Help! How to handle sleep with nursing school schedule???

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Specializes in Primary Care.

Hello,

I know in a past thread, I had asked for schedule ideas. This one a little different. My husband works the graveyard shift and is out of the house from 9:30pm until 6:30am seven days a week (he works overtime, all the time). I work in the early mornings until 10am. I then go to school in the early afternoons (1-4pm'ish). He is home with the children while I am working an attending school (almost 5 years old and 4 months old). My 4 year old goes to preschool three days a week from 9am till noon. Otherwise, he is home. He no longer takes naps (because it delays his bedtime in the evening). The baby hasn't created a schedule of his own yet. So far, it looks like my husband will only be able to sleep from about 5pm until 9pm and get up to rush to work within 30 minutes. I feel bad because I don't want to make it where he only gets about four hours of sleep each day. My concern, though, is what if I have a report to do immediately after school is out? Then, he never sleeps that day??? We don't have the extra money to pay for a sitter nor to put my oldest in preschool five days a week.

I'm torn and not sure how to juggle the time!!! PLEASE give me some ideas!!!

Thanks a bunch!

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

What shift do you work? Do you work overnights or something just with early morning hours?

This is a tricky thing with your husband working overnight, you going to school in the afternoons, and you having children. I have a friend who is a SAHM and whose husband works overnights, but not 7 days a week and I know they work things out. She was considering going to nursing school and I know she has friends/relatives that take the kids sometimes or share duties as far as watching them/taking them to school/daycare etc. I don't think your husband sleeping 4 hours/night would be good for anyone involved. What's his normal sleep schedule while you're not in school and what's your schedule like? Will you be in school Monday-Friday? That'll give weekends a little more flexibility.

Just throwing things out there. Hope this helps!

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Specializes in Clinical Partner and CNA.

I have two small boys, 4 years and 9 months, and my husband works 3rd shift. He works from 6:30 pm to 7:00 am. He is a police officer so during the day he has court 3 sometimes 4 days a week, no to mention overtime. Because of the safety issue with his job he can't afford to miss out on much sleep. So that means that I have the kids most of the time by myself. I am not in the nursing program yet, but will be finishing up my pre reqs in the next 2 semesters.

Can you apply for any government assistance with childcare? My son will be attending headstart/pre-K in August. It's only a half of a day, but it's 5 days a week and will give me a nice break. If you don't qualify, do you have any family that can take them off your hands for a couple of hours? or neighbors that you can switch child care days...she/he helps you, you help her/him? You may have to rearrange some classes or something, whatever you decide if you set your mind to it you can do it, even scheduling!! :) Good Luck!

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Specializes in IMCU.

How much sleep are you getting?

I am not sure why, if you have to do a report after class, that means your hubby doesn't get sleep. Not many teachers assign three hr of work due the next day. When it comes to homework and reports my suggestion would be to do a couple of hours every night.

If your husband has to look after the 4 month old anyway why are you sending the other child to preschool? Maybe save yourself some money and cut out that. Then perhaps you wouldn't need the 3 hr a day job you do in the morning and next semester switch your classes to morning ones. Then hubby does a little childcare until you get back.

You also need to make sure that you have applied for all the financial aid you can AND a bunch of scholarships. There are tons of $1000 to $500 scholarships out there.

I would seriously seek the advice, face-two-face, of a financial counselor at your school/college. Plus they have info on scholarships.

That is my two cents.

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Specializes in Primary Care.
What shift do you work? Do you work overnights or something just with early morning hours?

This is a tricky thing with your husband working overnight, you going to school in the afternoons, and you having children. I have a friend who is a SAHM and whose husband works overnights, but not 7 days a week and I know they work things out. She was considering going to nursing school and I know she has friends/relatives that take the kids sometimes or share duties as far as watching them/taking them to school/daycare etc. I don't think your husband sleeping 4 hours/night would be good for anyone involved. What's his normal sleep schedule while you're not in school and what's your schedule like? Will you be in school Monday-Friday? That'll give weekends a little more flexibility.

Just throwing things out there. Hope this helps!

Thanks for responding. I only work from 7am until 10am (I wake up around 4:30am to get ready). My school hours are only during the week (M-F) and if I weren't in school (hence now), he would stay up for me in the mornings and then go to sleep 2pm until he needed to get up for work at 9pm. The weekends are a bit better only because I don't have school at all (not including any study time).

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Specializes in Primary Care.
How much sleep are you getting?

I am not sure why, if you have to do a report after class, that means your hubby doesn't get sleep. Not many teachers assign three hr of work due the next day. When it comes to homework and reports my suggestion would be to do a couple of hours every night.

If your husband has to look after the 4 month old anyway why are you sending the other child to preschool? Maybe save yourself some money and cut out that. Then perhaps you wouldn't need the 3 hr a day job you do in the morning and next semester switch your classes to morning ones. Then hubby does a little childcare until you get back.

You also need to make sure that you have applied for all the financial aid you can AND a bunch of scholarships. There are tons of $1000 to $500 scholarships out there.

I would seriously seek the advice, face-two-face, of a financial counselor at your school/college. Plus they have info on scholarships.

That is my two cents.

Thank you very much. I am getting a night's worth of sleep, in between baby feedings, of course. (He wakes up about every three hours right now.) I have my other son in preschool because he needs the socialization. Trust me... without it, he becomes disobedient and such. Plus, I don't have any children his age in my neighborhood (or I'm not outside enough to notice). That's only a couple hundred a month. I am thinking that maybe it would just be better to quit my job and take out an alternate loan to cover what I would've made. This way, even though I'm going further into debt, we would have more time to schedule sleeping times between us. I can take my classes in the mornings (which is better for me, anyway) and then he can go to sleep earlier. If I have a report to do or something, it won't be a big deal to wake him up later on that evening.

Thanks so much!

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Specializes in IMCU.

Try for scholarships first. I am always surprised that people do not do this.

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I hate to tell you to go further in debt but I'd hate to see you have to drop out of school because you didn't have a realistic child care situation worked out. I too was going to have to take out loans for child care but luckily I have awesome neighbors and family that are able to fit my daughter into their schedules.

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Specializes in Primary Care.
Try for scholarships first. I am always surprised that people do not do this.

So far, I have submitted one and am almost finished with a second one. ...But scholarships will not hold me over each month for the whole two years!

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Specializes in Primary Care.
I hate to tell you to go further in debt but I'd hate to see you have to drop out of school because you didn't have a realistic child care situation worked out. I too was going to have to take out loans for child care but luckily I have awesome neighbors and family that are able to fit my daughter into their schedules.

I understand what you are saying and luckily I do have family... they just can't help until they are off of work, though... so after four or five each day.

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Okay, this won't be popular...we're "supposed" to be able to do everything, but have you considered postponing school until your youngest begins kindergarten? Maybe you can get some pre-reqs done online. Then you can enjoy your children, they can enjoy their mommy and you'll get outside to see if there are children in the neighborhood. Plus, you'll be able to see your husband when he's not sleeping!

Like I said, this won't be popular, but its undeniable that school will still be around whenever you decide to go, but your children won't stay little very long at all.

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Specializes in LTC.

all i can say is PLEASE MAKE TIME FOR YOU HUSBAND...nursing school does take alot out of you...

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