Has anyone that works nights called in sick because they hadn't had enough sleep? I've been up since 5:30 am and I usually nap before I go in and I can't relax. I feel tired but can't fall asleep. I have the fan on to block out noise, it's dark in my room, and I drank some milk.
I just have a lot on my mind and don't know what to do! The more I worry about being tired the more I can't sleep. I'm seriously thinking about calling in.
Has anyone that works nights called in sick because they hadn't had enough sleep? I've been up since 5:30 am and I usually nap before I go in and I can't relax. I feel tired but can't fall asleep. I have the fan on to block out noise, it's dark in my room, and I drank some milk.
I just have a lot on my mind and don't know what to do! The more I worry about being tired the more I can't sleep. I'm seriously thinking about calling in.
Any thoughts?
See your light on..Did you sleep or did you call in yesterday?
I ended up calling in that night. Everyone was very understanding the next night, they all know I have had trouble adjusting to nights. Luckily we were overstaffed the night I called in so my coworker was happy that she didn't have to float!
I did take Zoloft last summer for awhile but I didn't end up taking it long enough to notice a difference. I will discuss it with my doctor when I see her in a couple weeks. My anxiety is definitely increasing. I'm getting married in October, moving this weekend, fiance is having trouble finding a job, etc. Hopefully my life settles down soon!
Be honest--don't call in sick but rather state that coming into work would be a safety hazard due to sleep deprivation. Make an appt. ASAP with a professional that can give you some guidance. Make sure that your mgr. knows that you see this as serious and take responsibility for it. If you plan on the "call in sick" thing then you haven't really addressed what is going on--sleep deprivation. The souces can be many, sick kids, overload at school or work, family issues, on and on. Give yourself a gift and be honest you may find that your hospital has paid leave, time off based on hrs. worked and sick time isn't what you would need to use. This seems easy to manage if you get on it and make a plan with your NP or Dr. Good luck.
I did take Zoloft last summer for awhile but I didn't end up taking it long enough to notice a difference. I will discuss it with my doctor when I see her in a couple weeks. My anxiety is definitely increasing. I'm getting married in October, moving this weekend, fiance is having trouble finding a job, etc. Hopefully my life settles down soon!
My life once sounded alot like yours--such a full plate and I kept waiting for it to calm down.then 911 happened, two days later my mother in law died in her sleep after a long battle with complicataions from surgery, surgery in an OR where I worked........I kept choking that all back and then bam all of the lost sleep, worry, unconsicious came up and said with one horrendous anxiety attack leaving me literally paralysed to act "You have to pay attention!!!". All of those little hints of lack of sleep, worry, feeling flu-like just hadn't gotten the msg. to me. Get on top of your stressers with help. Call you most trusted professional, even if they can't help you directly they may be able to steer you. Don't give up. If you were reading your hx. as you read a pt's hx you would know what to do but you can't so get some help with all of this or it will make you surrender. Your brain WILL take care of you, it will figure out a way--don't let that be a huge anxiety attack which when it hit me I wondered, "I've never done this before, what in the world is going on?" Now I have to say that part of my answer is to share it with you. Take Care!!!
When you work Nights, your whole life becomes about sleep. When, where, how much, how little. Some people spend their whole time off, it seems, trying to get adequate sleep.
I tried Melatonin once and found it ineffective but I think I'm going to give it another go. I will read up on it and see what dose is supposed to be effective. Also, I read about gangion cells in our eyes, which are responsible for light levels we perceive, I think. Modern info, very interesting.
Yes, I have called in once for lack of sleep. I just could not go in. Actually, I probably could have but it would have been dangerous to drive and painful to work, not to mention unconscionably dangerous.
We are not machines. We need adequate sleep. Hopefully, bosses have had to bear this same cross and understand.
Roy Fokker, you are too Fokking funny! I have chronic insomnia and started out with Ativan, worked GREAT at 1 mg, then MD gave me Ambien CR. What a nut I became! I was sleepwalking, sleep cooking, heck I got more housework done in my sleep than awake! Lunesta is nice but I built a tolerance and only the 3 mg worked. I'm back on Ativan 1 mg.
I also have samples of Rozerum. Am told it takes a while to build up in your system but I found it gave me a hangover. So far the Ativan is working, along with ear plugs and dark curtains in my bedroom. Good luck.....zzzzzzzzzz
I work nights now as a cardiac monitor tech, will do so during the 2 years of nursing school and when I finish with nursing school. I have to admit, that it was really tough in the beginning. It probably took me a good six months to get into a rhythm. The first thing that I made sure of was that I worked the same 3 days a week. I also knew that during those two in between days, I had to sleep and if I woke up after 4 hours (I usually went to bed at 9 am), I made sure to stay in bed and stay there for at least 3 more hours. The toughest part of my job now is that I'm pretty much having to sit all shift. I actually look forward to nursing because being on the go all shift will make the shift feel like it is going faster.
OP, how are you doing now with your sleep patterns. Are you still having problems sleeping? I think that if you are still suffering, you may need to look into trying to find a day shift. Some people love nights, some can handle nights and some should just work during the day. How can you take care of the health issues of your patients if you can't take care of the health of yourself?
Couldn't sleep last night either... tried every trick I could think of. Got up 3 times to go to the bathroom. Last trip down, I finally decided to take a bath with lavender bubble bath to see if that helped. It did... for about an hour.
:lol2:
danissa, LPN, LVN
896 Posts
See your light on..Did you sleep or did you call in yesterday?