Night shift: Tired all the time ?????

Blakeskm · Jan 14, 2011

I have worked weekend night shift for 5 yrs I have always worked my 3 /12 hr shifts FRI night -Mon morning with just a 2hr nap fri before work and monday after work then jump back into a day schedule but lately I am finding myself way more tired and wanting to lay down at about 10 am after sleeping 8 hrs over night. Any suggestions??

dtrmnd2sccd · Jan 15, 2011

I am a new nurse. I work four 8hr shifts a week that includes everyother weekend. I also worked nites as an aide while in school on the weekends. I also have 2 school aged children. I was doing 3 in a row but found out that it was too hard on me. I would be miserable just thinking about it for the first 2 nites and the 3rd I was not able to be the nurse I want to be, I was too tired and missing little things. I talked to my manager and explained it and she has been allowing me to work 2 and off one then on one or 2.
I come home eat a little something get a hot bath then into bed usually before 9 and sleep till the kids come home at 4. I try to take a nap or at least lay down around 7pm again. I am still tired some days but has been OK. I would not work 1st shift I do not like that much hustle and bustle and on 2nd I would not be able to see my kids that much. I agree you have to make sleep a priority. THe kids know not to wake me and they are usually pretty good about it. But I know other nurses who have tried nites and they just could not do it. THey would be sick all the time and it was making them miserable so they quit. Now they are not working at all so I guess you have to do what you have to do. Good luck

OMG, I thought I was reading one of my own posts when I read yours! I'm also a new grad, two little ones in school, working 4 eights a week, every other weekend! I had a really hard time sleeping during the day initially--I would sleep for about 2 hrs, then I would wake up and not be able to get back to sleep. Now I take half a Unisom when I get home and I'm able to sleep until 2:25, when I have to go get my kids. I wish I could sleep until 4pm! I end up napping from 8-10pm also on work nites. I find the first night on to be the hardest, because usually I'm not able to nap going into it (I lay down, but am not able to drift off). I don't mind 3 in a row because by the third night, I'm fully into my sleep routine. I also have to flip back to a day schedule when I'm off to be with family, but have no problem sleeping at night when I get the chance. It's tough, but I'm able to spend the most time with my kids this way--my poor hubby suffers a bit, though!

at_wits_end · Jan 15, 2011

My fiance and I both are nurses (although i consider him a murse) and although I work day shift, he does night shift in the ED and is ALWAYS tired. His unit self schedules, so he's able to get 3 days in a row and then 4-5 off, but he can't seem to adjust to it even though he's been doing it for about 8 months now. I worked 12 hour night shifts as a CNAII so I'm thankful that my RN job is only days. I wish there were a better way for him to adjust though b/c boy is he GRUMPY by day 2! I think some people's bodies just cannot adjust to a different rhythm...I know mine can't!

ibme · Jan 21, 2011

It is not "unnatural" for everyone to be up all night. I have been a night owl my entire life and when I switched to night shift it took me about 3-4 months to adjust completly. I switch back and forth between a day and night schedule and did so even before I was a nurse, life of a bartender :) . Some weeks I am more tired than others, what I have found to work is exercising regularly, drinking tons of water and going to bed within 1 hour of getting home from work. Good luck and give it some time, night shift is great!

I think what she meant about it being "unnatural" is that humans are not nocturnal beings.