night shift

I'mANurse! · Sep 1, 2009

I work nights, 3 on, 1 night off, 3 on, 7 off. The night before my first night on, I will go to bed at my normal time, get a good nights sleep, and try to sleep in as long as I can. Which for me is only until about 9am. Then I lounge around for a few hours, and lay back down for a nap from 1-4 pm. When I have my one night off in between, I will stay up until about 3-4 am, then get a good 12 hours of sleep and wake up ready for work the next day at 4 pm. That's what I have found works best for me! Then on my last day, I am able to come home and sleep for 4-5 hours, then go back to bed that night and I'm back on a day schedule for my week off!!

mich321 · Sep 1, 2009

If I have one night off between night shifts, I try to stay up until about 3am on my night off. Then I sleep until 12 or 1 pm, and I'm good to go for the 7p-7a shift. It's been working well for me!

southernbelle08 · Sep 1, 2009

I do my best not to have only 1 night off between stretches. If I do, I usually stick to my night shift schedule. If I have more than 1 off, I do my best to get back to a "normal" schedule so I can enjoy my days off.

MB37 · Sep 3, 2009

Agree - with only one day off between shifts, which I try to avoid, I keep pretty close to a night shift schedule. I may only sleep 3-4 hours in the daytime, and stay up until 04 or 05 instead of 09, but I wouldn't recommend trying to switch too much - it'll be more trouble than it's worth. The more days off I have consecutively, the more of a switch I make. However, getting up "early" for me means 1000, and I haven't gone to bed before midnight since I worked days. I prefer the night schedule, but not everyone is great at the adjustment.

Natingale, EdD, RN · Sep 3, 2009

if i have a stretch of days off, on the last night of work i go to bed wake up around noon (like 4 or 5 hours of sleep) take it easy, relax, and go to bed at a decent time at night. so when i wake up the following morning (like 7a) im back to a semi normal day schedule at least for a few days

bookworm1 · Oct 19, 2009

Hey night-shifters! What do you ladies and gentlemen do on your 'nights' off? Many household chores are out because the sound will wake up the family. I was thinking about a 24 hour gym but those are so incredibly expensive. Any other ideas?? I do not want to switch around between day and night schedule because I just don't seem to have enough days off inbetween to readjust my sleep schedule to make it worth while and I absolutely do not want to risk my patients' lives by going in without enough sleep!

Sillynicunurse · Oct 24, 2009

I have worked nights for 13 years now and rarely switch myself completely back to a day schedule. I really do try to have more than 1 night off between shifts. As for what I do while I am up all night and my family is sleeping....well I shut the bedroom doors and clean, go to the grocery store (gotta love 24 hour stores), laundry...ect. I basically do everything at night that "normal" people do during the day. I even call my fellow night shifters and gab on the phone or meet for a midnight snack. Most importantly remember your body will not adjust to being up all night over night. It sometimes takes 6 months to get yourself readjusted to being up all night and sleeping during the day. Some people are able to flip back and forth better than others. I was able to flip better when I was younger now I am getting old and prefer to just live the night life.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 25, 2009

When I used to work nights (not as a nurse) and I only had one day off between shifts, I pretty much kept the same schedule--I might not have gone to bed at 10am, but I would have stayed up to 5 or 6am. It was no problem because in NYC, there's always something open--I'm no stranger to being in the laundromat or grocery store at 0300 :)

NeoNurseTX, RN · Oct 26, 2009

Try not to split up your shifts. Working 3 in a row is much easier (sleeping wise) than off/on/repeat. When I only had a day off between shifts, I'd sleep like I was working.

niteowlrn29 · Oct 26, 2009

I usually try to keep my 3 or 4 nights in a row too. I usually have no problem sleeping so I will go straight to bed when I get home like 0800 or 0830 and then wake up maybe around 4 or 5 stay up till about midnite or so and then wake up in the morning so I can be awake on days on my days off. I can usually do this if i have two or more nites off in a row. Now if i only have one nite off in between (which i try really hard not to do) that whole nite is shot. but i enjoy when i can schedule myself off for like 7 days and don't miss work.

pinkiepie_RN · Oct 26, 2009

i work nights and I do 2 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, rinse, recycle, etc. I don't think I could do 3 shifts in a row, honestly and be safe. I am trying to get on a normal sleep schedule so I wake at 4 on workdays and no later than 1 on non-work days. My first day off is always a little disorienting but I've been on nights for 3 months now and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I think you need to have a routine and make sure you stick with it.