Need Survival tips for Night Shift!

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Starting my first nursing job this week on 7p-7a. I've never worked nights before and I'm a little worried about getting into the swing of it and not walking around like the Night of the Living Dead.

Anybody got any great advice??

And how do you go from nights on to a normal routine on your days off?

PS: I tried a 5 Hour Energy once and vomited for three days...so that's out.

Muchas Gracias!! :nurse:

New grad starting a night shift Nov 14. Its now 3:10am and Im still awake. I requested night shift and so happy that I got it. I always fall asleep around 5am, have to force myself or take melatonin to sleep before 2am. Ive always stayed up late since high school and have tried to break the habit but couldnt, now Im happy I didnt because I love night shift, did it for my preceptorship and enjoyed it with no problems.

So happy to hear that other nurses also enjoy working nights.

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Specializes in ICU,ED, Corrections, dodging med-surg.

I don't have a tip for you, but can tell you have been doing it for 8 months. I flipp back and forth all week, as I have 3 children that depend on me. I pray hard each and every day for God to carry me through each day/shift, and though exhausted most of time, I do what it takes to pay the bills and be there to help my children when then get home from school, and thank God every day for a job and roof over my head.

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I've been working nights for over a year and I love it! My nights off, I do not alter my sleeping schedule unless i have to (family event, special trip with the kids, etc). I unwind after work for 1/2 hour or so, then go get my 7 hours of sleep like everyone else. Some people find they do better if they sleep a little in the morning, and a little in the evening, but that's not the schedule for me! Trial and error, find a rhythm that works for your body. Most important thing IMO: make sure you drink lots of water. It's all too easy for us night owls to get up and have a coffee, go to work and have more coffee....you get the idea. I know if I don't have enough water I start feeling wiped out. Good luck to you and welcome to the night shift!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Become a coffee drinker.

I did.

:uhoh3::clown::loveya::redlight::w00t:

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Specializes in Trauma/Neurosurg ICU, MSICU, ED, Rural.
I'm a fairly new night shifter, too, and I guess I'm not the best person for advice, because I have to stay on nights (for the most part) even when I'm off in order to avoid acting like a zombie. For me, keeping the same schedule is essential. It gets lonely, but hubby and I make it work (notes to each other, etc.) I have "flipped" my schedule a few times in order to spend time with him, but I end up being verrrry sleepy. So if there is something I really want to do/attend during the day, I try to schedule my work days accordingly so I have enough time to flip and then "un-flip", so to speak.

Best of luck to you! :)

I've been on night shift (12's) for a few years solid now. I love it! I've been blessed with being able to work my night shifts together with a good amount of time off in between. If I need to flip, it usually gives me enough time to adjust. On my first day off I've found I have a hard time just sleeping a few hours in the morning, once i'm down, i'm out for at least 6-8hrs. I'm usually able to get to bed by around 3am or so my first night off and sleep til 9-11. I try not to totally "flip" if possible, but just keep my "night" an 8-ish hour block somewhere between 0200-1800.

Even though my sleep schedule is a bit different than my husband's (he works day shift during the winter), he's understanding on our days off together that I don't wake up very easily in the morning, and we adjust our plans for the day accordingly. If I do have to be alert and oriented early in the morning, I try not to have that day be right after I get off my string of shifts.

Often on my first night back, I'll get a few hours of sleep in the afternoon, if I've gotten up early that day, or just sleep in til the early afternoon and stay up til I go to work. Usually works out okay. I've found keeping well hydrated is good, and being careful like others have said to make sure you have healthy munchies on hand so you're not tempted on a regular basis to go for the vending machine. :)

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
me too, but what is so sad is...i have to freakin work today...i have a darn day job now that i hate.........i just never sleep...i try to sleep during the week i usually go to sleep around 1am..on the weekends tho, i still stay up all night...i will never change..hopefully someday i can go back to nights...

i have to laugh, b/c people hear about my "regular" 5day a week job with "regular" hours and say "don't you just love it" to which i reply...no...i hate it.............................................and i do.....:mad:

my husband and i worked nights and weekends for years. loved it! it worked great for us. we had four days off every week to go sailing, skiing, camping or to afternoon movies. everyone else was a work, so the best anchorages were empty, there was never a wait at the lift line and we had our pick of camping spots even in the most popular campgrounds. banking, doctor appointments and dentist appointments were no issue. then he decided he wanted to work in the cath lab -- monday through friday days. he liked the work, but it ruined our lives! we're back to straight weekends again, and rotating shifts. i'm happy again.

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Specializes in LTC, Medical, Rehab, Psych.

So I'm about to start night shift and have similar questions. Thanks for all of the posts. But as far as flip-flopping....... I have a small child and husband who would probably like us to spend some time together on my every other weekend off. I don't know how I'll get by without flipping around sometimes. Can that work?

Also, I am hypoglycemic (since my teens) and lack of sleep is my biggest trigger. So I am VERY worried about this. I take my chromium, I eat very well, etc, but nothing makes up for sleep. NOTHING. And 6 hours is actually pushing it.

If I had a choice, I wouldn't work night shift. But I'm a newer nurse who's had to suffer through home health and LTC to get to this damn hospital job, so I'll do my time.

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Specializes in L&D, OR, postpartum, pedi, OBGYN clinic.

I am NOT a night owl and when I worked night shift I had to do it a bit differently. I slept in 2 shift of 3-4 hours and then stayed up til bedtime on my days off. I found that if I tried to force 6-8 hours in one stress I was more tired than getting up and going back to sleep later.

I also have a family with day shift schedules so staying in a night shift pattern was too hard and I have to say I LOVE sleeping at night :)

Either way you do it it takes some trying different things until you find something that works for you.

Oh, and don't snack all night, messes with weight and digestion. I ate a dinner like meal right when I got on shift and then at lunch time and then sometime right before I went to sleep in the morning.

Good luck! I do agree that at times I miss the freedom of night shift of making appointments, beating traffic etc. It has its benefits!

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

PS: I tried a 5 Hour Energy once and vomited for three days...so that's out.

:yeah: that's hilarious. i cannot have anything with the word "energy" in it, or i react the same, in addition to feeling like my heart is about to explode.

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