Is adequate rest the most important factor in enjoying night shift?

[Hmfog]

I'm wondering if people who dislike night shift bc they feel that it wreaks havoc on their bodies feel that way because they are unable to get adequate rest for whatever reason? Anyone out there have a hard time physically with night shift despite being able to get adequate rest?

[DesertSky, BSN]

Despite all my efforts, I was one of the poor souls who never adjusted to nightshift. I tried every trick in the book from blackout curtains, noise makers, aromatherapy, and prescription sleeping pills, but I just could not sleep during the day. I struggled through night shift for almost 2 years before the opportunity to change to dayshift came around.

Physically I struggled with nightshift, however I loved my nightshift coworkers and miss them greatly! They were the best. I think you often see better teamwork on nightshift since there are less resources and ancillary staff available to help. I would never take another night positions though because my body just cannot adjust!

[peachypurple]

During nursing school as an extern I worked nights. A lot of the time I would have clinicals at 8am, stay up the rest of the day maybe only taking an hour nap, and go to work at 7pm. I functioned fine, not getting tired until around 4-5am. I know that is not ideal and I can't keep those habits up, but I am one of those people who only need about 4 hours sleep to function effectively. Now as a new grad, I'm on days for orientation. I hate it. I can't go to bed before 11 no matter how hard I try. I'll be going back to nights off orientation and I'm pretty excited. The only thing I don't like about nights is the stomach issues I had. It happened every morning I worked no matter how I ate. I tried eating my bigger meal before my shift and bringing small snacks, I tried eating at like 1am for my "lunch" break and I tried not eating anything at all but I would still get sick right when I was getting off work.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

I have always been a night owl. I usually work 1400 to 2200 or 2200 to 0600. I am also an introvert so love the time that all the daytime people are not there. I am also one, that thinks anything before 1000 is too early :). Speaking of which, I really need to go take a nap so I can work tonight. Had to get up earlier than normal today.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I would daresay adequate rest is critical to enjoying ANY facet of life, whether one works days or nights.

Unfortunately, so many do not respect the schedule of a night nurse. Staff meetings are held at 2pm, when most are sleeping, or work calls in the middle of the day with something that could have waited til 7pm. The world is awake (and very noisy) when a night nurse is trying to sleep.

I guess what I am getting at, is yes good quality sleep is critical. It's much harder to achieve on nights, though, from my personal experience. And once I reached 40, I "hit the wall" and could no longer function working nights. I would sleep very little during the day and be exhausted the last half of my shift. I could not even think clearly anymore and drove home many times, once arriving, not remembering the drive there and being surprised to pull up into my driveway. So scary.

Another thing that disturbed me was the lengths people had to go to get adequate sleep during the day, their families having to work around a day sleeper and being forced to be quiet and attend events without the night-working nurse. Most disturbing to me was the number of nurses taking dangerous drugs like Ambien to get any measure of sleep and being dozy still, during their night shift. I just did not want to live that way anymore.

Rare and lucky is the nurse who functions well and enjoys working NOCs.

I then made the necessary changes to move to a dayshift schedule and as far as I am concerned, won't work nights ever again if I can possibly avoid it.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

. Being a night owl prior to night shift working seems to help.

Agreed.

Waking up early was the bane of my existence, even as a child! I DESPISED getting up early-my body, even down to eating, is not even awake until at least 9 am.

I too am one of those who can successfully transition from a day/evening shift into a night shift; working in the ED, I can go from 11a-2330 to a 1909-0730, partly becuase getting off at 2330, after getting ready for bed, can go to bed by 2 at the latest; some nights I get ready and can go to sleep before 0100.

I can can get up early and function on day shift, I just prefer evenings/nights...the only shift working in the ED I don't like is 1500-0330; mainly becuase of my sleep cycle and only getting barely any sleep during school time when you have to make sure people are up for school on time, and then get o my 4 hrs sleep.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately, so many do not respect the schedule of a night nurse. Staff meetings are held at 2pm, when most are sleeping, or work calls in the middle of the day with something that could have waited til 7pm.

I concur. Requiring night shifters to attend 2:00pm meetings is akin to forcing them out of bed at midnight for 2:00am meetings. Unfortunately, managerial figureheads are either too dense or inconsiderate of night shift to conjure up more effective solutions to the meeting conundrum.