WHY WHY WHY can't people be more understanding of those of us who work midnights?????
This is a small incident but apparently it's the straw that broke the camel's back. My friend "L" and I were on the phone and she wanted me to meet her for something. I was like, "I don't know. I'm really tired. I got up early." She says (kinda smugly), "Early? It's 4 pm. I've been up since 6 am." Now mind you, she hasn't worked in 2 years. I kinda snapped back, "Yeah, early. I went to bed at 10 am after working all night." (Late for me.)
I used to date a guy who insisted (along with his mother) that I was lazy for "sleeping all day." Uh you sleep when I work!!!!! When, exactly, am I supposed to sleep????? Grrrrrr!!!!
I have to leave my phone turned off because my mother (who also hasn't worked in years) insists on calling and texting me during the day for nothing. Then she gets mad because I don't answer. There was an emergency last year but they couldn't get a hold of me because my phone was off. And I said, "That's because you call me all the time and wake me up! When it's ok for me to call you just to say hello at 2 am, I'll pick up the phone at 10 am." And she still calls me during the morning, so my phone stays off.
Just complaining. It's so annoying. Please have some consideration for those of us who work a different shift than you!:uhoh3::uhoh3:
This has been a constant problem since I started working nights! One of my closest friends works from about 1pm-8pm, so she'd always try to get me to go with her places in the mornings. We also tried doing Sunday morning church services... she didn't like her church and wanted to shop around. I'd be out until 1 or 2pm and she would look at me and wonder why I was tired. She would also always call my sleep time "naps". After about 6 months, she now understands that the day after I work a night shift, I'm absolutely useless.
I just had a new neighbor move in below me. When I introduced myself I made sure to tell her that I work nights, and on the nights I don't work, I'm still up all night because I'm on that schedule. I let her know that I would do my best to keep the noise to a minimum and for her to let me know if something was bothering her. No joke, she called my landlord for 4 straight days to complain about the noise at night. Funny thing is, I wasn't even home half the time. I explained to my landlord my situation, and told her I'm not running around or throwing parties at 2am. I'm walking and probably watching tv or a movie. The landlord understood and told me she'd take care of the new lady. I haven't heard a peep since.
My sister is in town, and I went out to dinner with her tonight. I worked last night, and wasn't able to fall asleep until 10am. I got up at 4:30... which isn't a lot of sleep. She asked me why I was tired, and I told her I only slept till 4:30pm. She was shocked! "You slept till 4:30 and you're STILL tired?!". She still didn't get it after I explained my work schedule...
People are very self centered. If you being asleep during the daytime hours conflicts with their schedule, wants or needs, you're the inconsiderate one.
Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.
I also share this problem of people just NOT getting it. I usually fall asleep around 9 or 10 in the a.m. & wake up between 1 & 3 p.m. which is definitely not enough sleep people still think it's crazy that I "sleep all day"...really?!? It's definitely annoying!!
To the night peeps...do you maintain a day schedule on your days off?? I can't seem to make the switch & I end up staying up all night every single night. I guess I don't mind it that much but was just curious how many of you remain vampires on your nights off?
I don't flip or try to stay up, then sleep at night on my days off. Too hard on the body and mind. Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband that understands and guard my sleep. Mostly because as a firefighter, he knows what it's like to be up in the middle of the night.:kiss
To the night peeps...do you maintain a day schedule on your days off?? I can't seem to make the switch & I end up staying up all night every single night. I guess I don't mind it that much but was just curious how many of you remain vampires on your nights off?
I work nights (7:30p-8a) and my husband, also a nurse, works days (7:30a-8p) because we have school aged children who are just not old enough to stay home alone. I have had a hard time getting him to understand that just because I am off, does not mean I am functional if I worked the night before. Out of a 2 week pay period, he works a total of 7 days and is off a total of 7 days...for me, I work a total of 7 days but am off (truly off, i.e. not recovering from work or preparing to go back to work) only 4 days.
Anyway...on my first day "off", I try to sleep only a few hours when I get home so that I can sleep that night and be back on a day schedule the next day. With kids and a husband, it is just too hard to maintain that night schedule even on days off. My sister just doesn't get it period, she calls regularly around 9am and the first question is a surprise filled "Did I wake you up?" I have to keep my phone on and close by because of the kids, unless my husband is home.
I keep a schedule because it is just too hard to keep switching it. I try to explain it to people this way: you know how bad jet lag feels? That's how you are asking me to feel when you wake me up, want me to meet you at 10 am, etc.
My other favorite is when people say, "How nice that you get to be home all day!" (I think the same thing when you get to sleep all night) and "you get to get everything done during the day with all those daytime hours!" (Really? You really don't think I have to sleep??? )
This venting is definitely making me feel better!!!
I have had trouble getting work to understand I work nights. I needed to reach Human Resources, and when I call on my day off they say they will return your call within 24 hours. Well the next day is a sleep day, and I have no idea when they are going to call, and can't stay up all day if I am going to work. I wake up at 5pm, and guess what they have left a message around 2pm, and have already left for the day. I leave a message, and it starts over. I am only off one weekday, and all weekend, but they are closed on the weekend.
