Night shift RN's :Do you eat in the morning after your shift?

[DesertSky]

I eat pretty healthy and have a consistent workout routine, however I feel it's an uphill battle staying fit while working nights. I work 3 12 hour night shifts per week from 7pm-7am. My question to all the night shift RN's out there is do you eat after getting off your shift before bed?

I normally eat "breakfast" before my shift at 6pm, have a snack around 11 pm, a second snack around 3-4 am, and then I eat "dinner" before going to bed at 8 am. I have found if I do not eat something before going to sleep after my shift, I do not sleep well and wake up hungry around 12 p.m. I usually eat something light like egg whites and a piece of fruit.

Since starting nights about 18 months ago, I have gained about 7-8 pounds. I am trying to drop that weight and I'm wondering if eating before bed is stalling my efforts. I am currently 5'8 and 130 pounds, but was about 122-123 before starting nights. I have to work nights for at least another 6 months or so until a dayshift position open up, so I would appreciate any advice and insight my fellow night shift nurses can offer about ways to drop weight working nights!

Thanks in advance :)

[boogalina, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN]

I'm still (after > 5 years on nights) figuring this one out. I would get an activity tracker (I've been using a Fitbit Flex) that gives you info on the duration and quality of sleep, and pair that with a food tracking app (I use LoseIt but some like My Fitness Pal) to find out the whole story on activity vs. intake plus a breakdown of fats/protein/carbs. Then the whole picture will emerge, and individual adjustments can be made.

Doing this revealed to me that I was taking in 500-1500 kCal a day more than I burned...so, duh, no wonder I wasn't losing weight!!

I have been conscious of portion control, home cooking (no fast food at work or outside of) and better choices for several months, but wasn't seeing results beyond a stop to the weight increases.

So my main point is, get some more precise data and it will help you figure out where you need to go from here.

[dennis b]

i have been a nighter for 20 yrs. i eat and the go to bed afterwards. otherwise i wake op with GERD and have to eat because i am starving. as for wieght gain, hell yes because of inactivity after work. 7p-730a, get up at 0500, work come home shower eat bed at about 10

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

For a tasty snack or breakfast (if you like oatmeal):

Mix skim or one percent milk with quaker minute oats, honey, and dried coconut flakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

I make this the night before in a covered container and leave in the fridge. Ready to eat in 15 seconds.

[ProgressiveThinking, MSN, CRNA]

I've been working nights for the past few years, and I feel like I have a decent routine now, but it takes a lot of discipline and willpower. In addition to lifting weights on days that I don't work, I always try to get some cardio in before my shift starts. I usually just go outside and run a mile or two which takes less than 20 minutes. I know it SOUNDS exhausting, but I actually have more energy throughout my shift if I run beforehand. I also notice that I make healthier food choices on days that I do cardio

I STAY on the night shift on my days off which I think makes things easier for me and has helped me adapt. I ALWAYS make sure to eat a decent breakfast (oatmeal/cereal, bananas, and a decent source of protein) around 3-4pm, followed by a protein bar or something small before I go into work. If I'm hungry i'll have a snack around 9pm which also helps me relax and refocus after the start of shift business. I usually try to eat a well-balanced lunch around midnight. This is when I try to consume clean carbs (brown rice, wheat bread, wheat pasta, or quinoa) so that I have energy and don't crash. Some people oppose wheat consumption and yadayadayada, but it's low on the glycemic index and I've been doing it for years. It works for me.

I ALWAYS eat a low carb meal around 0300 or 0330 or so. This usually consists of some kinda of salad (kale, spinach, etc.) and a source of protein (chicken, yogurt, veggie patties). I eat a lot so that I'm not hungry and don't wake up at 1200 starving. If I eat right after a shift I usually wake up feeling heavy and uncomfortable. My coworkers like to eat out after some shifts, and it's hard not to join them though.

[DesertSky, BSN]

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions and sharing your eating routines while working nights. I love my nightshift coworkers and my unit, but nightshift just isn't a good fit for many nurses. No matter what I do my sleep and eating schedules just never really adjust despite my best efforts.

Keeping my fingers crossed that a dayshift position opens up soon! In the meantime, I will definitely put the wonderful suggestions offered by you all to good use.:)

[lidleanjel]

I work 12 hour shifts. I eat when I get up at 5p. lunch is about 11p and dinner is about 3a. I usually drink at least 96oz of water during work. I may eat a small snack on way to home (I drive an hour), but nothing big before bed.

[poppyd]

I eat my main meal before igo to work. a sandwich plus a fruit smoothie drink at work in my break and then a piece of fruit or toast at home before bed then sleep for 7 or 8 hours. and repeat 4 days a week it works for me.

[qnmimi]

I plan a bedtime snack in my daily calorie intake. If I don't, I find myself awake at some point finding only inappropriate foods. Working nights does change your metabolic needs slightly...eating against your programmed body clock does take a toll ie weight gain. I've found that trying to get a walk in on my break has helped too, working 12hr shifts leaves no other time for structured exercise.

[Alex_RN, BSN]

I work nights, three times a week. I am careful to avoid simple carbs at work and pack my lunch and snacks, mostly lean protein and fruit. My colleagues provide lots of cookies and chips and if I indulge, I am ravenously hungry by sunrise. That makes it nearly impossible to avoid the siren-song of the drive-thru on my way home. On weekdays, I have an hour long commute home which can leave my hungry and dangerously tired after 30 minutes.

I have found that eating an apple on the way home wakes me up without impairing sleep, like caffeine would, and takes the edge off my hunger. The apple plus a few boiled eggs or a protein bar tides me over so I can get home and go to bed. Seriously, my driving-home apple is mandatory for my safety!

[TheMaaddScientist]

I have worked nights forever and what I find what works best for me is eating 2 large meals before work and then one meal when I get off work which is usually a few egg whites and low fat string cheese. I find that if I keep eating throughout the night thats when I tend to put on the weight, I rely on coffee and diet coke to get me through the night. I usually keep Quest Bars on hand if I happen to get hungry throughout the night. Do whatever works best for you, but you are at a pretty low healthy weight for your height (i'm 5'10 and don't weight close to what you do lol) so I would not be too worried.

[rnay312]

I eat dinner (my breakfast) before I go in, have a snack at 2200, eat lunch at 0100, have a snack at 0500, and eat breakfast (my dinner) when I get home.

I love to eat. I eat healthy food, but probably way too much of it. It's the best part of my shift!

[babilidose]

Working nights for me, i act like its the day. I wake up, have coffee, eat breakfast, maybe eggs and toast or oatmeal. Eat a snack around 2300, and then around 0300 eat a proper meal, my biggest meal. My commute has drastically increased so now I'll snack on apples or carrots or a yogurt on my way home. I stop drinking any caffeine by 0200. I don't eat anything heavy before I sleep because even when I'm at home on my days off, I eat my biggest meal late afternoon. Good luck!