rainforest, just came out of a shower WET! It's icky but whatever...no one cares because everyone else is too just remember to bring LOADS OF TOWELS.

2) The goal of your first class is not what you can and can't do it's just to TRY and not to leave the room for the whole session. Even if your sucking mat for 20 out of the 30 mins and barely have the will to touch your toes it's fine...everyone is so into their own thing that no one gives a crap. Just being in there doing light exercising sweats out all those icky toxins.

3) The more naked you are the cooler you'll be and thus the happier. I wear a bikini even though I usually would spare the general public the pain of such horrors...I'm not the only one. No one cares it's better than over dressing and making it icky and sticky.

4) Bring one half frozen bottle of water and one cold because your frozen one will be melted and your cold one will be gone half way through the class due to the sweating.

I felt like total DEATH my first class and for a good 10 mins after but for the rest of the day I felt AMAZING!! I even lost nearly 15 pounds that first week from just sweating out all that ick and water! After the first couple weeks the "I'm going to die" feeling wasn't as strong and I was hooked and in love! I've totally given up on hard exercise all together!

MomRN0913 · Jul 18, 2011

sleep shift disorder, it sucks. I had the same problem, always feeling in a constant state of tired, memory going wacky, cranky and gaining weight.....

Your body craves sugar and carbs when it is trying to stay awake. So while your calories may be fine, it's what you are eating. Protein, protein, protein.

Rotating shifts are rough. I did nights for years, then started filling in on day shifts, so I was switching back and forth. Havoc on the body. I haven't worked a night since September and I still suffer. Dr. says it'll take a few years for the body to readjust.

Try to regulate what you eat, yoga, melatonin...... all these suggestions are great

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 18, 2011

i have three words for you: see your doctor!

a colleague of mine did some research on sleep apnea and heart disease, and since then i've paid attention to patient charts -- sleep apnea is often associated with heart disease, and it sure prevents you from sleeping! sleep apnea is also associated with weight gain -- cause and effect. it's worth looking into that, thyroid issues and and anything else that may interfere with sleep. some medications cause insomnia, too.

holistic and otc sleep remedies are fine -- if they work for you. if they don't, and you've ruled out or treated sleep apnea, get a prescription for ambien.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2011

Hilz-I think the 911 concoction would be ill advised for the OP to take since she already has a heart condition.

OP, rotating shifts kill any sort of circadian rhythm that your body has developed over the years. Goes out the window. I think the 9-9 shift will help your body get back in sync.

This sounds completely disgusting, but it is actually quite good. If you like salmon and nuts, get a large can of salmon (stay away from the Royal Pink brand-I found way too many tiny bones and scales in this brand of canned salmon; get Chicken of the Sea if you can find it), and mix it with some walnuts. Add some salt and pepper and you now have an easy to prepare superfood that is protein rich and will keep you full. If you like eggs, prepare some boiled eggs to snack on during your 0.5 second downtime. I also keep a jar of crunchy peanut butter in my locker for the times that I need to keep my BS even but don't have time to eat a meal at work. A tablespoon will tide me over for a few hours.

Do you like to dance? I have a Wii DVD "Just Dance" that is easy to follow and provides me with enough fun to WANT to exercise. I abhor the gym...I think I am allergic to exercise. This DVD made me feel like a kid dancing around my living room (although the neighbors must have thought I was either on crack or having multiple seizures).

Sounds silly, but if you are conscientious of your posture (keep your abdominals taut slightly when resting, walking, etc., walk quickly wherever you go being cognizant of using your hamstrings, glutes and gastrocnemius muscles to propel you when walking), you will find that these small measures will pay off without much effort. You walk anyway, but by being aware of how you carry yourself and which muscles are contracting when walking quickly, you are burning more calories. I even do isotonic exercises when standing in the OR for long cases. Keeps the blood flowing to the small number of brain cells that I still have! :) Wear TED hose while working if you aren't already doing so. It makes a HUGE difference.

I have been where you are, and it isn't much fun. I weighed 115 when I started working nights, and by the end of the year, I weighed 140. I hated how I felt, how I looked and how much my energy had decreased during this time period. You can overcome it, and I think the key for you may be to switch to that 9-9 position.

All the best! Canes

cogath · Jul 19, 2011

Oh and if you EVER need an upper us EMTs had this little formula called "the 911 nap" You take 6 shots of expresso with 3 pills of Excedrin and follow it with a 10 min nap. You'll be up and running for at least the next 15 hours...It's like magic

As someone that runs tachy on a normal day, I can already feel the heart attack coming :eek:

hilzaberry · Jul 19, 2011

As someone that runs tachy on a normal day, I can already feel the heart attack coming

LOL!! Hey it beats the heck out of all of that synthetic energy supplement crap! We actually tested a whole bunch of different methods, mixtures, products and honestly this was the most effective one with the least amount of side effects compared to others. Those energy shots and junk tend to make you REALLY hyperactive, irritable, and jumpy with that nasty shaky feeling followed by a massive crash. Because the caffeine in coffee is a bit more natural it isn't as nasty to the body...grant it you shouldn't do it ALL THE TIME but when your REALLY suffering it's a good pick up. Also I remind you that this formula was CAREFULLY created as a last ditch effort for shift survival (after extensive experimentation) while working 24/48/72 hour EMT/Paramedic shifts which sometimes composed of call outs every 1/2 hour on the dot. We REALLY had to be up and alert for EVERY CALL because I ran in Compton California so when we were on a scene it was usually in the most dangerous areas of town where we could have seconds to get out of the way of gunfire or some other kind of crazy bull crap...