RNs who LOVE nights, read me

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2012

I love working nights. I also oriented on days and then switched because there was less competition in the schedule sign-up. The ONLY thing I hate about nights is that is messes the rest of your life up, lol. I'm still trying to decide if I keep on a regular sleep schedule or switch around when I'm not working.

After the first couple of weeks I got used to sleeping during the day, so I can sleep soundly whenever I need to now. I've found that working nights and then coming home and doing errands and whatever needs to be done early in the am before going to bed seems to work pretty well. When I have a few days off in a row it becomes more complicated though. I live in a pretty rural area so there's not a ton of stuff open late nights when I'm most active. Right now I sorta transition between an awake7p-7a for work schedule to a awake late afternoon to early am in the middle of the night schedule. I'm awake mostly during the hours other people are on my days off and it's not too different from my working schedule that I'm completely flip-flopping my sleep hours.

I know that's not exactly helpful, but I guess my point is that it might take some time to work out how to make it good for you. I love my coworkers, like the pace of nights, and am still working out the details.

Pangtidor · Apr 9, 2012

When I started to work, I went to night shift since it was the best offer in hand at that time. It took me around a month to get used to the night shift sleeping pattern. For the first night, I got up early in the morning, around 4-5AM and tried to keep me busy doing chores or exercise and got back to sleep at noon until 5pm and got ready to work. I did 3 nights in the row, worked better for the sleeping pattern. On my working nights' days, I will stay up until 9-10am and sleep until 5pm. To get back to the days routine, after my third night, I went straight to bed for few hours sleep, woke up before noon and went back to the day's routine again. I will eat big meal at 5 pm before getting ready to work, eat another full meal at midnight and small meal/snack around 4-5am. Drink more water to help the bloating feeling in the morning. Some people like it better with soda but soda didn't work at all with me.When the census is low or when the patients are stable, 1-4AM is a difficult time for the first few nights. Try to get busy by stocking the supplies or helping the busy floor. Some friends bring books to read or small handcraft to do on the break time.The pros : more parking spaces, less traffic, less call lights, less people on the floor (doctors, family, administration), night differential, and more convinient for shopping time/dr appointments.The cons : may not work well if you are married or have kids.

pat8585 · Apr 9, 2012

I am a PM's kind of gal! :)

I have subbed on nights though. I liked the fact there was hardly any lifting. I liked the fact the pace was slower.

I like the fact I received a night differential in pay.

DID NOT LIKE....that when I got home, could not sleep more than 4 hours.

DID NOT LIKE.....that I felt tired for about a week.

But hey, everyone is different. You will have to try different things to see how what works for you.

My advice....stock up on Mountain Dew....is loaded with caffeine!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Apr 9, 2012

so....tonight is my first night on nights. i am excited. i have worked days for 12 weeks (i am a new grad) and now i am switching to nights permanently. i have a lot of anxiety about the messing up of my sleep schedule. any advice? we work 3, 12 hour shifts a week......and i am aiming to do my 3, 12hour shifts in a row......so here are my questions.
do you take a nap during the day before you go in for your first night on?
or do you sleep in late in the am on your first day you go in?
do you come home after work and go straight to bed?
do you try to get a full 8 hours sleep?
what works for you?
do you eat a full meal during your night meal break?
any advice will help. please don't tell me that nothing worked.....although it may be true.

there are numerous threads on this -- have you tried searching for them?

you're going to have to find what works for you. i stay up late the night before my first night shift and sleep until at least noon -- there's something magic for me about that 12n time frame. if i wake up at 11:59, i try to go back to sleep. my dh gets up at the usual time of 6 or 7am, then goes back to bed at 1 pm and takes a sleeping pill so he naps for at least four hours.

i come home from work and find dh waiting for me -- usually -- with a happy puppy and an offer of breakfast. so if he's home, i'll force myself to stay up and chat for a bit. if not, i go straight to bed. working 12 hour shifts with a commute that varies from 30 to 60 minutes, i don't usually get 8 hours of sleep. i get as much as i can. have to get up at least half an hour early to feed and walk the dog unless dh is home.

night meal break is whatever leftovers dh and dear nephew haven't already scrounged out of the refrigerator. if they've already beat me to it, i do subway.

i sleep with an industrial fan on the "high" setting. white noise that blocks out most (everything except the puppy howling) noise. years ago, an old boyfriend moved into my house while i was sleeping with that fan, and when he moved out a year later, i didn't hear that, either.

telephone ringer in the bedroom is turned off, and cellphone is on airplane mode. if my mother has an emergency while i'm sleeping, i'm just going to be out of touch until i wake up. of course mom is in a nursing home, so it's not as if i'm the only one who can deal. so far, my mental telepathy works great -- every time a family member has had an emergency, i get an odd feeling and wake up and check my messages. i have black-out curtains -- aluminum foil over the bedroom windows works better, but our homeowner's association forbids it. something about it looking like a grow-room. and the neighbors all know not to ring my doorbell, which makes the puppy howl, which is the only sound i can't seem to sleep through.

good luck!

DeLana_RN, BSN, RN · Apr 9, 2012

I started working nights about a month ago, and the first week was rough (I got too little sleep and was driving home like in a fog; probably a public danger...) It got better, though, and as long as I make myself go to sleep after my shift (don't want to), I can manage. At first I couldn't sleep during the day, but that was due to the afternoon sun shining in the window. Now we're hanging blankets over the windows, which helps a lot.

