Night Shift and Nausea?

[Poopsie Gigglebuns]

I've been doing clinicals on the 7p-7a shift and I've found that I get really nauseated around 3 or 4 am. Is this normal for nights? Any suggestions?

I've thought that maybe I'm drinking too much caffeine? I've tried eating a snack around 3, but nothing helps.

[hikernurse]

Definitely. It got better for me as I acclimated to the night shift (I work 3 in a row so I can swing back to sleeping nights when I'm off), but I still get a case of the "icks" at that time of the night, too.

I try not to drink caffeine at work at night because I think it affects my day sleep--and between the kids and the sun and people mowing their lawn, I need all the help I can get.

But for my first many shifts, I found myself curled up in a rocker trying not to vomit. Not exactly the picture of a professional nurse, eh ?

A protein/carb snack helps. I usually have some string cheese and crackers or a piece of fruit and one of those small lunchables. Stay hydrated :). A bowl of hot oatmeal can get you through, too. Even pudding if that's all you've got .

[MedSurgeNewbie]

You can try small frequent feeds too.. On the NOC shift I seem to do better if I hit the fruit, cheese light small meals.. Lots of H20 helps too -Good luck in your clinicals too!! Welcome to the crazy ride that is nursing, its never dull..

[Poopsie Gigglebuns]

Thanks for all the wonderful replies...I thought I was crazy!

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

4 am gutt rot as sure as death and taxes. Kill the coffee around 2 am and eat and continue small stomach friendly snacks, PB or cheese w/crackers, oatmeal, yogurt, I find switching to diet coke at that point of the shift helps and of course a nice egg and cheese sandwich when I get home right before sleep.... yum

[bethin]

If I remember my psychology right, 3 or 4 am is when our bodies are naturally at their slowest. It all has to do with circadian rhythms. At around this time is when your body's temperature is at its lowest. I work nights and experienced nausea the first few weeks in the early am.

Here's an interesting article to read: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/922567322.html

[Bugaloo]

I sometimes feel nauseated about this time of the night too! I cut back on the coffee, try to drink more water and eat pretzels. Seems to help.

[katie258]

Hasn't it got to do with the release of glucagon into the blood stream too? I find an apple helps a lot, I also turn my days upside down, have breakfast at dinnertime and dinner when I get home I also try to stay up when I get home for as long as I can, go to bed after East Enders. I don't know if that says more about my TV habbits though. Nothing like trashy english shows to make you tired.

[SillyStudent, ASN, RN]

Ugh...3-4 am on NOCS!

You will never believe this, but....a friend and I that worked nights together used to do jumping jacks....like 10 of them..at 3am. For some reason, I NEVER got nauseous on the nights she worked with me. :)

It's either a coincidence or it worked, darnit! Do research and get back to me!!

[squeakykitty]

blueridgehomern said:

.......once I was charting and another employee was gossiping about a pt being trailer trash..

I actually charted (half asleep) bs active x 4, pt passing trash

this post is hilarious!:yeah::roll:yelclap::clphnds::hhmth::lghmky:

it sounds like the type of charting I'd do.

[Simplepleasures]

Nausea almost every morning at about 4AM , low blood sugar, had snack, felt much better.

I have two different supervisor stories.

One was on the phone with a call out, she was so sleepy that she actually fell asleep while talking on the phone, as I was sitting next to her a saw her head bobbing, I gently took the phone and finished the conversation.Then woke her up, she forgot she was on the phone , I had to remind her!

The other supervisor came out of her office and was visibly frustrated and was going around the nurses station flapping her arms and trying to wake herself up, she explained that she was trying to tape report and kept falling asleep and was saying crazy things on the tape, she did this several times in a row and played back one of the crazy statements to me, I cant repeat what it said.What a hoot!

The staff nurses were too busy to get sleepy.

[inthesky]

the nausea >_<. i actually get nauseas between so is my hungry time trying to in the food im too otherwise eat.. lost pounds couldnt afford lose at one point.>_<.. my eating binges are saving me.>

[SDS_RN, RN]

I get really nauseated around 5-6 close to when my shift is almost over. I have always been that way working nocs. I usually don't eat a lot through the noc and drink a lot of caffine so that's my problem. I had grahm crackers & PB the other noc but that did not help. The other girls I used to work w/ on a surg floor had the same prob w/ nausea close to the early am hours.