Night shift blues

calivianya, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2015

I think, if anything, you'd have a worse time finding a parking spot if you worked day shift. When you are coming home from a night shift, many day people have already left to go to work and have opened up parking spots for you. If you were coming home at 7p at night instead, the 9-5 people will have been home for a couple of hours already and their parking spots will be taken. It is always harder to find residential parking at nighttime than it is to find parking in the morning, IMO. That has just been my experience because more people work days than nights.

I usually take about three hours to fall asleep, too - I don't even try to go to sleep before 10 AM. Or, 10 PM if I work days. The three hours is pretty much non-negotiable regardless of what time of day I get home, it's just how my body works. I need time to relax before I attempt sleeping.

As far as the not having any time goes... that is pretty universal with 12 hour shifts. I think you may need to re-evaluate what your perceived problem is - it might be working 12s in general, not just working nights. Are there 8 or 10 hour positions available on your unit?

Dramruch · Jul 5, 2015

No just 12 hour shifts. And I was orienting on days and I found that to be a little better for me. I was able to do things when I got home, and have time with my family and significant other. I was already adjusted to waking up early and not feeling drained. The parking situation in my area is worse in the morning because of street cleaning and the fact that I live around a university.

scrublifenurse10, LPN · Jul 5, 2015

Once you get home of the mornings could you spend that 2-3 hours working on things until you get tired enough to go to bed? For instance, maybe start prepping your meal that you will be making that evening...or even get a crock pot meal started and it can cook while you sleep. Also, get all of your stuff for your next shift laid out and ready for when you wake up. This way it will keep you busy until you're ready to go to sleep, and make your time getting ready for work less chaotic and stressful.

GuEsT78 · Jul 5, 2015

As you note, those commute and parking issues make sleep hard. You might consider moving to within walking distance of work. That'd end those stresses. You might even keep your regular place but add what the French call a pied-a-terre just for those days when you need to go the work the next night. You mention family, but I doubt your family enjoys your being grumpy and irritable from being unable to sleep any more than you do.

Metro NYC rent is high, but you might find a fellow worker who works during the daytime and is happy to pick up a little money renting out a dark room in her apartment. All you need is enough space to sleep.

Something similar worked for me when I worked nights. I lived near work. Even the stress of pediatric Hem-Onc, didn't deter my sleep. I'd walk those ten minutes, relaxing and unwinding all the way, to my marvelously dark and quiet basement apartment. Within 2-3 minutes I was sound asleep. That was all the more amazing, since I don't ordinarily fall asleep quickly.

That habit of always going home and straight to bed helped me fall asleep. Look online and you find a host of other tricks for falling asleep quick. Avoiding bright sunlight going home is one. That'd hard to driving home, but for a short walk, you can wear dark glasses and a hat. Don't let your body get the message, "It's day time. Wake up!" Delaying sleep can be deadly when you work nights. Establishing a routine is important.

I can understand why you like night shift. I enjoyed the greater freedom and less bureaucratic hassle of nights. I felt more in control. The only thing wrong with night shift is that it is at night. Getting your sleep under control will help with that.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jul 5, 2015

If you have trouble falling asleep. here are some evidence-based tips. (I teach a course on shiftwork adaptation)

1) MOST IMPORTANT: Wear sunglasses on your commute home in the morning. Put them on before you walk out of the building. Sunlight hitting the retina supresses melatonin levels and drives wakefulness. You might also try a low dose melatonin on days you have to sleep. Leave them on until your fanny hits the bed.

2) Pitch black sleep environment - this includes no electronics in the bedroom.

3) Stop all caffeine ingestion no later than 3am

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2015

Hardcore night-shifter here.....

I've been working night shift for years and it typically takes three hours for me to fall asleep, too. I get off at 7:00am and am usually not asleep until 10:30. I only need about six hours of sleep to function optimally on nights, anyway.

Instead of allowing those hours to go to waste, I occasionally take care of needed business. I'll go to a doctors appointment, grocery shopping, or post office in the morning hours after my shift has ended.

loriangel14, RN · Jul 5, 2015

If I can't sleep I have my shower, get my clothes ready and make my food. Then when I wake up all I have to do is get dressed, eat and go.

macfar28 · Jul 6, 2015

No just 12 hour shifts. And I was orienting on days and I found that to be a little better for me. I was able to do things when I got home, and have time with my family and significant other. I was already adjusted to waking up early and not feeling drained. The parking situation in my area is worse in the morning because of street cleaning and the fact that I live around a university.

It seems to me you just answered your own question. You list several reasons above why days is better for you so I would say give it a try.

ayysolapsu09 · Jul 7, 2015

In one of my previous jobs I was a corrections officer. I worked mainly 3-11, but I'd also do a lot of 11-7 double shifts. That meant that I'd get home by around 7:30 or so and have to be at work at 3 again that day if I was on the schedule (you couldn't call off after taking an OT shift and still get the OT). The thing that worked for me was getting a hot shower and drinking a cold beer in the shower. It sounds a little weird, but a beer in the shower is one of the most therapeutic things you can do for yourself. It's like a mini vacation. Of course, you can't make it a regular thing, no way could I have a beer every time. But every so often, that would help more than anything else. Give it a try one day.

cardiacfreak, ADN · Jul 7, 2015

In one of my previous jobs I was a corrections officer. I worked mainly 3-11, but I'd also do a lot of 11-7 double shifts. That meant that I'd get home by around 7:30 or so and have to be at work at 3 again that day if I was on the schedule (you couldn't call off after taking an OT shift and still get the OT). The thing that worked for me was getting a hot shower and drinking a cold beer in the shower. It sounds a little weird, but a beer in the shower is one of the most therapeutic things you can do for yourself. It's like a mini vacation. Of course, you can't make it a regular thing, no way could I have a beer every time. But every so often, that would help more than anything else. Give it a try one day.

Sometimes I take a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine. Ahhhh relaxing!:)

Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2015

If you have trouble falling asleep. here are some evidence-based tips. (I teach a course on shiftwork adaptation)
1) MOST IMPORTANT: Wear sunglasses on your commute home in the morning. Put them on before you walk out of the building. Sunlight hitting the retina supresses melatonin levels and drives wakefulness. You might also try a low dose melatonin on days you have to sleep. Leave them on until your fanny hits the bed.
2) Pitch black sleep environment - this includes no electronics in the bedroom.
3) Stop all caffeine ingestion no later than 3am

I can not agree more!