How to manage life on night shift?

[Larry2016]

I have accepted a position on night shift at a hospital pending my state boards. So for those of you who work nights, how do toy manage life? For example, the place I will be working is a 50 minute drive away. My wife is requesting a transfer with her job but cannot be moved until next fall. I'm just concerned about falling asleep at the wheel driving back home.

I read some tips and someone said spend money for a motel, but I can't justify paying 1,000$ a month for a hotel stay - and check in is not until 3 pm (average cost is 75$/night + 16% tax)

Also, how do you manage any social life...spending time with family and friends?

[soyoureanurse]

I've worked nights for about 4 years and I can say that, for me, I'm just now starting to get used to it. I also used to have a 45 minute drive to work and it was pretty horrible. I used to listen to the comedy station on Pandora to keep me laughing and awake. I also didn't doubt myself--if I thought I was going to fall asleep behind the wheel, I would pull over in a parking lot and sleep for a little bit. Better safe than sorry. I think you'll find what works best for you once you start working. I also don't usually drink coffee--but I do on nightshift!

Also--now that it's nice out and summer is here, I think it's easier to participate in things during the day. If I worked the night before but I was off the next day, I sleep until like 11 or 1 at the latest and then get up and go do things. Then I can sleep that night.

Starting out, try to work most of your days in a row. Work a day, off a day is so hard especially on nightshift. It'll take so much longer to get a routine down.

Good luck! Night shift is great! I love it and don't see myself working anything else!

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

You have got to protect your sleep with a commute like that. I live five minutes from my full time job but an hour from my PRN, and there have been a couple of days where I have almost fallen asleep on the way home from my PRN job - usually days I had class that morning, didn't get home until 1200 or so, and got four hours or less of sleep before I had to wake up to go to work. You need more than four hours of sleep to handle a commute like that. I generally don't have problems if I'm well rested, but sometimes being well rested is not an option.

If I feel like I am about to run off the road, I call somebody. People can frown all they want about people who talk on the phone while driving, but I am fully awake when I'm talking on the phone.

Eating can help, too, as a PP said. I personally like spicy/sour things. Red hots, fireballs, warheads... something that brings a real shock to my mouth is pretty good at making me feel more awake.

[Larry3373]

I worked just over an hour away for nearly a year. There were days when I struggled to stay awake on the long drive home, but most of the time it was fine. Just take a good nap the first day and go straight to bed each day until you have a day off. I agree with a pp about not sleeping all day on your first day off. I tend to get my days/nights mixed up when I do that. The good thing is that the 12 hour shifts can allow you to schedule several days off in a row so you can have a mini vacation before you have to go back to work.

[®Nurse2B]

I'm not a nurse but my friend is and this is what she does. She works 7p-7a.

Doesn't immediately go to sleep when she gets in the house (eats breakfast first).

Drinks coffee on the way to work and again at 2a.

Dinner at 5p.

Avoids working 3 nights in a row.

Packs meal and 2 healthy snacks

Works out on days off

Sample schedule M/Tu/F

On Sun, she's up all day. Bedtime @ 2am (Mo). Alarm @ 9a. Nap from 1p-5p

Tues - sleep all day (10a-5p)

Wed - Sleep until 1p. Remains awake until it's time for bed (i.e. 10p)

Thur - Up all day. Bedtime @ 2am (F). Alarm @ 9a. Nap from 1p-5p

Sat - Repeat Wednesday

[lavenderskies, BSN]

I'm back on nights after 20 years. I didn't do so well on nights in my 20s. Doing better in my 40s. I don't have a long commute tho, and my mind isn't telling myself all the time that nights suck because they're great if you look at the positives.

I like my shifts grouped together. Others like theirs spread out. You'll have to experiment to see what works best. Being very routine oriented works best for me. I stop caffeine by 3am and nothing better get between me and my bed when I get home. I have an ac running in my bedroom, a loud hepa filter for white noise, and blackout blinds. I take Tylenol because my body hurts after a 12, valerian root tincture and essential oils to relax and I have water at my bedside. I sleep 9-5p, get up repeat. I nap before my first shift. There's no life outside work and sleep with 12s. But there are 4 days off....so that's life time. :)

My first nocturnal job in my 20s I had a 1hr commute at the end. It was hard. If I had a long drive now I'd use my minivan to my benefit. It has the stowe'n'go seats so I'd put them down and put a blow up bed in there with a sleeping bag. Pull over for a nap in the shade if I was too tired. I know people that have crashed on that drive. I fell asleep once and that was scary as crap. Don't risk it.

Snacking on celery or carrots would work. I love the idea of holding something cold. Listening to podcasts is great. I love Radiolab. I bet it'd be a great time to call mom

[Larry2016]

I'm back on nights after 20 years. I didn't do so well on nights in my 20s. Doing better in my 40s. I don't have a long commute tho, and my mind isn't telling myself all the time that nights suck because they're great if you look at the positives.

I like my shifts grouped together. Others like theirs spread out. You'll have to experiment to see what works best. Being very routine oriented works best for me. I stop caffeine by 3am and nothing better get between me and my bed when I get home. I have an ac running in my bedroom, a loud hepa filter for white noise, and blackout blinds. I take Tylenol because my body hurts after a 12, valerian root tincture and essential oils to relax and I have water at my bedside. I sleep 9-5p, get up repeat. I nap before my first shift. There's no life outside work and sleep with 12s. But there are 4 days off....so that's life time. :)

My first nocturnal job in my 20s I had a 1hr commute at the end. It was hard. If I had a long drive now I'd use my minivan to my benefit. It has the stowe'n'go seats so I'd put them down and put a blow up bed in there with a sleeping bag. Pull over for a nap in the shade if I was too tired. I know people that have crashed on that drive. I fell asleep once and that was scary as crap. Don't risk it.

Snacking on celery or carrots would work. I love the idea of holding something cold. Listening to podcasts is great. I love Radiolab. I bet it'd be a great time to call mom

Not my mom Lol.

I teased my wife about investing in an RV....like one from Meet the Fockers