Help!! New nurse starting nights 7p-7a

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Hi..I am a new nurse that's is going to be finishing orientation soon and switching over to nights. I am looking for some advice on how to switch your sleep schedule. How do you get sleep that first night? any tips would be greatly appreciated!! thanks

Specializes in Certified Wound Care Nurse.

I work nights. I do most of the above in addition - I take a good quality B Complex before going to work. Gives me an extra boost and I don't seem to get the "hungries" like I used to get when I worked nights a few months back - and I sleep better...

hth,

shawna

Specializes in General Surgical, Ortho, Cardiac ICU.

Hi! Welcome to nights :)

Like you, I'm a new grad. I started orientation the first week of July, and went to nights the first week of August, so I only have 2 months under my belt. But here's what I've found so far:

I IMMEDIATELY bought the window tint for our bedroom. We have 4 huge windows, so curtains were MUCH too expensive and just didn't work. It works to keep it generally dark and actually MUCH cooler too! I got it at the Home Depot ~ the darker the better!

On my first night, I try to sleep as late as possible. I've never been a "nap person", so when I tried a few times to get up like normal and nap in the afternoon, I found myself tossing and turning and never getting any sleep, so I'd be up for 24 hours straight! So I sleep til noon or 1, then get up and do my thing, go to work, and get home and go right to bed, usually sleeping about 7 hours.

I also couldn't sleep during the days in between at first. I don't like to use sleeping pills, but found that melatonin works great for me. I know it doesn't for everyone, but worth a try!

I'm not CRAZY about nights, since my husband has an 8-5 job, but I always tell myself that its only 3 a week, and someday, whenever that is, I'll be on days. Good luck to you!

Rachel

thanks for all your tips. i am really looking forward to going to nights. i know there will be fewer resources, but I am not a morning person and find days to be pretty overwhelming with all the discharges, patients going to procedures, etc. i am hoping i will be able to go to days eventually but for right now am looking forward to working nights to get my routine down pat. thanks for all the tips!! I really appreciate it

Specializes in ER, Med/Surg.

This post kinda relates to the "New nurses not paying dues" post. But when I first started working in the ER, I had to work two nights in a row (Sun, Mon) then days on Friday. I did this for about 18 months. My boss basically said, "You're the new guy, you get the $hiz-nit."

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