help from other night nurse mama's of young ones!

shoegalRN, RN · Aug 30, 2009

I work nights, so I know what you mean.

I really hate when I'm off and I have to get up at 0600 to take my son to school. On my nights off, I keep the same sleep schedule, so I won't go to sleep until about 0400 and then have to get up at 0600 to get him ready.

I usually get about 6 hours of sleep. That's about how many hours I was getting when I worked days. I also work out after I get off to help me get tired enough to want to go to bed. I also take a Unisom.

My schedule is as follows:

Work 12 hours 6:45p-7:15a

Arrive at gym at about 07:45

Workout until 09:00

Get home, eat a light snack and take a bath

Close blinds and take a Unisom and get in bed around 10:30

Sleep until about 16:00

Get up, make breakfast, open blinds, drink coffee, check mail and missed calls

Get ready for work and leave the house about 18:15

Arrive at work at 18:30.

Now on the days I'm off, I'll sleep until about 19:00, maybe head to the gym if the kid is not home, come home, clean up, play around on the computer, hang out with girlfriends, etc. I'll stay up until about 04:00 and then sleep until 11:00 (if I'm off the next day). If I have to work the next day, I'll go to the gym about 08:30 and workout until 10:00, get home, take a bath and Unisom and get in bed by 11:00.

This is why I work my 3 12's in a row.

patwil73 · Aug 30, 2009

We have two young boys (and a girl on the way - yea!) and both work nights. On our work days it goes:

Sleep from 10:30 until 17:30.

Up and make dinner, play, homework, kids to bed by 2030.

Me - watch mariners game, her read or nap.

23:00 - off to work until 10:00

On the last day of work I come home and sleep until 17:00. Get up until 24:00. Sleep and up again in the morning. Now I am on a day schedule until I work again.

I work 7 days on and 7 days off so it is easier to hold to a schedule like this.

I still eat dinner around 18:30 each night, a lunch/dinner at 02:30 and breakfast at 09:00 on work days.

Days off it is breakfast at 08:00 with the boys, lunch at 13:30, dinner at 18:30.

It really is easier (at least for me) to work straight on nights so I don't have to switch that often.

Hope this helps

Pat

LifelongDream · Aug 30, 2009

My clinicals all of the way through nursing school were on nights. I have a 5, 8, and 10 y/o. 5 y/o just started kinder... No more daycare!!! Yay.

Here's what I did:

~Stayed awake the day before my first 12 hr. shift (7p-7a)

~Came home, took kids to school, take a bath, in bed by 0930.

~Slept until 1500. Go get kiddos from school.

~Help them with homework, cook an EASY dinner ( or McD's :) ....), get ready for work.

~Drop kids off with random family members while I work (my hubby has crazy hours in the oilfield, like callout at 2am)

~Pick them up and do it again.

On my last night, I go home and sleep that next day until about 1500. Then, I stay up with the kids, cook a better dinner, and spend quality time with them. Then, I go back to bed around 2300 and I sleep until they wake up the next day (school day 0630 or Saturday 0900). I stay on a day schedule until I work again.

I start my GN position in Pediatrics tomorrow. I will work two on, two off, three on then... two off, two on, three off. I'm not sure if my old way of doing it will still work, but I feel pretty confident that it will.

Good luck to you!

TessaMae · Aug 30, 2009

I think what makes the night shift difficult is that the schedule (for those with a family) requires you go to sleep soon after getting out of work. When you work days you get off work and don't go to bed for 5-6 hours but with nights you have to go to bed rather quickly or you will not really have any time to see the kids.