Night shift nurses: tips on sleeping AT NIGHT

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I've been a nurse for 8 months, 5 months of NOC. I love my floor and have adjusted well to the night shift hours. I've always been somewhat of an insomniac so sleeping in the day has been easier for me. I don't love not being able to get a lot of sun and sometimes I don't think it does wonders for my mental well being, but that's a whole different issue.

My main problem has been that I have had a lot of trouble falling asleep before 7am on my nights off. I think my circadian rhythm has completely flipped. I"ve tried Lunesta, not sleeping much the days that I'm off (get up at 2pm), but I still can't seem to fall asleep before the sun rises. That makes it difficult to get up early and do things on my off days. I'm willing to try non-pharm measures such as meditation, yoga, etc. I'd love to hear from other people.

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Specializes in Case Management, ICU, Telemetry.

It depends on what time you are staying up until the night before... if you're tired enough you WILL sleep.

What I mean is if you work from 7p-7a then come home and sleep until 4, yes you might have a problem going to sleep again... but if you come home and take a cat nap or don't sleep at all, you WILL fall asleep lol.

That being said, I released control over my sleep recently. It was a hugely frustrating thing when I first transitioned to night shift. Now, I sleep when I'm tired, I stay awake when I'm not. If I wake up at 2am and can't sleep anymore I don't stress about it (like I used to) I just go out into the living room and do homework or something.

If I have a hard time sleeping during the day before work... Oh well. I probably won't have that problem on the next day because I'll be so exhausted.

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Specializes in ICU.

I lasted 12 years doing 8hr NOC shifts 2300 - 0730, just over 1 yr doing all 12's. Doing 8s, I'd sleep from 8:30 till about 1300 or 1400, go outside, get some sun and fresh air, then take another nap from 1800 - 2200. Having just a 15 minute commute helped immensely. WHen I did 12's, I also had a 1 hour commute time each way, and that did NOT work out at all. :p

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

I flip back to "normal" sleeping patterns when Im off, this is what works for me. I don't live on the NOC schedule lol.. I go to bed with the rest of my family when Im off and wake about 10am the next morning, if I have to work that night well Im just up til the following morning. I tried staying up on my nights off and that was a disaster :)

Try different things, you will find what works for you, oh and black out curtains are fantastic !!

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my apartment always simulates the night, by that i mean no light comes thru i can rest at anytime .

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I do a modified sleep schedule. On my nights off (I work 7p-7a) I stay up until about 1-3am, hen sleep until 11a-2p depending). That way I can still do 'day' thing (dentist appt and the like) but it's not suck a kick in the a@@ as flipping to a 'normal' day schedule.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

My schedule is so messed up I cant offer any real advice. I do what my body likes and what I have adjusted to over the years. On the weeks I have off, I go to bed at 0800 after I come home from work like usual, wake up whenever, then go to bed again at 2300 with my fiance. And like that I am back on regular terms

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

I worked nights for years. I am by nature a night owl, so it suited me well. I worked 12 hour shifts....on the nights that I did not work I still went to bed at 1 or 2 am. Doing that meant I could wake up in the late morning, so I could do 'day' activities.....but when I needed to switch back to being up all night it was not hard on the body.

I think the biggest thing to remember is working 7p-7a means you are not a nine to five worker,,,,you are a night person. Your sleep patterns should be different. If you have a friend or family member wanting you up at 9am for 'breakfast' on your days off, say sure as long as they are willing to have 'lunch' with you at 3am.

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Specializes in CICU.

I've just quit trying to regulate anything. I sleep when I can, or when I am tired and get up when I am not. I do, however, set my alarm anytime I have to be somewhere at a specific time - just because I fall asleep one morning at 0500 does not mean I will be awake before 1700 if left to my own devices.

It helps not having little ones in the house.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I don't have any good advice, I was just interested to read everyone's responses because I have been doing nights for about 3 years now and have no problems sleeping during the day, but my nights off are awful. I have been taking Benadryl to sleep and I hate relying on that! :(

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.

I work 11-7 M-F, so YMMV. On Saturday mornings (after my last shift of the week), I try to go to bed as soon as I get home around 8 am. I'll wake up around 2-5p, stay up until ~12MN, take a Melatonin and a Benadryl, and get to sleep. Unfortunately, I woke up at 4 am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, but I think I'll live on a sleep deficit for now. Anyway, usually I'm up all day Sunday, from 6:30 am to ~12MN. Up at 6:30 am on Monday, running errands most of the day, and I take a 1.5-3 hour nap before I go in at 11 pm.

Tuesday-Friday, I sleep from 8 am-4 pm. This somehow works for me.

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My unit does self-scheduling and that works out well for me. I try to schedule 3-4 nights in a row. On the first day (night) I work, I get up as early as possible, about 0500. I get everything done I can, work out, take a shower and go to bed by about 1100. I wake up at 1500-1600, as I have an hour drive.

Then, I stay on a strictly "night" schedule for the 3-4 days I'm working. On the morning after my last night, I do exactly what I normally do- come home, have breakfast, shower and go to bed by 1100. I wake up at 1400 and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with my family. I may stay up later than my husband, but not by much. After having done 3-4 12s in a row, averaging about 12,000 steps a night, caring for 6 med/surg patients, I'm ready for some rest. I'll spend my nights off on a 'day shift' schedule.

It works for me. I know it's not ideal, but someone has to do it.

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