Night shift is killing me

[AnRNsLife]

I've been working night shift for three weeks. I've done all the things suggested to get a good sleep. However, I am a single mom and I'm earning my MSN online during the day and I'm not adjusting well at all. I'm depressed, cranky, apathetic, my digestion is screwed up, headaches, vivid dreams when I sleep, waking up in a panic and not knowing where I am. My grades have dropped and my daughter has noticed a change in my personality. I know it's only been three weeks, but I can't continue this. It's not working for me. Any advice would be appreciated. I've been a nurse for almost six years, so this isn't my first gig.

[adpiRN]

Me too....

I did nights for 4 months in 2009-2010. Hated it then. Started a few weeks ago for a new PRN job and still hate it, even PRN. And have a 2 year old now.

I also feel like my personality is awful for the 24 hours after I work.

I told my manager nights isn't working for me.

They're going to see if days is possible.

In the meantime I got a part time job teaching a clinical and interviewed for another PRN job that would be days.

Sorry, no real advice except look for another job!

Maybe OR, clinic, office, school nursing, or anything advertised as days.

In my experience it's easier to get a job when you have a job.

Good luck!

[heron, ASN, RN]

The same thing would probably happen if you worked all day, then stayed up most of the night to attend school and care for your child(ren) - except the kids would be asleep, mostly.

The only cure for sleep deprivation is sleep. If you can't get daytime help with the kids and/or arrange school to get at least six hours or so of uninterrupted sleep, you may have to put school on hold until kids are old enough to be somewhat independent. It might not work even then. Nights isn't for everybody.

A regular sleep schedule that you can maintain even on days off is the single most important factor in surviving night shift. Use white noise (like a fan), blackout shades or eye mask to block light and turn off the

phone to promote sleep. Careful of sleep aids except for the very mild ones like melatonin.

Watch your diet and blood pressure.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I am the opposite: I totally thrive on night shifts and do poorly when working daylight hours. Some of us are nocturnal, whereas the vast majority of society is diurnal. My advice is to find a day shift job ASAP. Good luck to you.

[Nola009]

Trust your instincts. There are other jobs out there...

[westieluv]

I am a recent empty nester who has worked nights at various times throughout my nursing career. I could never do it successfully when our kids were little, I just didn't get any sleep because I felt guilty sleeping when I wanted to play with them. This is the first time in my life that I can actually do nights without it having a terrible effect on me, and I think it's because our kids are grown and out of the house so the house is quiet during the day for the first time in many years, I don't feel guilty for sleeping because there is no one who needs me during the day, and really just because I think that I need less sleep at the age I'm at now than I did when I was a young mom.

I can now get by on about four hours of sleep between shifts and then I sleep a normal schedule (sleep at night, up during the day) on my days off. Does that mean that I want to stay on night shift? Oh, HECK no! I'm a morning person, I just took this job because it seemed like a nice place to work and nights was the only thing they had available. OP, if nights are killing you then I agree with the PP, find something during the day. Everyone will benefit from it, especially you.

[weirdscience]

Three weeks isn't quite long enough to acclimate to nights, especially if it's your first time doing so. Give it a good 6 weeks. It took me a month to get used to being back on nights after a short (several month) stint working days.