night shift depression

Published

Took night shift 7p to 7a a year and a half ago just to get into ER. I don't have any trouble (usually) staying awake and alert while at work. My problem is all I want to do is sleep when I am off work. I have been known to sleep for twenty straight hours after getting off shift. I almost always feel groggy and depressed. Except on vacation of course. Is this normal. Do other people feel like this when working nights or is there something wrong with me. I have a great home life and supportive spouse so no complaints there. Thanks for helping me out with this.:uhoh3:

Specializes in Acute Med, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

i'm the complete opposite apparently. i love night shifts. i sleep way better during the day and am much less tired on nights. now put me on a day shift, and i have trouble waking up in the morning, it takes me until at least 10am to feel "awake" and i need at least 3 coffees to get me there (on nights i only have one on my way in). and if i work the next day i have to be in bed by 9. but then again, i've always been a nightowl. i suppose some people are just built differently.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds.

:selfbonk: :scrying: Night shift is not for the faint of heart, unfortunately if you do it long enough it is hell on your heart not to mention the rest of your body and any family or social life you may have. Many of us in order to see our loved ones on our days off or to get any thing accomplished stay up well over 24 hours. For many of us turning off the phone is not an option due to potential family emergencies Call block is an option but the telemarketers are getting smart in their ways around it and yes we can ignore it and I usually do but it is still disturbing. Not to mention the phone calls from family and friends that you answer because your psyic powers haven't been developed yet. My favorite is the 12 noon call (I work 7p-8a) when I have to go back to work that night, Did you work last night night, Oh I sorry, this won't take long and an hour later they're still talking , cant yell at them or be rude because it's usually Mom or something important that you need to know about and doing so just destroys any good karma you had for the night.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm with nurseSarah - I HATE working days. Don't mind evenings at all, but then I never get to see DH - so nights works fine.

I think there are a number of us out there that are like this - must be some weird gene!;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
:selfbonk: :scrying: Night shift is not for the faint of heart, unfortunately if you do it long enough it is hell on your heart not to mention the rest of your body and any family or social life you may have. Many of us in order to see our loved ones on our days off or to get any thing accomplished stay up well over 24 hours. For many of us turning off the phone is not an option due to potential family emergencies Call block is an option but the telemarketers are getting smart in their ways around it and yes we can ignore it and I usually do but it is still disturbing. Not to mention the phone calls from family and friends that you answer because your psyic powers haven't been developed yet. My favorite is the 12 noon call (I work 7p-8a) when I have to go back to work that night, Did you work last night night, Oh I sorry, this won't take long and an hour later they're still talking , cant yell at them or be rude because it's usually Mom or something important that you need to know about and doing so just destroys any good karma you had for the night.

Pierce - I had a son who woke me in the middle of my nite - his wife wanted to know if she could use my vehicle. They knew full well that I was sleeping!:angryfire

The next nite, while I was at work - I called THEM at 4am to say 'hello' - DIL complained that I woke the baby and she wouldn't go back to sleep. :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Pierce - I had a son who woke me in the middle of my nite - his wife wanted to know if she could use my vehicle. They knew full well that I was sleeping!:angryfire

The next nite, while I was at work - I called THEM at 4am to say 'hello' - DIL complained that I woke the baby and she wouldn't go back to sleep. :lol2:

You just gave me my laugh for the night! Thats great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never knew anyone that actually did that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

I did when i worked night shift. I missed seeing the sun especially in winter time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was very lucky when I worked nights for 7 years. No kids, a quiet neighborhood, could turn off my phone, etc.

I was stunned to find out what most of my night shift co-workers actually thought of as sleep (Phone calls, getting up at 1:00 to pick up the kids , and then another 2 hours before going in).

That's not rest.

If you have to work nights, you must make the limits in order to get the sleep you need.

And basically, if you have young children and a husband who also works, FORGET night shift! It just ain't gonna happen.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Level III cardiac/telemetry.

There is also a medication available for shift-work disorders. I took Provigil because of constant drowsiness from other medications, but one of the approved uses of it is for shift-work. When I told my dr I was applying to work night shift while in nursing school, I said I may want to consider going back on the Provigil. Just a thought. There's also a drug out called Rozarem that is supposed to help adjust melatonin when it's gotten out of whack from shift work and other things. So if the problem is really bad, there are options.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I used to have the same problem!

Know what fixed it? MELATONIN. Over the counter, innocuous melatonin in the 3mg tablets. The way my doc explained it is this: your pineal gland produces melatonin at night, seratonin during the day. If you are trying to switch days and nights, not only will you not sleep well during the day but will actually battle depression because it messes up your serotonin as well. I started taking melatonin five years ago, and take it every day. It is an absolute GODSEND! Try it! You take it 20 minutes before sleep, you fall asleep very naturally (not the artificial coma of sleep aids) and wake up refreshed because you had a normal sleep cycle.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

I have working nothing but 12 hr nights and when i first started i would have to make myself get up...otherwise yes i would sleep all day...and i am 23 now but i was 20 at the time;....i would get into a routine for example....get off usually around 0730, take a shower, go to bed sleep until 1300-1400, get up then if i had to work again that night i would nap again about 1600, and if i was off that night i would stay up so i could sleep that night like normal people

Took night shift 7p to 7a a year and a half ago just to get into ER. I don't have any trouble (usually) staying awake and alert while at work. My problem is all I want to do is sleep when I am off work. I have been known to sleep for twenty straight hours after getting off shift. I almost always feel groggy and depressed. Except on vacation of course. Is this normal. Do other people feel like this when working nights or is there something wrong with me. I have a great home life and supportive spouse so no complaints there. Thanks for helping me out with this.:uhoh3:
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow....I'm kinda worried now. I have an interview tomorrow to work nights at a postpartum unit. I didn't realize there were meds out there to help with the whole sleeping problem. Thanks for the advice. :icon_roll

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.

I don't mind nights at all but I've always been that person that can stay up late. I never get sleepy on the night shift like some of my coworkers. I like being able to wake up on my own. If I have to work a day shift I tend to stay up too late, then get up early to a buzzing alarm and I still can't function well. Every once and a while I'll do an AM shift and I swear my brain doesn't unfog until noon!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion