Tips for working Noc shift

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I will be starting at an academic hospital in January, and will be working 3 12 hr Noc shifts in a row each week. I am wondering what tips you have to stay awake (not a coffee drinker), and how you made this work with your significant other, especially for long commutes?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
8 hours ago, Alexxoxox said:

I am wondering what tips you have to stay awake 

Allowing @Sour Lemon to punch me in the face if I drifted off worked for me.

Seriously, Alexxoxox, the easiest thing I did in working 17 years of MNs was to stay on a MN schedule. Since my wife worked MNs also, the situation worked well.

If you put something like "working midnights" into search, you'll get lots of threads with lots of advice.

Congratulations on your new position, Alexxoxox! 

 

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Specializes in ICU/Burn ICU/MSICU/NeuroICU.

Get a running start before ever beginning your 3 in a row. I used to stay up extra late/early night before first shift. Stay up till 3:30 am then sleep until I awoke around 12:30 or 1pm before going in later at 7p. That helped.

Nights were easy for me.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I've been on nights going on four years. I have a family so staying on the night shift schedule on my days off isn't possible. I would say that most importantly, don't psych yourself out before you even start. I notice more and more people coming to night shift already deciding that they're waiting for a dayshift position as soon as one opens up. (That's probably why I'm currently the most senior on nights in my unit.) 

As for actual advice: blackout curtains and/or an eye mask if you can sleep with one. Luckily you're not starting in lawn mowing season, but you'll want a sound machine to block out daytime noises. I've found a deep brown noise on Youtube that I put on my phone, it's a great blocker. I bought a weighted blanket and I sleep great with that. If it's a day that I have 5-6 hours to sleep I'll take a couple melatonin gummies before I go to sleep. On the way home, wear sunglasses. If you're exposed to direct sunlight, you can reset your circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall asleep. I also don't drink coffee. Maybe once every couple months if I'm dragging, I have some preworkout with caffeine and I'll take a half scoop.

As far as the commute, that's tough. I'm not sure how long you're talking but if you're doing 12s that's already 12.5 at minimum. If you can manage to get out exactly on time and you have an hour commute home and back the next day you're already down to 9.5 hours at most. Hopefully you're someone who can fall asleep quickly and not need much unwind time. I'm fortunate that I can get by for a week or so on 4-5 hours/day. Day three will be the hardest. Will your three always be in a row? We have two weekday shifts and one weekend, so there's usually a couple days between. (for example Mon-Tues-Sat then Sun-Thurs-Fri)

Good luck! I think nights is a great shift. We work as a great team, I sometimes have more time to look things up and really figure out the whole plan of care. We're also a bit more autonomous on nights because there's less staff around. Overall, I think it's a great shift, especially for those starting out. 

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dark curtains, adequate sleep, coffee, but not towards morning, have fun at work, and maybe some occasional push ups during your shift. 

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

Echoing davenport, stay on a night shift schedule if you can. For me it was the flip flopping back and forth each week that made me tired. Been on night shift 15 years now.

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

I'm a new nurse but I'm a night person.  I try to stay on a night shift schedule but this week it is not working for me.  I had competencies at work today - Thursday from 9-1 - (after finishing my 3 on Wed am) and I am going apartment hunting out of town with my daughter on Saturday.  

My normal night shift plan is to leave my house @ 5 for my 7pm shift.  I also have an hour-ish commute if there isn't any traffic on the interstate or in town. So I get to work and clock in by 6:38.  I leave work by 7:15 am most days.  I get home by 8:30, shower, eat my meal and get into bed around 9:30.  I'm normally asleep by 10 and up at 4:30 to repeat.  On my last shift if I have to be up for the next day, I come home and sleep until 1 or 2.  Then I stay awake until about midnight and then sleep until 7 or 8.  I feel like it actually gives me a chance to catch up on some of the sleep I may have missed, and I'm back on "day shift" hours.  When I have to flip back to nights, I stay awake until 3 or 4 am and then sleep as long as I can before going into work.  I don't drink coffee either.  I do drink sugar free monster, but I only drink one that I pop open on my way to work and finish it around 2 am.  I don't get the energy boost since I drink it over like 6 hours.  I drink a lot of water and I don't find myself getting sleepy.

It really is easiest for me to not switch, but my husband doesn't work a normal job either.  We often see each other asleep and that is it.  We also don't talk much because I'm in the ER and he is in the water somewhere which isn't conducive to good cell service.  Its rough, but we like each other - so we are making it work.

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