Night shift and health issues

tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2017

What is your schedule like for nights? I work as a tech not a nurse, but I work night shift 7pm-7am. Prior to accepting this job I had never worked overnight. I bartended through my first Bachelors, but the latest I would be up would be until about 3am. I was very nervous about starting nights and when I was first getting adjusted to things I could not sleep during the day to save my life. I had tried everything -- sleep aids, eye mask, blackout curtains, white noise, etc. Finally, the best thing that I found was to go to the gym when I left work or at the bare minimum do yoga and have a shower before I got in bed. Now, I sleep great during the day and feel energized when I get up. I also work a schedule where I work 2 days, off 1, work 4, off 7. This gives me a little break in between to sleep -- literally my mid day off I come home and sleep until my husband and kids get home around 6pm and then I just veg, but it gives me a little reboost before my last 4 days of my rotation. Then I sleep most of the day away my first of 7 off, then I revert back to normal day life with a nap during the day, and the day before I start my rotation I will stay up until 3-4am, sleep until about 10am, get up and eat and work out, then go back to sleep from about noon until 4pm and then back into my nights routine. I hope you find something that helps you! Maybe if you could group your days together with a small break inbetween it could help? I don't think I could work 7 straight or do just the solid 3 a week.

listener · Jun 12, 2017

My suggestions include the following:

Try to schedule all you week's shifts in a row (3?) and then do nothing but eat, sleep and work for those 3 shifts. Have pre-cooked (frozen?) meals all ready at home, don't have a dog or a BF (or a child!) to take care of when you get home. Drive home with sunglasses on! Pull the blinds in your kitchen and eat dinner, not breakfast, before you go to sleep. Act like it's nighttime, b/c for your body it IS nighttime! I have a glass of wine - a small one. I watch a video while I eat and turn my phone off. When you get up in the afternoon, eat breakfast!

All of that is easier said than done, but it's what I do and works fairly well. I don't have a life beyond work for those 3 days/nights.

Hey, are your night differentials worth the misery? Please post on my thread your numbers!

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/2017-hourly-differentials-1106678.html

shelw067 · Jun 12, 2017

I did forget to mention in my previous post that I have tried everything. Black out curtains, eye masks, and white noise. I do not like taking medication but I have even tried Benadryl, Advil PM, as well as Melatonin. I still am only able to get maybe 4 hours of sleep; 5 on a good day.

The constant headaches, dizziness, lack of appetite and lack of sleep are really starting to take a toll on my body physically and mentally.

I also didn't mention that I am still under contract. I signed a 3 year contract, with one year left. How do you all think this may affect me possibly leaving? I do not want to burn any bridges, but I have to do what's best for my health.

Thank you all for taking the time out to reply.

DesertSky, BSN · Jun 13, 2017

Hi everyone,
Long time lurker on this site. Finally decided to make an account because I need some advice..
I've been a nurse for 2 years, been on night shift a little over a year. Within the last few months I have began having major health issues such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, tachycardia, dizziness, you name it. I barely sleep anymore--I get on average 3 or 4 hours a day, and I barely have an appetite. It is concerning to me because prior to this I have never had any health issues. I have been to the doctor several times and accrued many many doctors bills. I've had lab work done at every visit and everything came back normal. My doctor recommended that I get off night shift and try to get my body back to normal functioning because of course, nights aren't for everyone. At first I blew it off thinking I would improve over time, but it has been about 6 months. Some days I feel ok, but most of the time I feel like complete crap.
At this point, I'm actually considering going to day shift. The only thing I didn't like about days is getting up so early, but it beats not having a life on top of feeling like death on a daily basis.
There is no opportunity for day shift in my current position so I would have to find a new job all together. I have been hesitant because I love the job I have now--I get along with all of my colleagues, and of course the other pros to night shift (more laid back, higher pay). I know that if I go to another hospital/day shift the pay won't be as great, and I might not get along with colleagues as well as I do now. However, I feel like I need to make the change to improve my health. I dread coming to work now. I just want a normal life again.
Is there anyone that had health issues due to night shift? If so, what did you do? To those who haven't what would you recommend?

I could have written this post word for word about a year ago. I was in an ICU I loved and had great coworkers, but night shift was causing severe health issues for me after 2 years. It was a tough decision, but I left my job and found an ICU dayshift position. I cannot describe how much better I felt within a few weeks! It was amazing and life changing!

I still miss my old colleagues and organization, but you can't put a price on your health. Good luck :)

shelw067 · Jun 13, 2017

I work from 7p-730a. For the most part my nights are scheduled in a row.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jun 13, 2017

There are people that never fully adjust to a night shift schedule and it sounds like you may be one of them. If you've tried all the tricks night workers use and are still having problems you may need to find something on days, or even afternoons would probably help. Being committed to a contract certainly doesn't help though. Try everything possible with your current employer to change shifts before jumping ship as breaking contract might prove to be costly. Get your doctor involved if needed. I work with a couple of nurses that managed to obtain doctor excuses that specify no night work, if you need to go that route your employer should have to honor it or at least let you out of your contract without penalty if they can't.

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Jun 25, 2017

I've worked nights 6 years as a tech. I did not know at the time about night shift and the connection with health diseases. The circadian system gets imbalance. Stress>>inflammation>>acidosis>>toxicity. This is the main reason I STOPPED doing night shifts no matter how much money I make. Night shift is the silent killer. We only get one body :)