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

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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!

Specializes in LTC.

are you in the program yet?

beacause when you start clinicals there are times when you have to go early in the morning to pick patients...or you might have to go the night before...do you have family around that could help out?

Specializes in LTC.
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.

sorry i just read the reply about you haveing family...so disregard my last reply...

Specializes in Primary Care.
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.

Yeah... that's not going to happen. I honestly believe it'll be much easier to go to school while the children are younger rather than older. The reason is that when they are older, they will have more things to do... extracurricular activities, projects, homework, things that need more of my time. Also, while they are young now, they won't really remember how much mommy was gone at school versus when they are older. Plus, I've been working so hard on getting all my pre-reqs done. I'm not going to stop now. The longer I wait, the longer I'm stuck in this position!

Thanks, though!

Specializes in Primary Care.
are you in the program yet?

beacause when you start clinicals there are times when you have to go early in the morning to pick patients...or you might have to go the night before...do you have family around that could help out?

Yes, I start the actual program next week. I just found out today that I don't start the clinicals until the end of October, so I have a bit of time to plan. Could I go the night before to pick out my pts? I didn't think I could do that.

Thanks!

when you go to pick patients is up to your college and instructor. you're hubby's going to have to sleep priority 1!! if you can find a high school student who gets out early perhaps you could hire them in the afternoons cheaply, and you're hubby could sleep and she/he could watch the little ones. i'm not usually one to suggest teenagers as sitter's, but your hubby would be in the house in case of an emergency.

Specializes in LTC.

it really depends on your instructors...i know one semester they did because we had to do some paper work on the disease process of what was going on with your patient done by the time you started that morning...

Specializes in IMCU.

If you have family then you need to sit down with them and see if they will commit to helping out and then get a specific commitment from them.

I commit to look after my niece 12 hours every week for my sister (I am the one at school but that is not the point) as she is a single parent. I do more during the summer. It has been like this for five years.

Your husbands sleep is a safety issue (as well as health) -- it will make him more prone to accidents (car or at work).

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