New grad needing advice on transitioning to working nights.....

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a new grad that will be starting a fulltime L&D position next weekend - working nights. I worked nights for a very short time at a nursing home years ago. I hated the lack of sleep and the "zombie" feeling I had every day. Can I please get some advice from you experienced night nurses out there on the best way for me to transition and survive working nights? I do have a family here at home as well, so that is part of the equation for me - balancing it all...... :0) :yawn:

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Specializes in post-op.

If you have kids- make sure they can go somewhere in the day when you get home so that you can sleep- if they are not school age that is. Also I take a benadryl, one 25mg tab to help me stay asleep. Good luck

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Specializes in PICU.

Some quick suggestions- try to transition your body's internal clock by staying up later and sleeping later. You said you have a family, so this may not be practical but it helps. Take a nap before going in, again if possible. I think that helps a great deal if you can get some rest.

When you come home, do everything you can to make your sleep uninterrupted. I make sure I'm not hungry, darken the room, turn off your phone, post a sign on the door if necessary.

GL!

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I live a daytime life when not at work. If possible... your first couple of weeks working nights, do not work several nights in a row. You'll just be screwed up for a few weeks, no matter what, and accepting that makes it easier. :)

When I first began working nights I needed benadryl, or a screwdriver, and something over my eyes even though I'd never liked anything like that before.

Now I come home, have something to eat so hunger doesn't wake me, some orange juice, sometimes a drink (day folks would have a beer with dinner, so a mimosa with breakfast is ok lol), get settled, and go to sleep asap. My son gets off his bus at 4:10 so I get up at 3:50 when my husband is not home. If my husband is home, I get up at 4:30, which gives me two hours before I have to leave for work. This way I get to see family, do anything that needed to be done (post office, etc.), and not feel rushed. I have a small something to eat and pack dinner to eat at around 10 pm (and a bagel for 4-5 am).

When I don't have to be back at work the following night, I might stay up a bit longer, or nap only until 1 or 2 pm so I don't lose the whole day.

When I haven't been at work but need to work the next night, I get up, put my son on the bus, and go back to sleep by 8 am and sleep until noon or so.

I used to be unable ever to sleep during the day- I never napped, and only slept during daytime if I was desperately ill. I've learned to sleep during the day (kind of too well!), and while sometimes I don't get entirely enough rest it's working well enough so far. It took several months to get completely settled into working nights.

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I guess I'm lucky, I feel better when I'm on a night schedule. I stay on my same sleep schedule during my days off and use blackout curtains. Be sure your friends and family understand your schedule and don't call you during the day when you are asleep. It took me and my wife (also works nights) forever to get our families to understand.

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I have found that if i just work my 3 nights in a row and knock it out, after that third night I stay up as long as I can, go to bed early that night and flip myself back into a day schedule for the rest of the week, lol. Works for me.

Ex: Work sun, mon, tues... weds stay up til 7pm, pass out til 7am the next day. Live a normal life. =D

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Ex: Work sun, mon, tues... weds stay up til 7pm, pass out til 7am the next day. Live a normal life. =D

When I have to switch that's how I do it. I don't know if I'd wanna do it every week though.

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Thanks everyone for your great advice! :0)

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