How much sleep do you get?

You don't need to toughen up. These people that are telling you this, I am curious, are they day shift workers w/o child care issues?? Working night shift takes a toll on your body with or without enough sleep. Sure, we all say we need more sleep, but I think most get more than you do. Two hours of sleep is not enough working or not! Its normal to do with out sleep before work every now and again, but not on a regular basis. (Everyone I work night shift with goes with out a days sleep once and a while before coming in and it doesn't affect their work) I think its time to start looking into other child care options or changing to a shift where your current sitter can watch them while you work. You need more sleep. I would hate to see you cause an accident on the road or hurt a patient at work. These things do happen with sleep deprivation, not just little charting errors. I wish I could help you.

Do you have to work night shift? It seems like you would be able to sleep at the same time your kids are asleep and you would probably get more sleep. Just a thought.

You need more sleep. This is not your fault...not a weakness. You were born human, and sleep is part of the deal. It is not a luxury, it is necessity.

I have a teen and five year old. I usually get home from work and my five year old puts pillows on the couch for me....I sleep there while she watches tv and colors. She does go to pre-school two days a week. On those days I pick her up at noon and she naps with me for a few hours. Works pretty good. I would say I get about 5 hours...but it is interrupted sleep.

Missy

Not nearly enough!

I work fulltime nights, and am in LPN school fulltime days. I am lucky if I get 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep per day.

Thank God for a retired father-in-law that keeps my dd while I am in school/asleep!

I'm sort of "saving up" my sleep for when I start nursing properly. I don't do nights as an AIN (CNA equivalent). I sleep for about 9 hours when I get a chance to. If I can't get 9, I function best on 5. If I get 6,7 or even 8, I am a bit "off" all day, but 5 is good and 9 is good.

I had glandular fever (mono) and took a very, very long time to get over it. Even now, 7 years after I got sick, I find it difficult to change my sleeping patterns. A lot of nurses in Australia work rotating shifts, so I will have to learn to change my sleep. That will be the hardest bit for me.

I also work NOCs but I work part time, three nights a week. I have three children at home, ages 2-4, I'm a full time student (online) and I am pregnant. Suffice it to say, I don't get much sleep the day before and the day proceeding my night shifts. However, I am able to sleep during the nights on my days off without problems so for the most part I am only mildly sleep deprived. To more specifically answer your question, I get 4 hours of sleep after my shift, and usually no nap before my shifts, but I sleep all night long when I'm off.

Thanks for the replies. I was so mad when I typed that because my babysitter was out of town and wasn't answering her cell so I didn't know when or even if she was going to be taking the kids.

I'm surprised at how little sleep some of you get. I actually got a decent amount today so I feel good for going back tonight (except if I have the same group I had last night then I'm in for a busy night!). I'm still new so I get stressed out and that makes me even more tired than if I were just up all night. People keep telling me that it takes at least 6 months to be comfortable and I'm waiting for it to kick in. I still have to ask so many questions, and I know I'm a nussance when everyone else is busy. I also hate having to say I don't know about half of the questions that the day nurses ask me in report. I just get so busy (usually with confused pts, I had 3 last night, 1 in restraints) that I barely have enough time to chart, let alone read the progress notes or H&P.

Jessica

I remember doing the night and afternoon rotation trick. Was hard. I get even less sleep now doing that day/afternoon split shift. I get 3 to 5 hours but mine is stress related and estrogen related. Always always whipped.

renerian