My First Night Shift

[NurseNicoleRN]

Ive been on day shift for 2 weeks and now monday night is my first night shift and im a little nervouse is there andy thing special i should do to get ready for it......and nurses on nights with advice will be helpful thanks

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

...try and put some dark towels up on the windows to really block the sunlight from getting in. I found that really helped me.

Aluminium foil works even better. It totally blocks out any speck of light! My mom aluminium foiled her bedroom windows so she could sleep during the day and her room was pitch black except for the little band of light coming under the door. She blocked that with a rolled up towel.

[missninaRN]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but do you go back to a normal sleep schedule on the days that you don't work? Is it hard to adjust back and forth between days on and off?

I have SAD-seasonal affective disorder. My mental health is affected by the amount of sunlight I get and how early in the day I am exposed to it. The more I sleep during the day, the worse the depression gets. If I wake up early (and stay awake all day), and sit in front of my therapeutic light box, however, I am fine.

I guess I'm just wondering out loud here about how I will manage if I don't get hired on a day shift when I graduate.

And NurseNicoleRN- I am glad to hear that it's going well for you! The dog in your avatar photo looks like it's smiling. :)

[NurseNicoleRN]

Yes on my days off i sleep a normal schedule......like for instance i work tonight-mondaynite andtueday nite.......and when i come home wed morning il sleep for 3 maybe 4 hours and then get up and stay up til about 11 oclock and then sleep throught the night and then il be off for 5 days sleeping at night and when i go back next monday il wake up at 9 am or so and then take a 2hr nap at like 2 or 3 oclock then wake up shower and go to work.......its working for me i would try it yourself....

ps that is my pug duke hes always smiling !!!