Interestingly, a day shift position has just opened up. And I have no intention of applying for it, although it would be better for my family (two young children). Why? Well, I'm in a new specialty, and there are some pretty mean nurses on day shift (hint: they like to eat their young). I'm not a new grad, far from it, but I do have a lot to learn and procedures to practice that I haven't done in years. This is much more practical at night, when you get few admits and even fewer discharges (and the same nurse/pt ratio as on days). Due to day-time Nurse Ratchet, I won't switch until I feel "up to speed" in my new area, meaning at least 6-12 months. And who knows, maybe by then I won't have the desire to go to days at all.

Good luck to all new night nurses! As long as you do 3 in a row (no on-off scheduling, this will kill you), you should adapt pretty soon.

sistasoul · Apr 9, 2012

A lot of patients don't sleep. Especially the sundowners.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Apr 9, 2012

Put sunglasses on the minute you get home and leave them on until you go to bed.

stablesystole · Apr 9, 2012

I'll say up front that I'm one of natures night owls, and I'm also single with no kids.

I personally stay on the night shift sleep-wake cycle all the time. As a result I come in consistently on time (actually early) and people remark on how energetic and chipper I always am.

As for eating, I'm not consistent on that regard, though when working back to back to back shifts I will not eat more than a nibble before going to bed, and will always try to get a solid 8 between shifts.

MJB2010 · Apr 10, 2012

I am going to try the sunglasses thing! I am back on nights after over a year on days at a different position and am trying hard to adjust.

I seem to get a splitting headache every night i work between 4-5 am anyone have any ideas? I am going to try to drink more water, it may be dehydration. I also don't eat much at night, I find it makes me sleepy. I do drink protein shakes or have a protein bar. I eat before I go in and on my way home (this is a bad habit).

Anyway I was just wondering if anyone else had this headache thing. I am also thinking it may be an allergies thing, I seem to leave all stuffy in the morning.

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Apr 10, 2012

there are numerous threads on this -- have you tried searching for them?

you're going to have to find what works for you. i stay up late the night before my first night shift and sleep until at least noon -- there's something magic for me about that 12n time frame. if i wake up at 11:59, i try to go back to sleep. my dh gets up at the usual time of 6 or 7am, then goes back to bed at 1 pm and takes a sleeping pill so he naps for at least four hours.

i come home from work and find dh waiting for me -- usually -- with a happy puppy and an offer of breakfast. so if he's home, i'll force myself to stay up and chat for a bit. if not, i go straight to bed. working 12 hour shifts with a commute that varies from 30 to 60 minutes, i don't usually get 8 hours of sleep. i get as much as i can. have to get up at least half an hour early to feed and walk the dog unless dh is home.

night meal break is whatever leftovers dh and dear nephew haven't already scrounged out of the refrigerator. if they've already beat me to it, i do subway.

i sleep with an industrial fan on the "high" setting. white noise that blocks out most (everything except the puppy howling) noise. years ago, an old boyfriend moved into my house while i was sleeping with that fan, and when he moved out a year later, i didn't hear that, either.

telephone ringer in the bedroom is turned off, and cellphone is on airplane mode. if my mother has an emergency while i'm sleeping, i'm just going to be out of touch until i wake up. of course mom is in a nursing home, so it's not as if i'm the only one who can deal. so far, my mental telepathy works great -- every time a family member has had an emergency, i get an odd feeling and wake up and check my messages. i have black-out curtains -- aluminum foil over the bedroom windows works better, but our homeowner's association forbids it. something about it looking like a grow-room. and the neighbors all know not to ring my doorbell, which makes the puppy howl, which is the only sound i can't seem to sleep through.

good luck!

another great post.

i love your prose. :)

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Apr 10, 2012

I'd be a happy camper if the usual shifts were 4-4 or even 5-5, instead of 7-7.

I think both night and day shifters could then "have a life" more equitably, and function at their overall best.

I'll be switching back to nights with a new postion in a few months. Last time I saw night shift was in my late 20's. It sucked then....never could get to sleep during the day and felt like a perpetual zombie 24/7. Historically I've mentally and physically peter'd out after 2 AM... I've always been early to bed, early to rise.

However, now in my early 40's, I'm finding my sleep patterns have changed and am more apt to stay up past 11PM.

We'll see.

OncRNMichelle · Apr 16, 2012

i've worked nights for the past 3 years. i tend to stay on a night time schedule unless i have a lot of off days in a row. it's 4:30am, this is my third night off, and i'm watching tv and catching up on stuff like it's 6pm lol i usually work 2-3 nights in a row. i get home around 8, shower, and watch some tv for an hour or so. my goal is to be asleep by 10am (i have a scrip for ambien for emergencies but rarely use it) and i don't wake up till 5 at the earliest. i use a fan, sleep mask during the summer, and ocean sounds phone app. knocks me right out. naps are the devil! like the pp, they only make me more tired. i usually eat something little (bagel or bowl of cereal) before leaving for work. my break time depends on when my pt assignment will allow it. i always try for 2ish. on nights when it seems like i'll never get a break, i wolf down a fiber one bar - they're filling and they keep my blood sugar even till i can eat an actual meal. i'm diabetic so i always pack snacks i can eat in 30 seconds, just in case.
i work 12s, but when i pick up an ot shift it's usually 8 hours. same plan, only i get a few hours before work to do stuff. there's no single method that works for everyone, but i do recommend buying a liter water bottle. drink one every night. keeping hydrated will make you feel so much better. if you don't believe me, wait a month into working nights, then add in extra hydration lol you'll thank me!
psa: patients do not just sleep soundly on nights, leaving you with nothing to do but homework and online shopping. i've gotten my butt kicked on nights as much as days. don't believe the myth!

[color=#ff0099]i am interviewing for a new job friday. if i get it i will have to go back to nights after being on days for 3 years. you gave me a lot of great ideas!! thank you!