new grad RN 11-7 shift, sleep suggestions?

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 3, 2013

I sleep as soon as I get home and after eating a SMALL amount (bowl of cereal or slice of toast)

Essential for day sleeper:

ABSOLUTE darkness (blackout curtains, tucked in to prevent ALL light from coming in)

White noise - a fan turned toward the wall

NO phone in the bedroom

Sunglasses BEFORE you leave work (sunlight hitting the retina supresses melatonin which wakes you UP)

No electronics in the bedroom (turn your alarm clock to the wall even)

Signage on your door if needed (Day sleeper: Do NOT ring doorbell)

asdfg12345 · Sep 3, 2013

thank you so much for the suggestion!!!

for meals do you just do 5-6 small meals throughout the day while your awake? or what works best??

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 3, 2013

I always think the grazing approach while at work is best.

My MSN thesis was about night shift, as are several ongoing projects. You might look up some of my previous posts for more info.

Best wishes!

PS: All the cool kids work nights!

LongislandRN23 · Sep 4, 2013

I've been doing 11-7 for two years and am still nit used to it. I will be moving to 7am to 7pm three days a week next month which I pray will be better. I try not to eat when I get home from worm although that never happens! I treat the day in reverse. Get home at 8am and go to.sleep. wake up at 3pm and eat breakfast. Run errands/clean, play with my cat ect. Eat lunch around 6 then dinner before work and bring a snack there like an apple or something. ENJOY your nights off!! Its hard/annoying to go out for dinner or parties at night and have to leave early everyone's like "you have work??!!!, why!?" Your literally on the opposite schedule as everyone else so things like dr appointments or grocery shopping or seeing your friends or going to the bank during your sleep hours ks wierd. Make a schedule and stick with it. I pray for a reg day job in a year or so. Good luck

VampyrSlayer, CNA · Sep 4, 2013

I'm not in nursing yet but I've been working the 11-7 in hospitality for the passed two years. Indulge in a sleep mask. They are wonderful. Silence your phone. Go to sleep ASAP when you get home (after you eat a little so your tummy doesn't wake you up halfway), and if you need earplugs do it (they never seem to stay in my ears). I don't have a family yet do these are all suggestions of a single gal!

VampyrSlayer, CNA · Sep 4, 2013

Oops it's my night off and I haven't slept in 2 days. I meant invest, not indulge :)

AJJKRN · Sep 10, 2013

I work 7p to 7a 3x days a week and if I have to sleep for work then...

1. Black black-out curtains

2. A fan on high speed

3. Ear plugs

4. one 25mg Benadryl :sleep:

(I tried au natural...hit or miss, I tried melatonin...hangover, I tried glass of wine...didn't help and not really a drinker, not to keen on taking drugs but like most nurses I have no problem giving drugs to patients in a more controlled hospital setting! Benadryl seems to help me go to sleep and stay asleep without a hangover/cloudiness but I do wake up dry...duh. Not for everyone, you may stay up and clean your house instead!)

Good Luck and welcome to the world of night shifters

P.S. NO CAFFIENE AFTER MIDNIGHT!!! :facepalm:

Stella_Blue · Sep 10, 2013

I dont work 12's like most. I usually come home, make some breakfast and indulge in my DVR from the night before. I get off work at 7:30 and get home around 7:40. I live a hop, skip and a jump away from my job! I usually go to bed somewhere between 9 and 11 depending on how tired I am. On certain days Ill drink Vicks ZzZ Quill. That stuff is a god send. Everyone is dead on with the black out curtains, silent phone, and the most definately needed FAN! Good luck =)

kerrynurse · Sep 15, 2013

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions:yes: :alien: . I too will be working nights once I come off my 4 week orientation.

You guys rock :)

:cool:Long Live The Cool Kids! :up:

kerrynurse · Sep 15, 2013

Awesome thread stephani3llen

You rock;) :yes:

OneDuckyRN · Sep 26, 2013

I'm guessing that you'll be on orientation for a little while. If that's the case, I would suggest NOT trying to re-adapt to a day schedule during your off days. Since you'll be working 5 nights a week, this is a bit easier than someone who works 3 12-hour shifts a week. I'm a new grad myself, but spent several years working night shifts previously. However, after 9 years of days, I'm having to re-orient myself all over again!

I agree with pretty much all of the other suggestions that have been posted thus far. I would add that unless you can't take it for some reason, be open to the idea of Ambien. It has been a life-saver for me, and I only take it on my work days, so I don't feel like I'm over-using it. My doctor has been very supportive in my taking it, as long as it's not an everyday thing. Benadryl is a good idea as well, but I have trouble with a hangover-type effect that I don't get with Ambien.

I think it's also helpful if your job is very busy, even at night. I work on a pulmonary step-down unit that never seems to slow down, no matter what time it is, so feeling drowsy has not been much of an issue for me. I tend to just go for a quick walk down to the end of the hall and back if I start to feel sleepy while I'm charting or something. I can't have caffeine so that's a non-issue for me, but definitely cut yourself off fairly early in the night so you don't have trouble sleeping if you do drink coffee/soda.

Once you get used to the new job/schedule, you can probably be a little more flexible with your sleep if you need to. It all depends on how you tolerate nights in general. Again, I'd suggest not trying to make changes to it at least until you're off orientation. Give your body a chance to adjust.

Good luck!