At one point I had an appointment for a work related thing. At any rate they told me to be there during the day on a night that I had to work. I explained that I had to sleep. Their response was "It doesn't start until noon". I don't even leave work until 8am, get home at 9am, and don't get to sleep until 10am.
We have a open house Christmas Party coming up night employees, and their families...Guess what its at 1pm on day when I have to be at work at 7pm.
How can you expect others to understand when the very people who you are working for don't get it?
My family has always tried to be considerate, but somehow frequently failed to get it quite right: My dad decided since I was sleeping he'd work outside so the house would be quiet - unfortunately the task he chose was mowing the lawn.... So, since that wasn't it he decided the next time to paint the basement (that's quiet, right?). In that case the fumes from the special watersealing paint came up through the floor and I awoke choking, had to run around and open all the house windows.
My mom tiptoes around opening doors very carefully and whispering, but after years of raising teens sneaky noises trigger my brain to wake up much more quickly than normal daytime levels.
My friends, on the other hand, are highly amused by certain quirks of my sleep deprived brain. When I've had no sleep I have absolutely NO sales resistance. They will drag me out to stores after working all night (only when I'm off that night) just to see what outrageous things I will buy! I mean a 56 yr old short overweight woman REALLY needs those suede jeans when they are 50% off - right?
To the night peeps...do you maintain a day schedule on your days off?? I can't seem to make the switch & I end up staying up all night every single night. I guess I don't mind it that much but was just curious how many of you remain vampires on your nights off?
I have to to a degree... I take a class on Tues/Thurs afternoons from 1-3, and am carpool captain on Wed at the same time. Luckily, my off days are Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Thursdays are pure hell! On my off days (and I use that term lightly considering Sunday isn't really a true off day), I try and get a few hours in the morning, and then I nap in the afternoons. I never feel rested. I LOVE Fridays and Saturdays, because I can sleep all day with no distractions. I put my phone on vibrate, and literally stick it under the bed
Specializes in Oncology; med/surg; geriatric; OB; CM.
Years and years ago--when I was a Nurses' Assistant, my friends used to call me on their lunch hours (between 11:30a-1p). I would answer the phone out of my sleep-induced coma and say I'm sleeping, but it wouldn't work. So---I started calling them on MY lunch hour (around 2:30am). They got the hint then.
I'm back on nights again & warned all my friends and family--unless you are BLEEDING OUT, 3RD DEGREE BURNED OVER 80% OF BODY MASS OR READY FOR MAJOR LIFE-THREATENING HEART SURGERY--please don't call me between 10a-4:30p at the minimum.....I'm sleeping.
So far--so good. Cell phone is on vibrate; home phone ringer turned off in bedroom & the one downstairs is on low. I go to sleep every day saying "please God keep my family and friends safe so I can sleep!".
As far as keeping to the same schedule when I'm off--I'll stay up later than usual but generally will end up sleeping during the night. I adjust fairly well and make sure I nap during the day no more than 1.5 hours if I'm NOT working that night & no more than 2.5 hours if I am working. It works out.
My husband works the night shift and he sets his cell phone to "Phone only" so that texts and e-mails don't make any sound.
In addition, he set my phone number to be the only number that goes through and actually rings. Everyone else is set to the silent ringtone. This works great for him.
Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Orthopediacs.
I agree my family thinks I can run errands all day. I average only about 4-5 hours on my work nights. I stay up the 1st 12 24 hours without sleep. Sometimes I barely make it home and flop into bed. The third 12 I take a nap and get up and make it till bedtime. My employer cannot understand why I want them all in a row. It is because any other way I lose too many days trying to recoup. Next week she has me on Sun, Mon and Sat. Then back in on Tues. I feel like all I do is recover from work with that. I wish she would put them all together, but she does not seem to get it. I have kids and to see them I have to flip back and forth.
:uhoh3:
I have to keep my phone on and close by because of the kids, unless my husband is home.
raebabelvn, LVN
1 Article; 236 Posts
This has been a constant problem since I started working nights! One of my closest friends works from about 1pm-8pm, so she'd always try to get me to go with her places in the mornings. We also tried doing Sunday morning church services... she didn't like her church and wanted to shop around. I'd be out until 1 or 2pm and she would look at me and wonder why I was tired. She would also always call my sleep time "naps". After about 6 months, she now understands that the day after I work a night shift, I'm absolutely useless.
I just had a new neighbor move in below me. When I introduced myself I made sure to tell her that I work nights, and on the nights I don't work, I'm still up all night because I'm on that schedule. I let her know that I would do my best to keep the noise to a minimum and for her to let me know if something was bothering her. No joke, she called my landlord for 4 straight days to complain about the noise at night. Funny thing is, I wasn't even home half the time. I explained to my landlord my situation, and told her I'm not running around or throwing parties at 2am. I'm walking and probably watching tv or a movie. The landlord understood and told me she'd take care of the new lady. I haven't heard a peep since.
My sister is in town, and I went out to dinner with her tonight. I worked last night, and wasn't able to fall asleep until 10am. I got up at 4:30... which isn't a lot of sleep. She asked me why I was tired, and I told her I only slept till 4:30pm. She was shocked! "You slept till 4:30 and you're STILL tired?!". She still didn't get it after I explained my work schedule...
People are very self centered. If you being asleep during the daytime hours conflicts with their schedule, wants or needs, you're the inconsiderate one.