Late hours

Bird2 · Aug 15, 2005

Years ago when I worked midnights my mother use to pop in about 3-4 in the afternoon. She would actually make comments as though I was lazy since I still had my pajamas on. Goodness sakes I had just woke up!

NorthernRose · Aug 15, 2005

I've worked nights (11p-7a) for 14 years. My mom will still call me at noon and say "I hope I didn't wake you up, oh never mind. I'll let you go back to sleep." Like its that easy!! I've turned all the phone ringers off but one. My kids were little when I started, so mom being a night person has always seemed normal to them. I will say,that they would come in when I was sleeping and ask permission to do things that if i had been awake i would have said no to!! Sneaky lil poops!! They would say "but I asked and you said ok!" ( I was sleeping I'd agree to anything to make them go away!!) My husband has always been wonderful about making sure I'm left alone to get my rest. (Of course he doesn't want me up and cranky miserable!!)

I think the main thing with being a night person is setting rules! I told the kids...no phone calls before 4! After the first couple of times of me answering the phone and being ummm....not "nice" to their friends, they got the idea!

My husband has gotten used to me wandering the house at 2am, 3am, 4 am on my nights off. And I have learned that it's not 'acceptable' to vaccuum or do laundry at those times. (tried it, and gotten..."what are you doing waking us all up?!?" lol)

Remember if the hours work for you, the family will come around to you being a night owl : )

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Aug 15, 2005

My hours are so screwy that all my family and friends know that all they have to do is call. If I'm up, the phone's on. If I'm sleeping, they can leave a message.

On my nights off, I generally go to bed then too, but I wake up at 4 or 5 am. I jump on the computer or read until news time, then I go watch the news. It doesn't usually bother my husband. If I think it'll bother him, then I'll go online and watch the news there.

But sometimes, I just can't sleep all night, so I sit out in the living room and watch HBO all night. I close the bedroom door so it doesn't bother him too much.

I have headphones for the computer so it doesn't make a lot of noise. I figure if the TV bothers him while I'm watching my Monk marathon or whatever, he'll get me headphones for that too.

RNKITTY04 · Aug 15, 2005

My MIL just doesn't get it. I work 11p-7a M-F I usually sleep from 9A-maybe to 3-4p and all I ever hear is: You are sleeping your life away!!!! Ok great next time she says this Im gonna call her at 2 am and and say.... Get up, you are sleeping your life away!!!

I am seriously considering coming off night shift due to the non stop phone calls, the doorbell ringing and all the other interruptions that "day" people just don't understand.

Oh and heres my favorite that my husband says... "since you are home all day could you (fill in the blank) "clean the pool, wash my truck, give the dog a bath, paint the hallway"?

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Aug 15, 2005

I worked graveyard for 25 yrs and our house had rules.

#1 Do not wake me unles it is an emergency with blood flowing or there is a fire with actual flames.

#2 Do not call until after 4pm if you do expect a very rude answer.

I have a girlfriend who always call me around 12 or 1 o clock every freaking day. I started calling her at 2-3 in the morning she stopped after the second call. My kids are grown and gone, they never call now until after 5 pm.

The funny thing now is I have gone to days and now I have to break every one calling me at 10-12 at night.

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 15, 2005

When I worked 2nd shift, my DH had a hard time understanding that my morning was kind of like his evening....I wanted to relax a bit during the day before going to work, just like he does in the evening. Got off of the PM shift about a year ago...it's better for my family, but I can't help but miss my quiet days sometimes!!!!