Noc nurses, how do you organize your life?

bagladyrn, RN · Jul 3, 2015

Since I live alone I never completely "turn around " on my days off. I go to bed about 4 am when off and get up around 11 am or noon so I can do things that are only open during the day. I'm one of those strange people doing my grocery shopping at 1 am.

I schedule appointments for either right after work in the mornings or late in the afternoon.

Edited to add - as for meals I just eat whatever meal I want at any time I feel like it. All night diners are great for "people watching" in the middle of the night!

seasidesoul · Jul 3, 2015

I would love to hear more about this, too.

noelly10 · Jul 3, 2015

Since I live alone I never completely "turn around " on my days off. I go to bed about 4 am when off and get up around 11 am or noon so I can do things that are only open during the day. I'm one of those strange people doing my grocery shopping at 1 am.
I schedule appointments for either right after work in the mornings or late in the afternoon.
Edited to add - as for meals I just eat whatever meal I want at any time I feel like it. All night diners are great for "people watching" in the middle of the night!

I actually was thinking about going to bed around 3-4am and waking up at 11pm on my days off as well. Thank you

PghRN15 · Jul 3, 2015

I work 3 twelve hour shifts. I do my best to keep them 3 in a row. I get home by 8am, shower and go straight to bed. I sleep until 4pm. I am useless to anything except my job on those 3 days. On the 4th day I sleep and recharge. Then I have 3 days to do what I want. I generally stay on my husbands normal schedule those 3 days. Unfortunately, I am always tired. I think that nights would be easier with 8 hour shifts.

noelly10 · Jul 3, 2015

I work 3 twelve hour shifts. I do my best to keep them 3 in a row. I get home by 8am, shower and go straight to bed. I sleep until 4pm. I am useless to anything except my job on those 3 days. On the 4th day I sleep and recharge. Then I have 3 days to do what I want. I generally stay on my husbands normal schedule those 3 days. Unfortunately, I am always tired. I think that nights would be easier with 8 hour shifts.

That is pretty much how my schedule is going to be. Three 12 hour days, mostly all in a row. I know that my sister is on night shifts and she, too, is always tired. This is one of my concerns.

jojo489 · Jul 3, 2015

My schedule is a little odd now, I work 12a-8a 5 days and 8p-8a two days in a two week period. Work days are all in a row with at least 2 days off in between, which is nice.

I come home and try to go right to sleep. My boyfriend gets home at about 4pm and wakes me up, I get a cup of coffee in me and I'll cook dinner. Then I have until 10 to do whatever I need to do.

On my first night off, I usually stay up a little later when I get home and "nap" from 11 or 12 until about 4p when he gets me up, and then that night I'll go back to sleep at around 2 or 3am and crash. But then I sleep like a normal person for the rest of my days off. I try to do all my running when I'm off instead of trying to fit it in during the week.

I love nights. I get much more restful sleep during the day than I do at night. And for some reason, since starting nights I don't need as much sleep as I used to to function. And I can stay awake and alert for a very long time.

I don't know, maybe I'm a mutant haha.

noelly10 · Jul 3, 2015

My schedule is a little odd now, I work 12a-8a 5 days and 8p-8a two days in a two week period. Work days are all in a row with at least 2 days off in between, which is nice.
I come home and try to go right to sleep. My boyfriend gets home at about 4pm and wakes me up, I get a cup of coffee in me and I'll cook dinner. Then I have until 10 to do whatever I need to do.
On my first night off, I usually stay up a little later when I get home and "nap" from 11 or 12 until about 4p when he gets me up, and then that night I'll go back to sleep at around 2 or 3am and crash. But then I sleep like a normal person for the rest of my days off. I try to do all my running when I'm off instead of trying to fit it in during the week.
I love nights. I get much more restful sleep during the day than I do at night. And for some reason, since starting nights I don't need as much sleep as I used to to function. And I can stay awake and alert for a very long time.
I don't know, maybe I'm a mutant haha.

Wow! That schedule would confuse me lol. I would have had a hard time figuring that out. But you seem like you have it organized very well

jojo489 · Jul 3, 2015

Well thank you, noelly. It makes it a little easier that the twelves are my weekends to work and the schedule is set.

JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN · Jul 3, 2015

I found it difficult after a time. I did night for three years, first two were great and by the third it was wearing on me. Would work three to six in a row from 6pm to 630 am. Sleep all day, be up in the evenings with my husband, and try to go to bed by midnight. Fail, stay up alone watching TV or browsing the Internet, be surprised to see the sun coming up and crash out. And repeat. Just lost the ability to switch back and forth easily.

If I lived in a place or had a lifestyle that was more conducive to doing things at night, it may have worked out better. But my town closes up by 9pm, and most of my friends had day jobs.

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mimibrown, ADN, BSN · Jul 4, 2015

I work full time nights. On my days off, I usually stay up until 3am and I get up in the afternoon. I have time to run errands during the evening and I do whatever I want with the rest of the day. I cook on my days off, and I keep a somewhat similar routine as far as eating on my days off. At first , it's weird to eat lunch at 9pm, but you get used to it. I've done nights for almost a year, and I've found a good groove that works for me.

Some pointers I would suggest, leave your phone on silent or else you'll be woken up when you are sleeping, invest in black out curtains, and be really protective of your sleep. I have had one thousand conversations about why I couldn't be somewhere at 2 pm, when I've worked all night and I need to sleep. Some people don't understand that the daytime is when I get my "night's rest", and that I'm not napping. Lol! I would also strongly suggest not switching to sleeping at night on your days off. My co-workers that do that fall asleep at work constantly.

And I would also suggest actually planning and cooking your meals. Only fast food places are open at 2am. It is super easy to gain weight if you are not careful.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 4, 2015

I actually was thinking about going to bed around 3-4am and waking up at 11pm on my days off as well. Thank you

I wish I had time to get 19 hours of sleep a day!