Night shifts...

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So I'm in my last semester of nursing school and am doing my precepting portion (108 hours). I worked my first two night shifts every in my life! I loved it but I feel like my sleep schedule and eating schedule are totally off. I had today off and just wanted to sleep all day! I have a supportive husband so thats great but will this get easier? I feel off since I don't really know when to eat or what I'm eating (tummy upset and tums at 0300 needed....). How do others handle their schedule, especially if you do a couple of nights then have a couple days off and then work some more nights? Do you try to get into a "normal" schedule on your off days? I don't really want to keep up a full time night schedule since I do love my husband and would like to see him :) Any advice would be SO helpful!

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Specializes in psych/dementia.

I worked night shift before starting nursing school and still work 2 nights a months. On the day before going in for night 1, I try to get a nap in before it's time to leave. I come home from and sleep. How long I sleep depends on whether I am going back in for nights, in which case I sleep until I have to get up for work, or need to get back onto a day schedule. If the latter, I get up around 2 pm when I go to the bathroom and stay up until it's bedtime for the next day.

As for eating, I basically just change my schedule by 12 hours or so, depending on when I can eat at work of course. I'm also a night person so it is apparently easier for me to switch back and forth according to some study. It's not pleasant at times, but doable for short periods of time.

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I switch if I have two or more days off. I switch by sleeping when I come hone for just four hours or so, getting up around lunch time and going to bed at night. I eat when I'm hungry and sleep when I'm tired. It's a great opportunity to get to know your body's signals and trust it.

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

I work one night shift a week (Saturday night). I usually do a 2-3 hour nap before work (7pm) and usually eat right before I leave. I take my lunch at 11:30pm or so (just in case I don't bring a lunch, at least there's still quite a bit of outdoor places still open) and eat an average meal. I usually don't eat anything after that. Sometimes I'll buy something simple at the cafeteria before I get off at 7am, but only sometimes and it's small. I hit the sack before 9am. I usually wake up at 2pm the following day, eat something light. Then, I usually eat a light dinner at around 7 then hit the sack usually around or 10 or 11pm and resume a normal "day schedule" the upcoming week. Rinse and repeat that coming Saturday.

I'm one of those people that can sleep any time of the day and for hours so I love night shift.

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