1900-0730 Shift--How do you fit in time for a social life?

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Hello all! I just started working the night shift-- and let me preface this by saying how much I love it-- less family, no admin, less Docs-- mainly just the patients and "the team".

But, to all good things some rain must fall, I suppose.

And I'm not talking about the dreaded 0400 phone calls to the Doc, either. (though that fear is subsiding).

I'm exhausted after three 12 hr shifts, plus one 8 stuck in per pay pd. It's as if I have to spend a whole day staying awake at the end of the three, in order to be able to fall asleep at a "normal" time for my days off! Then, if I'm not scheduled for my shifts in a row, I have a really hard time with the old circadian rhythms.

This seems to leave little time for a social life. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!:zzzzz:zzzzz:zzzzz

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I don't. :icon_roll But, I also have two small children. :) And a husband. House, bills... I make small attempts every now and then.... shoot, I was supposed to go to this big party that a coworker was having at her house, the other day. Got rained out though.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Let me also say that, at least where I work... there are STILL way more family members hanging around at night, than I would like to deal with. It's one of the things that is making me want to go back to psych again.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

a social what?? :D

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

Honestly though,..I work 7p-7a ER,.very busy shift,...much of my social time is spent with coworkers. We sometimes get together in the am after work or plan activities when several of us can have a night off. I am married and have children and I usually stay on a "night shift" schedule on my days off. I might vary a bit,.say go to sleep at 3am and up by 10a but I'm never a morning person unless I have more than a week off.

I've been working nights for over 10 years now and have kind of figured out what works best for me. When you work nights sleep is always a big issue in your life!

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I haven't worked nights yet, but had a friend who was working nights (although not as a nurse). What he mostly did was keep to the same sleep schedule, even on days off. So to catch up we often met for a late lunch (or breakfast for him), late afternoon coffee - a group of my friends have a semi-regular coffee meet at 5pm or a night out to see some live music. We actually saw more of each other while he was working nights than we do now he has a different job and works days.

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It is not any different truly if you are working the same number of shifts but with 12 hour days. You come home very tired and usually more so, and most do not go out on the nights that they have worked and have to work the next day.

Trying to flip your body back and forth is also not a very good idea, that wreakes havoc with your system and ages you, and that has been proven over and over again.

Try taking a nap in the morning when you get home from work until perhaps 1300 or so, then stay up the rest of the day and try not to go to sleep until about 0300. You will find that it will make it much easier on you. Trying to go to bed at 2200 or so for the night is not going to benefit you, but keep you more tired. Try sticking to the same schedule and then you will find that you have much more time available to do things in. And have a social life as well, still easy to go out on your nights off and not have to go to bed at 2100 or 2200.

I am actually just working nights again for the first time in years and find that this works perfectly for me. Have much more energy and not nearly as sleepy or feeling sleep deprived when I tried to juggle back and forth with my internal time clock.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Yeah, I'm a believer in having to schedule nights together...a standing date every 2-3 weeks for people to get together goes over well....However, I usually end up sleeping a LONG time on my first day off, and go from there. I'll take the first day and do housework and errands, then take the next few days to do things with friends/family.

Seriously, until you get a big stretch of off time, social life is tough to do. You just do what you can, when you can. Plus, coworkers are usually who most of us hang out with anyways...so go figure. can't get enough of em at work, I suppose.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I work alot of night shifts. If I'm working a couple nght shifts in a row, I can guarantee you nothing's going to get done in the daytime when I'm home, I'll be sleeping all day. The rest of the week I tend to try to flip back to a "normal" sleep routine and schedule. If you only work 3 nights a week, you still have 4 evenings or nights where you could go out, socialize, etc.

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I haven't went out in years so I was curious to see what other people had to say.

I worked weekend option for 4 years, doing Sat and Sun 7a-7p. No social life there.

Now I work 7p-7a three times a week and I still have no social life. I barely have the energy to take out the trash.

I think having a standing date with your friends every 2 weeks or so is a good idea. Naps are good, but I find I get more accomplished if I just stay up all day (on the nights when I don't have to work). Then just take a nap when I do have to work. It works well for me.

Still doesn't mean I have a social life.

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Specializes in Rehab, Neuro, Travel Nurse, Home Care.

I keep the same sleep schedule when I'm off-duty. Everybody knows not to call me until mid-afternoon or evening. All my activities start before 9am or after 3pm. I'm very strict when it comes to my sleep.

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I sometimes go to a movie when I just come out of work a matinee. It unwinds me and then I go to sleep. When my boyfriend free he takes me to breakfast or squeeze in some hugs (long very close hugs hehe) before I go to sleep, Thats what I do the days that I am working nights. I try to keep my work schedule as consistent as possible and use my other days off to socialize as best I can.

What is most hard is to connecting with friends that will be off when your off and that is sometimes a problem but I try. Its definitely not the same type social life I had prior to nursing but its a little squeezed in here and there.

Its tricky but I can never work days I really do not like the day shift so I have made myself adapt.

Take care Good Luck wish you the best

Angela

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