Help! Sleeping too much after my shifts are over!

[glittermoomin]

Hi there!

I am a new CNA (been at my CNA job for three months now) working almost full-time on a VERY busy rehab floor of a nursing facility. We work with the people that have just been discharged from hospital, but are too ill to yet go home.

I work evening shift every day, 2pm - 10pm, although it usually ends up being 11:15pm or even later, after finishing charting and giving report to the oncoming night CNA are taken into account.

This means I typically get home around midnight. I have a hard time unwinding and relaxing after I get home, after running around like a headless chicken all night answering all the call lights (did I mention it is a BUSY floor?) I am always very physically exhausted, but my brain has a really hard time switching off.

I don't typically fall asleep until 2am or later, and then I sleep all through the morning until 11am or even later. Sometimes noon.

I then have to be back at work at 2pm, leaving me only two hours or so to get ready, and undertake my commute to work.

I am feeling like I am on an endless treadmill right now of: go to work ->work -> come home from work ->try to get to sleep for two hours -> fall asleep finally -> sleep way too late -> wake up feeling super-rushed with no time to walk the dog, make a meal, do yoga, do housework etc - > go back to work -> repeat.

Do any of you have any advice on how to deal with odd schedules? And/or just sleeping too much after you get off shift?

Thankyou!!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

It sounds to me as if you're sleeping 9-10 hours. Some people only require 6 hours of sleep a night; others require 10 hours. If this sleep requirement is new for you, how much did you sleep before you got this job? If it was 8 hours, set your alarm for 10am and get up then. If was 6 hours, set your alarm for 8, and so forth.

When I first start a new job, I always seem to need more sleep than usual for the first few months. When I went back to work after having had cancer, I'd get home at 4 pm, fall into bed and sleep until 5am. It took a few months for me to get used to living on less sleep.

One other question -- are you taking something to help you sleep? Maybe try cutting back on the dose or taking it as soon as you get home.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

Sleeping from 2-11 is around the recommended range of 8 hours of sleep per night. Just simply set your alarm for the time that you want to get up, and when it goes off, get up! If it's less than 8 or 9 hours, trust and believe it will soon catch up with you. When it does, you'll find yourself struggling to stay away for the ride home and can't wait to head straight for the sack.

[amoLucia]

Couple of things come to mind. Firstly, you're a newish CNA at a newish job. CNA jobs are rough - lots of physical labor! And 3-11 is the most difficult (in my opinion). I think with some more time, this may become easier.

Second, are you taking care of yourself? Are you trying to eat decent? Stay hydrated? Even a little exercise? Just keeping the fundamental basics addressed may help you.

Might you need to see your PMP for a checkup? Something old or something new might be an issue.

And this is the month MARCH. You don't say where you live but it's wintertime here on the East Coast. Some dreary, dreary days. There's something called SAD - seasonal affective disorder. Has something to do with the lack of sunny, sunshine days that cause general feeling blah (at the minimum). Like people just can't wait for Spring and nice outside time. It is a true imbalance.

Lastly, are you avoiding any stimulant activities later in your evening? Sounds weird but are you getting GOOD sleep? Like by avoiding caffeine beverages, a heavy meal, reading, and TV/internet activities, you'll be letting your brain calm down. You have identified that time lag that you have difficulty falling asleep.

Hope things work out for you.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

What you described is exactly why I hated evening shifts when I was a hospital nurse. It seems great/that you'll have ample time before work to get things done but it never seems to work out that way.

That said, most people wouldn't consider 9 hrs sleeping excessively. I typically sleep about 8-9 hrs/night while my boyfriend gets up 2 hrs earlier than me for work and only sleeps 6-7, depending on what time we go to bed.

And if you're not waking up until 11 or 12, it makes sense that you aren't tired when you get home from work around midnight. As others have said, set an alarm for the morning, wake up when it goes off, go about your day before work and then you'll presumably be more tired when you get home.