NOC Sleep Schedule?

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How do you handle your sleep schedule when you are off work?

My days off are kind of random, like I only get two days off a week and I work five. But one week they will be together then the next they may be separated. My question is how do you handle your sleep on days off?

This week I was off Wednesday and Thursday, and go back to work tonight at 10pm. But I will stay up till about 8am and sleep till 3pm to 4pm. Is there a better way to handle this? Basically I am just trying to stay constant right now by sleeping the same time every day. It is just that about 5am on days off I get really tired, but then when I work I will be ok since I am really busy at 5am.

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If you can, that's probably the best way. I used to try to be up during the day on my days off to go to social gatherings, and I felt like my sleep would get messed up for work.

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Specializes in Pediactric.

when i worked the noc shift, i NEVER got used to the schedule... i am a morning person, but i'd be so tired after work that i'd have to sleep as soon as i got home.my advice would either be stay up after work for a few hours and go to sleep for the rest of the day, or sleep right when you get home and force yourself to get used to the lack of sleep.

its definitely a sacrifice working this shift.

get out of it as soon as there is an opening

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I work an overnight shift two nights a week. Generally, I nap for a few hours before going in, then after I get home from my shift, I go straight to sleep and don't wake up until at least noon.

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Specializes in OB.

I work night shift twice a week, sometimes back to back. If I'm back the next night, I usually go to sleep as soon as I go home and sleep until 4 sometimes 5. If I'm not back that night, I can sleep until noon since I can always nap later if I have too. When I start a work week, I get up at 7 anyway to take my son to bus stop and stay up until 12 or 1 and then nap before work. If I'm off, I'm usually up until 1 to 2 am anyway. Sometimes later if I'm studying.

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