Transitioning to Night Shift - Would love some tips!

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

After several months of day shift in med-surg, I'm a/b to start working nights on a psych unit. I'm in a part-time Psych NP program, & I feel this will help me build a stronger foundation in Psych. However, as with anyone, I feel that adequate, regular sleep is crucial to be alert on the job, mentally healthy, & content.

For someone who works nights or has made a similar transition, what can I do to ensure a smooth transition & routinely & peacefully sleep during the day? Any tips are appreciated! Thanks!

[Littleguccipiggy]

I'm one of those naturally nocturnal people, so my body is used to switching to nights pretty easily now - I blame my lazy thyroid. When I first switched to nights from days, I gradually stayed up later and later at night until I could stay up the whole night before my scheduled shift. Then I took some melatonin, make sure my room was super dark, and slept during the day. There's been numerous posts on the topic and I remember reading how you should wear sunglasses before you leave the building since sunlight delays melatonin production. Congrats on becoming a psych np! My friend is in a psych np program now and she really likes it.

[mirandaaa]

I enjoy working nights; the only reason I don't is because of the opposite schedules my boyfriend and I have (he works 12-9p usually and I was working 7-7a so we rarely saw each other).

Are you planning on switching your sleep schedule back and forth from nights to days depending on when you're off? If so, I suggest staying awake when you come home from your shift if you do not work that evening. You'll be tired, but once you get moving and doing "daytime stuff" you'll find some more energy and then by the time you're ready for bed in the evening, you'll pass right out and wake up in the morning without a problem. (At least that's how it worked for me!)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

The are plenty of threads about transitioning to night shift. Some of them are a few years old, but most of the tips are still relevent. (Except, perhaps, the ones about "unplugging your phone" while you sleep, since almost no one has a land line anymore.) Do a search -- I recommend the "Nightshift for Newbies" thread I started a couple of years ago. (Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to post a link on my iPad.)