Sleep deprivation, why does it make ME so sick?

[WVStarFish]

In short, I'm a new nurse and just had to stay up all night to work.

Anytime in my life, staying up all night or not getting more than a few hours sleep, I am so sick and it takes the whole next day to recoup.

I am sweating, my heart pounds out of my chest, nauseous, shaking, dizzy....why am I SO affected by losing sleep.

There are other people I know who stay up all night and dont feel "good" but none of them are so affected.

I'm generally a healthy person, no problems. But going without sleep makes me SOOOO sick. I hate the pounding tachycardia most of all.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Maybe you should see a doctor. You could have hypoglycemia, anxiety attacks, or some other treatable thing.

[Cfitz]

I had the same problems when I was trying to work nights. I found that I just could not do it and it didn't get better. It was a horrible realization for me because I had to give up the job that I had gone to nursing school for. Talk about a blow. People have since told me that I could have eventually gotten used to it, that it would have taken more time, but that didn't help me when I was having to go to work for 13 hours (doing the hardest job I've ever had) on no sleep, or 2 hours' sleep in 36 hours. It wasn't safe and it was taking too huge a toll on my body (I was having palpitations and tachycardia also).

I know not everyone has the luxury of walking away (I was still in orientation so it didn't come with a penalty). And maybe, somehow, it would have gotten better, but another few weeks or months of that and I would have been in the hospital.

I hope you work it out and are able to find a way.