Early Morning Nurses (and Nursing Students)

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I'm trying to get as many people in nursing as possible to comment on this issue. How do you get up in the morning for your shift or clinical, especially if you are not a morning person? What's your morning routine look like? How do you avoid sleeping in? What happens if you've gotten little sleep the night before?

Specializes in Colorectal Surgery.

In the past when i worked days this is what i did, and i do it now to get up for night shift:

I use two different alarm clocks; my cell phone i set at 4:55/4:57/5:00, which i allow myself to snooze through, and then i have an actual digital alarm clock which i set for 5:00...so far i have not slept through BOTH alarms ringing at once (knock on wood...im the heaviest sleeper in the world lol). As far as routine: caffeine/small snack from 5-5:20

shower/brush teeth until 5:45

makeup/pack up stuff til 6 then im out the door! :-)

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When I was in nursing school and had early morning clinicals I would set my alarm with the quote "you're going to have a great day :)." I'm not a morning person but I felt like it helped. I would get up, brush my teeth, and eat a good breakfast and go. I would blare my music on the way in to "pump" me up. As a nurse now, I do 3-1130 and love it.

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Wow, great advice everyone. Here are some takeaways from all the suggestions (sorry if I missed anyone): set several alarm clocks, but try to get up on the first alarm, have everything prepared, including supplies, breakfast, lunch, uniforms, coffee, and anything else you need the night before, get charting, reading, or anything else your assigned done the night before, try to get up earlier than your supposed to, to get adjusted and have some time in the morning, shower to make yourself more awake, rest according to your sleep cycle, possibly take a sleep aid early in the evening, if you don't get too drowsy, use 4-7-8 breathing method to go to sleep, use yoga to become more awake (got this somewhere else on this site), and go to bed as early as you can. Now, what alarm clock did your purchase for those that don't just use your phone?

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Wow, great advice everyone. Here are some takeaways from all the suggestions (sorry if I missed anyone): set several alarm clocks, but try to get up on the first alarm, have everything prepared, including supplies, breakfast, lunch, uniforms, coffee, and anything else you need the night before, get charting, reading, or anything else your assigned done the night before, try to get up earlier than your supposed to, to get adjusted and have some time in the morning, shower to make yourself more awake, rest according to your sleep cycle, possibly take a sleep aid early in the evening, if you don't get too drowsy, use 4-7-8 breathing method to go to sleep, use yoga to become more awake (got this somewhere else on this site), and go to bed as early as you can. Now, what alarm clock did your purchase for those that don't just use your phone?

I use my phone plus an old phone because I'm paranoid that one won't work, and because I keep my phone charger plugged in next to my bed, so doesn't work for an across-the-room alarm.

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How do I get myself up at 3 am for clinicals?

I have 4 alarms. Two dogs.

And the constant reminder of my evil, sadistic, lateral violent clinical instructors face imbedded in my head at all times.

Waking up late is NOT an option. Late at clinical by 5 mins sent home.

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How do I get myself up at 3 am for clinicals?

I have 4 alarms. Two dogs.

And the constant reminder of my evil, sadistic, lateral violent clinical instructors face imbedded in my head at all times.

Waking up late is NOT an option. Late at clinical by 5 mins sent home.

Yah, I'd prefer for the non-living alarm clocks that I don't have to cleanup after.:up:

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I clock on for a 7.30am shift at 7.20am. I'm in bed until 6.40am: Shower, dress, shake for breakfast, makeup (face powder, blush and mascara), feed the cat and dog, kiss the hubby and out the door all in 25 minutes. I have it down to a fine art :whistling: Good time management? Ha! Love my bed? Ya!

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.

I am a horrible morning person and having Hashimoto's doesn't help at all. I worked nights for most of my professional adult life, from 2002 to mid 2015. I am days now and it is a hard adjustment but necessary for my family. I wake up at 0445, get dressed and eat, leave at 0530, get to work by 0615, get organized, and start shift at 0645. I have to lay off coffee the night before, shower, take half a Benadryl, watch ASMR videos on YouTube, and lay down around 2030 to get to sleep. It is a ritual, but I have PTSD so the levels of anxiety I deal with can be hard to manage. I do not take medication other than Benadryl for any aspect of my PTSD for various reasons. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep anytime before 11 pm and it is even harder on nights before work. I make do and do the best I can with the mind I was given.

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Specializes in NICU, Postpartum.

It's so hard! I rotate days/nights so my sleep schedule is a mess. The most helpful things for me are: 1) pack your lunch/snacks ahead of time (I literally have my packed lunchbag in the fridge; this ensures you eat healthy and don't have to waste time in the caf) and 2) have your clothes ready (that way, when you fall out of bed or the shower, you just throw on clothes and run!).

Good luck!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I was on evening shift for the longest so I had a bad habit to break once I finall went into days. I have to get up a little earlier too because I work 30+min away. Honestly for me going to bed early is the only thing that worked. It's been 4 weeks and I've finally trained my body to get sleepy around 10 so I can lay down and sleep like 11.

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I never drank coffee before I moved onto day shift; loved nights, but now I am ready for bed by 9:30.

My routine is vastly different from my spouse: He wakes me up at 4:45 since he leaves for work at 5. I make the bed and have coffee. I catch the 5 am news, and either start dinner or laundry while having a second cup of coffee and take my third cup to the shower. It helps to iron my clothes a few days in advance (I might iron M-W clothes Sunday evening). I also make enough dinner to cover lunches and pack our lunches as we clean up dinner. Quiche is an easy, once a week make ahead that helps for breakfast. Love my crockpot.

Before marriage, the clock had to be on the other side of the room, otherwise I would hit the snooze and never know I had.

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I get as much done the night befit as possible. Set out clothes, pack lunch bag and work bag. I keep my routine the same on work days and days off(bedtimes). I have eliminated makeup except for lip gloss and mascara. I love my job and usually wake a few minutes before the alarm. Oh and sleeping nude encourages one not to dawdle on the way to the shower. Once the routine is set it soon becomes habit

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