5 Tips in How To Adapt to Night Shift

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    Joe V
    Editorial Team / Admin

    Joe V

    7 Articles; 2,555 Posts

Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

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Working night shift can be hazardous to your life. Here's 5 tips on how to adapt...

  1. Paint your bedroom walls black (to sleep during the day)
  2. Do not adopt a new pet (you don't want it waking you up while you sleep)
  3. Stay away from the coffee (you'll end up in the bathroom every hour if you do)
  4. Stay away from the Zombie in room 101
  5. Ignore Vlad when he tells you to drink some of his Hawaiian Punch.

In the spirit of Halloween, add your night-shift tip below...

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Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

Stay away from fast moving Mummies :)

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

True story: I've worked nights for 30+ years. My daughter recently married a man with a 13 year old son, Branden. Before the wedding, I told Branden that since he already HAS two grandmothers, he could decide what he would like to call me.

He thought about it for a couple days and then told me, "Since you work all night and sleep all day, I'm going to call you Zombie Grandma!"

Just sign me......... Zombie Grandma

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
meanmaryjean said:
True story: I've worked nights for 30+ years. My daughter recently married a man with a 13 year old son, Branden. Before the wedding, I told Branden that since he already HAS two grandmothers, he could decide what he would like to call me.

He thought about it for a couple days and then told me, "Since you work all night and sleep all day, I'm going to call you Zombie Grandma!"

Just sign me......... Zombie Grandma

Too funny:D

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Stay moving as much as possible during the night. Sleep when you can during the day. I sometimes sleep at my mother's house to avoid the noise in mine.

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Learn to properly function off 2/3 hours of sleep because you have kids :(

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Try really hard not to wreck your car on the way home.

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I work night shift as a CNA and attend nursing school during the day it's tough but I have to do it. When I first started night shift I ate a lot of junk food, drank sodas and coffee just to keep me up but it only made me more tired and cranky. Now I drink lots of water during my shift and make my own fruit bowls and trail mix. It keeps me up and energized. I'm thinking that I want to work the night shift as a nurse too but we'll see. A year and a half of nursing school left!!!

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Insulated black out curtains. Best invention ever.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I actually bought two tension-type (springy) curtain rods and use them vertically to keep my curtains tucked in. My room is so dark that if I roll over and the clock says 2:30- I have to really think about if it's 2:30 AM or 2:30 PM.

I also have two black twin sized flat sheets that I put - scrunched up - on top of the curtains to keep light from coming in on top, and I lay my decorative pillows from the bed against the bottom of the curtains to block that light source.

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Specializes in ER.

I'm dating a day shift nurse and I'm a night shift nurse. Sometimes honey pie gets days off when I'm between 12 hour nights, and is honey pie hyper, full of zest for life, and wanting to enjoy everything the world has to offer. Very tempting, but I've learned not making time to sleep is a horrid mistake! Make time in your schedule to sleep. SLEEEEEEP! I have the luxury of not having kids right now. Couldn't imagine how those of you with kids survive! Hard enough having to walk my dog like a zombie in the morning when I get home!

I wish we could get on the same shift - but honey is surgery and I'm nightshift ER. Honey pie only works night if on call. :-p Then it's honey pie's turn to fend for sleep!

Those little eye-covers for sleeping - given me hours of precious, bonus sleep!

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I don't know how people with kids and significant others do it. For me, single, just keep a consistent schedule of sleeping in the day time and it is easy. lol?

I don't think I will ever go to day shift unless some drastic changes occur in my life.

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