Need advice on working nights

Rustyhammer · Apr 20, 2004

I suggest to sleep after your last shift but not all day.

Just get a few hours so that you still have the afternoon and believe me you will sleep fine that night.

-R

nurse_robin · Apr 20, 2004

Years ago when my children were very young, I worked 40 hrs over the weekend so that I could be home with my children during the week. I worked Friday AM or PM,

Sat AM/PM double and Sun PM/NOC double. (Didn't have many 12hr shifts in the 80's) It can be hard on your body, but doing only 1 NOC shift was not that bad. I then slept for a few hours on Monday morn, and got back to my regular routine.

The things we do for our children.:balloons:

I was blessed to have this career and the flexibility it allows.

EMTPTORN · Apr 20, 2004

inevitably if i sleep when i get home on my first day off i never get adjusted on my off days to the day schedule and i stay up nights watching tv. it is best to try to stay up till after evening news at least, then you can sleep all night and get up early am for the day.

cantoo · Apr 20, 2004

I worked nights for many years. The only way I could do it was to maintain that night schedule even on my days off. When my kids were little, I slept while they were in school and got up when they got home. That way we still had the afternoons together. It worked pretty well for a long time. But, the older I got, it seemed like my body just couldn't handle it. I recently went to day shift thinking I was making a big mistake after so many years on nights.....I'm not a morning person! Low and behold, I felt infinately better after just a week or so. I had no idea that I felt so bad all the time. Parden the pun, but it was like night and day...lol. I still stay up pretty late on my days off, though. Old habits die hard. But now adays, Wal-mart is even open 24 hours. It's doable, but you have to have a routine and stick to it. That's what worked for me. I wish you luck!

NurseChick · Apr 21, 2004

I love working night shift! My husband works every weekend from Friday through Monday, so my schedule is basically the same except for I do rotating weekends. I am off during the week when he is. I am also home during the days if I want to do something with the kids during the school day, I just sleep around the kids schedules some days. Lucky for me my body does pretty good with sleeping when I need to. Sometimes there are so many things going on that I want to do that I might have to wait a day or so to really get some good sleep. You will be suprized how many times you will say to another night shift worker, "I got 4 hours of sleep today!", and you will think it's alot! LOL

You will have to find out what works best for you. Not every day is going to be the same as far as being able to get the same amount of sleep, especially if you have kids! I do try to sleep until about noon on my days off, that way I can spend most of the day with the kids. But there are some days when I wake up and there is just no keeping my eyes open, then I know I must be needing some extra sleep and I'll sleep a few more hours.

Good luck in working night shift! :zzzzz