Night Nurses?

ukstudent · Jun 16, 2008

Embrace the night shift. Stop making your body go from night to day. To give yourself some ability to function during day light you can do what I do. I go to bed around 3-4 am. Get a good sleep, get up around noon , early afternoon. I still have time to go to appointments, shopping etc.

If you are trying to go to be at 10-11 pm and tossing and turning and not getting to sleep until 2-3-4 am, then you are going to be more tired than if you just go to bed at that time.

MoopleRN · Jun 16, 2008

Sleep when you feel tired, get up and do stuff when you don't. NEVER take your phone to bed with you and put a DO NOT DISTURB sign on your front door. Understand that your work schedule goes against your biological schedule and accept that. Understand that you're not going to get your sleep hours all in a row. Take your sleep when you can get it and when you feel like sleeping at work during the dreaded 03-05 time... COFFEE/WALK/TALK.

Other tips? Remind yourself that the families/doctors are gone, the phone is quiet, you have more time to read your charts, and you really are working the choice shift even if your sleep is screwed.

ArwenEvenstar · Jun 16, 2008

It sounds like you are trying to switch back to a "normal" (sleep at night/up during day) pattern when you are not working. I can see how your body would be really confused by this and you would have a hard time sleeping. I agree with another response that said you need to "embrace the night shift". My husband and I are both nurses and we have worked either evenings or nights for many years. We keep a nights type of schedule even when we are not working. On days we do not work, we still stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning, and sleep until early afternoon. Late to bed, late to rise. Working nights is just a way of life for us. We have totally embraced it.

We are both NATURAL night owls, so this helps a lot! We also do not have children, which makes us much more free to go to bed and get up whenever we want. Not everyone has this luxury either!

It could be that night shift is not for you. It isn't for everyone. As mentioned, we are both natural night owls. We would not work day shift unless we were absolutely desperate!! Day shift is not for us.

kcochrane · Jun 16, 2008

Embrace the night shift. Stop making your body go from night to day. To give yourself some ability to function during day light you can do what I do. I go to bed around 3-4 am. Get a good sleep, get up around noon , early afternoon. I still have time to go to appointments, shopping etc.
If you are trying to go to be at 10-11 pm and tossing and turning and not getting to sleep until 2-3-4 am, then you are going to be more tired than if you just go to bed at that time.

I'm with you. I stay up until 3 or 4 on my days off also. It still leaves you plenty of time to do things. Consistency is the key. I think a lot of people use the night shift as a way to get more hours out of the day - it doesn't work. I remind my family that even if I was working the day shift, I wouldn't be home until 4ish, so please let me sleep. It took awhile of adjustment for them.

I love nights. It is quiet. I sleep better during the day. I see my kids in the am before they go to school. I can get up if needed for a day activity at school, etc. In the summer, I am there, even if I am sleeping.... for emergencies.

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Jun 16, 2008

Ditto on the night owl thing. I cannot sleep at night, never could. If I have daytime things to do I will go to bed around 3-5am. The only time I worked days was when my kids were teenagers. as soon as they all left it was back to nights for me.

Even on vacation I sleep in the daylight and I don't mask the windows. I can sleep in a hammock with the sunlight on me

amy0123, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

After working a few nights in a row or apart from each other, I think I've got a good routine figured out. Work, run home, eat frosted mini wheats with soymilk, and sleep.

After sleeping a good 7 hours, jump into the shower (wakes me up) and have a good filling dinner before running off to work again (sometimes there is absolutely no time for break during the 12 hour shift). It also helps to be a close traveling distance to work, at least within 5 to 15 mins - just in case you get home too late.

On my off day, I'll take a nap during the day and sleep all night. Usually get to bed at 12 t 1am. Wake up, eat, nap about 4 or 5 hours, then back to work again.

When I'm not working, I feel drowsy. But no other troubles with my body. I eat really healthy and play tennis on my off time. Go to church when possible, see friends, shop, read a book or look up nursing research. It helps to get into a healthy life routine. It's fun too.

A coworker tried night shift, she was sick through the whole shift. vomiting, diarrhea, migraines. She did two weeks and switched to days and was much happier. It took a month for me to get use to it. A year later, I'm ok.

Woodenpug, BSN · Jun 17, 2008

It's difficult and takes some time to adjust to nights. Once done, it is just as difficult to switch back to days. Keeping the same sleep schedule on off days is important (as others have said.) If the reasons you like night shift are important enough that you're sure you will not want to make the same effort to switch back to days, then keep on plugging, it gets better.

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2008

This topic was covered a few months ago, so doing a search would help you find more advice.

ONCRN84 · Jun 17, 2008

I'm getting off nights for the very reasons you state. I'm sick of being tired all the time. I miss sleeping at night. And I really miss sleeping for a solid block of time. Since I've been working nights, I only sleep in 3-4 hr blocks.

I knew I didn't want to work days in the hospital, so I'm looking for a day position outside of the hospital.

Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you!

nurseinlimbo · Jun 17, 2008

I work nights quite a bit, and I am guilty of trying to make more hours in the day by working nights, which wouldn't work if I worked straight nights, but if I only do it occasionally it's not that bad. I could never 'embrace the night' like some have said, I am naturally up at 7am or no later than 8am usually, so for me nights is against the grain. I try to get my sleep in at least one solid 5-6 hr stretch, with a nap if I can. If I do more than one, I sleep longer.

I would love to know how nights can be the choice shift? I am bored on nights, not enough activity, not enough challenge, not enough interaction with pts and staff.

WindyhillBSN · Jun 17, 2008

You indeed do have to embrace it. I also stay up to about 3 or 4 am everyday. If I have trouble falling asleep I take two valerian root. They have a bad smell but they relax you and don't leave you with a groggy feeling like benadryl. I also have alum. foil on my windows to block sunlight as my window faces east.