Help Help Sos With The Change Of Day To Night

Nurses New Nurse

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I can't do nights

I just can't do it

I feel hungover all the time

or drunk

jetlagged

need I write a poem

I use to bartend at nights

but then I went to nursing school

and then I got older

and I am moving to CA from OH to do nights in a dream place

and I tried a night and I was out of there by midnight

It just feels like big hungover or you drank too much coffee

JITTERS

and PANICKY

thanks

for sympathizing with me

I can't do nights - any tips?

Pacific:cry:

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Specializes in ICU/CCU, Home Health/Hospice, Cath Lab,.

Do you have time?

Time

to slowly change

T

R

A

N

S

I

T

I

O

N

from day to night

sleep a bit longer on days

keep the room dark

cool

quiet

let your body ad

j

ust to the new rhythm

and if that doesn't work

find a dayshift :yawn:

Pat

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That was so cute and funny thanks

but really it doesn't seem to work

terrible jitters

and my blood pressure goes up too. Maybe in time it will happen!:typing

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Have you done more than one? Most people say it takes a few months to adjust. You can always help yourself out w/valerian, melatonin, Benadryl, scrip sleep aids/Provigil if necessary, especially to ease the transition in the early stages. There are tons of threads with other tips, and you probably know some of them from bartending - that's where I learned to work nights, tending bar in a town where there was no closing time, so we stayed open 24/7. Some people are able, but most of us can't work 1900-0700 three days a week and then be up from 0700-2200 on our off days. I favor the stay up til at least 03, sleep til noonish even on off days method. Otherwise, try not to drink too much coffee at work (helps w/jitters and BP), keep hydrated, and bring healthy food with you to eat. Is the dream job worth some sacrifice? It must be, if you're moving cross country for it. Did they give you any indication as to how long people typically work nights before they can switch to days? Can you stick it out for a year or two with help from your PCP as to new BP meds as well as sleep aids? I hope so, and wish you the best of luck!

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Hi There,

I am very familiar with the subject of day to night transition, since my husband has worked swing shifts for years, and has to make that transition four to eight months out of the year.

Some tips I can share:

1. Prepare your environment:

You are probably going to need it near total dark to sleep. Purchase room blackening curtains, or cover your window with aluminum foil. We use a combo of a room blackening liner and heavy velvet drapes to block out light AND muffle noise.Hook and loop fasteners, like Velcro, can help block out any light that may seep from around the curtains.

Having a fan or some other sort of "white noise" device to help you notice outside environmental sounds less can help a lot.

Keep your room a bit cooler. It helps your body temp drop a bit, which aids in being able to sleep.

If you own your own place, it really helps to paint your walls a darker color. I painted our bedroom red, which is dark when the lights are off, yet emits a sense of warmth when the lights are on in the room. I also painted our ceiling gold.

Carpet on your floors can help muffle noises.

2. If you have time, start gradually getting used to staying up later at night and sleeping in more during the day.

3. If you choose to use sleep aids, please consult your healthcare practioner for which ones are suitable for you. Be aware that many sleep aids require that you be able to get a certain number of hours of sleep. If you are not able to sleep for that number of hours, you may get a kind of "hangover" from them.

4. It's important to teach other family members about the difficulty of adjusting to nights, and to solicit their help. We have quiet time during dad's peak sleep hours. When my children were little, we would run errands and go on outings during those hours.

5. I really don't recommend trying to switch back around to day time hours on your off days. My husband just sticks to his routine, and I stay up with him as long as I feel comfortable. If he stays up during the day, he makes every effort to get a nap in during the day.

6. Try and simplify your daily routine while you are adjusting to a different shift. My husband limits his social obligations during this time, and we do minimal household maintenance.

7. Limit your exposure to light after your shift. Wear sunglasses if it's possible. Go straight home and perform some daily bedtime rituals that signal to your body it's time to prepare for sleep. Don't eat a heavy meal

8. Be patient, and don't be too hard on yourself. It can take up to three or four months to adjust when you first change shift. If you work swing shifts, the adjustment period usually shortens. My husband usually adjusts within two weeks now. While he is adjusting, he expects to experience higher blood pressure, "the shakes", stomach ache, and headache. We adjust our diet to foods that are easier to digest for a time,and he has discussed with his healthcare practioner which OTC meds he can use to help with the headache and stomach ache.

Finally, after you've tried all of these measures and given it some time, if you just can't adjust, don't beat yourself up. Some people just don't have circadian rythms that allow them to work nights. I personally can't. The latest shift I can work is second shift. I accept that now, and work around it. I feel I am more productive by accepting it, and so do my bosses:D

Good luck!

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Thank You all for your helpful comments and inputs!!!!:redbeathe

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Good luck! If night shift doesn't work, I believe you have great promise as a sonneteer, which is probably primarily a daytime gig.

:wink2:

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