Question for long-term night shift workers

[johnwassink]

I've been a nurse for 5 years, switched to nights 3 years ago (12hr nights). Day shift had me considering a career change...lol. I'm more of a night bird and my natural sleep cycle would probably be 1am to 9am give or take a few hours on any given day. Getting a good night sleep before day shift was very rare and going to nights made the most sense to me. I do sleep well and have a pretty good routine. For the most part I've enjoyed it. But it seems more often than not I am tired and want to sleep much longer than I would need to if I was on days. The only other negative effect I've noticed is that I seem to get sick more often once or twice more per year. It has been harder for me to be productive and motivated in my free time. All of this coupled with the possibility long term negative health effects has me considering days.

So my question is, for those that prefer night shift and have worked it for more than a couple years, have you noticed any harmful effects of it on you or your co-workers?

[Surg-OncRN]

Hi, I work night shift as well. From the little bit you said without looking at other lifestyle factors I would say you are maybe not sleeping as deeply(REM sleep)during the day as you were while sleeping at night. Therefore, since the quality of sleep is not as good you feel tired and your body may get sleep deprived and you stay in the bed longer than normal on your days off. Sleep deprivation can stress your body's ability to recover and as a result lower your immune system.

Here is a short list of some things that have worked for me:

Take 2-3mg of a high quality melatonin one hour before bedtime.

Get a high quality eye mask and black out curtains. Wear ear plugs if noise is a problem.

Do not drink anything three hours before bedtime or caffeine.

Don't do any kind of physical exertion before bed.

Go to bed as soon as you get home from work, do not stay up.

Close your door and do not sleep with pets in the bed.

Keep your room cool during the day.

When you get up in the afternoon go for a 30 min walk and that will help you wake up.

That should get you started. Right now it may seem you are are sleeping well but you may not be reaching that deep REM sleep.

Hope this helps!

[johnwassink]

That does make sense about the melatonin/REM and I will try that as I have all the other things you listed put in practice already.

[Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN]

100% nights since 1996, here. I do not keep a night schedule on off-days.

My emotional health while working is def better...night shift personalities mesh with mine much better. My physical health ( weight, BP, sleep patterns, etc. are all negatively impacted. It's recenty stopped being worth the tradeoff, so when the right day gig comes, I'm taking the plunge.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I've worked nights for over 20 years. It's hellish on your system. I see a sleep specialist for some help but he says that as long as I try to switch back and forth between days and nights, I will be messed up. But I also know I can't do a job where I have to be alert at 7am.

Plan: Finish school and get a job with banker's hours. Until then, body not happy.

[johnwassink]

I took a couple miligrams of a biphasic melatonin today. I didn't notice the sleep itsef being much different but I certainly feel more rested. I've avoided melatonin in the past because would wake up groggy, as I do with most sleep aids, but I took a small dose and it seemed to help.

[Surg-OncRN]

Great, 2 to 3 mg seems to work for me. If I take more than that I wake up a little hung over.

[amoLucia]

Read (heard?) somewhere that one should be wearing good darkening sunglasses when walking out of your bldg in the morning. You have to be wearing them when you walk out - not just putting them on just a little later.

Has something to do with daylight causing immediate signals from the eyes to the brain and that it interferes with sleep readiness. Am serious! Hey! It can't hurt!