Night shift nurses...How many hours of sleep do you get?

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  1. Night shift nurses...houw many hours of sleep do you get?

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235 members have participated

How many hours of sleep do you typically get each day??

MandyInMS

652 Posts

Usually sleep from 9am til 2 pm..about 5 hours..but seem to wake up several times during that time...chopped up sleep sux! lol

webbiedebbie

630 Posts

Specializes in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code.

I work 7p-7a and have to drive one hour to work and one hour back. That means, I have to get up by 4 pm to get ready to leave for work by 5. I have to leave by 5 because I never know if there is going to be a lot of traffic or an accident on my way to work. Day shift always comes out of report 15-30 minutes late which means by the time I get home around 9 am, it takes me a little time to fall asleep. Then, I have to get up by 4 pm again. I normally don't sleep the day I go to work, because I have slept all night. Soooo, sometimes I am up for 24 hours before going to bed the next morning!

canoehead, BSN, RN

6,856 Posts

Specializes in ER.

Wow, I couldn't get by on so little sleep. Luckily I don't have kids etc, and can just work and sleep when doing 12h/day. I even eat all my meals at the hospital. You guys are amazing.

Jamesdotter

464 Posts

Specializes in Women's health & post-partum.

When I worked nights (about 15 years of nights, all told) I was getting about 5 hours of sleep. I later developed breast cancer (in remission now) and type 2 diabetes--both implicated in being related to poor sleep. When I went on days, my BP came down, though! The head nurse from H-ll wanted me to go back on nights, but I refused and had enough seniority to make it stick.

night owl

1,134 Posts

I'm like you Mandy. I sleep from about 10 to 3 and wake up a few times in between. I never feel as though I rested well and am always sluggish.

Tweety, BSN, RN

33,501 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Seven seems to be what I get. Usually I'm in bed by 9am and set my alarm hoping to sleep 8 hours until 5pm, but usually get up between 3:30 and 4:30.

rollingstone

244 Posts

10:00am to 5:00pm.

Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

My first night on, I usually wake up around 845 am, work out and get some housework done. I nap from 2-5 or so (sometimes, I lay down a little earlier or later depending on what's going on).

After I have worked a night shift, I usually try to stay up until 9:00 am and sleep to5:00 pm or so. Sometimes I can't make it until 9 and will go to sleep earlier...I try to sleep unitl at least 4-4:30 but I usually make it until 5. Typically I get 7-9 hours of sleep. I don't have any kids and my husband has already left for work in the am so it's all about me, I suppose.

After my last night of work...I get to bed around 8:00 am and set my alarm for 3:00pm...I usually drag myself out of bed at 4:00 though...I switch back to nights and go to bed around 10 or 11 that night with my husband.

It seems to work. I usually take 1/2 of a tylenol pm to help with the transitions if I need it--It seems to help me stay asleep.

allnurses Guide

NurseCard, ADN

2 Articles; 2,847 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

before my first night o f work, I generally wake up around 9am, lay back down from 1 to 3pm, leave for work around 4:45 because my husband and I share a vehicle, drop him off at work, drop my daughter off at her g'parents house and hang out there for a while, then get to work around 6:45.

the next morning I get home around 8:30, get in bed about 9, and typically sleep until 3:30.

ON my stretches of days off, if my daughter and husband would allow it... I'd sleep 12, 13 hours in a row. :rolleyes:

GirlArcher

26 Posts

How many hours of sleep do you typically get each day??
I get off shift at 6am (or between 6am and 7am, depending) and eat breakfast then go directly to bed and sleep until around 4pm. So....at least 8 hours. I make sure I get my sleep or I'm no good at work or at home.

leslie :-D

11,191 Posts

i have just recently started noc nsg and do not have the routine down yet.

on weekends, it's 7p-7a but don't sleep because i'm the only parent home.

during the week, when i do 11p-7a, i just stay awake as to not disturb my 'reg' sleeping pattern.

so when i worked tues noc, i stayed up all day yesterday but got 14 hrs sleep last noc.

now i am scheduled for fri noc, then back to work on sat at 7p.

i know i have to get sleep in somewhere but just haven't figured out the when's yet.

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