Night time fun

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Alzheimer's.

I work the night shift as a LTC charge nurse. I discovered I love working the night shift, as long as I keep the night shift schedule on my days off. If I try to stay awake during the day, on my days off, I become impossible to live with.:angryfire LOL.

If you work the night shift do you sleep during the day on your days off and stay awake at night, like I do or do you go back to night time sleeping and stay awake during the day?

How do you spend the night while family is sleeping? I have craft hobbies I like to work on. Lately I have developed a love for Mosaics and have almost completed a mosiac table. I also love to watch missed TV programs on my computer, cook, bake, knit, crochet, or make jewelry out of polymer clay.

If my husband has to get up really early,like 3am to go to work, I usually make breakfast for him and we have a chance then to eat together. Otherwise, my nights off are quite, and occasionally alittle lonely. But I love night shift and don't want to go back to days.

How about you?

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I also work the night shift and I stay up on my nights off.

I usually spend the time studying something.

This summer it was gardening. I spent many hours trying to find out exactly what cultivars of various plants would grow under my black walnut tree. Didn't know until this summer that everything was dying under there because black walnuts use chemical warfare!

I'm currently teaching myself physics and early American history.

If I get tired of studying, then I either play online multi-player role-playing games (Conquer, Realm, Anarchy Online) or I knit.

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a nerd! ;)

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Alzheimer's.

Our neighbor had a Black Walnut Tree, it was awful in the fall, when the nuts fell on our side of the fence. It would rain and the outside of the nuts would become black tar. Awful stuff. Yuck!

That's cool that you are still learning. Never too old to learn something new. Yet, 35 is not old...Are you planning to go back to school? I think working the night shift, does make studying easier, if you stay up on your nights off. Since everyone is sleeping.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I haven't worked nights in 2 years. I am going back in early December. I am starting out in the ICU. Only way to get in was to work nights. I always liked watching misses TV shows, studying, reading a book, doing some laundry. I was always a little lonely though. But I am glad I am going back.

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I worked nights for 5 years when I was a nurse. I ran a "regular" shift when I wasn't working. :uhoh3: I usually had 2 nights off in a row (sometimes 3). I woudl come home on my last morning and sleep until about 11:00 or noon (3-4 hours) then get up and live my "day life". I would go to bed when "normal" people do that night and the next. On the morning I went into work I would try to sleep later, but then I would go into work at 7 pm usually after getting up around 10 am. Yep.... pretty much 24 hours with no sleep that day. :trout:

They say it's better if you keep your same shift. Helps with your circadian rhythm and things. ;)

Edited to say: I did all my night nursing before we had children so the family things really wasn't too concerning.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I come home from the last shift I work and sleep until 11 then I am up. I go to bed around 1am or so that night and get up the next morning. When it is time to go back to work I usually get up around 8-9 that am and then go back to sleep around noon until 5. Then I am at work for 7pm and start all over again. Because I work 3 12s it is not so hard to flip back around to a "normal" life as long as I am not on one off one etc. this I can not do.

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I have always done nights, except for the years i was a flight nurse. 24 hr shifts in flights.

I always sleep during the day time. I am never tired at work. THis is the best way to do it in my opinion. It is hard on your social life. Also would be impractical if you had a family and kids.

I usually sleep from about 10 am to 530 pm.

Night time activities when not working are the internet while watching news programs, discovery and the history channel, online gaming, reading, advocacy work. As most day shift workers cant seem to work nights, i cant seem to work days. Not to mention i dont want to see all the management on days who havent touched a patient in years attempt to direct my nursing care.

Nursing the perfect job if we could just get rid of the paperwork!!!!!!!!!!

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I usually 'half it' on my first day off I will sleep til 2 or so and then I will go back to bed around 3 am and then be up around 11 or so the next day, it seems to work well for me, on my nights off I will catch up on all the tv shows I've taped while I was working, I also have netflix, catch on on reading and that kind of thing, but I am up in the afternoons on my nights off so I still have a chance to do the regular day people stuff like banks, and grocery store, etc

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

I work four 10-hr night shifts. On my nights off I revert to the "normal" sleeping at night--I like it too much!!!:)

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I've always been a night owl. If I fall asleep before 11pm it's because I'm sick. When I did nights I'd stay up until 0600 on my nights off. I got so much accomplished. I cleaned, watched TV, did alot of scrapbooking, read, etc. I had no problem finding things to do. Also found that Wal-Mart is not busy at 0300 so I'd go there and do my shopping. Since I stayed up until 0600 everyday, I had no problems nodding off during work as some nurses do.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

Appears you have a perfect arrangement.

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i used to stay up all night when i was a student.

when i work night, i sleep the entire morning... ;)

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