Waking up early again for clinicals

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I am the biggest night owl. During Christmas break Ive been staying up until 3am. Now school is starting in a week and I have to start waking up early for clinicals (6am!) Any other night owls out there? How do you transition to waking up early or the early birds how do you do it by coping with waking up early? Im getting in a lot of sleep because I know Im about to be sleep deprived!:crying2:

Im totally going to be a night nurse too. Good thing there are night owls like us to cover the night shifts.:rolleyes:

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

I've been doing it for 30 years or so, so obviously I don't know the cure for nightowl syndrome.

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Specializes in Oncology.

2nd quarter of nursing starts in 6 hours...and ive been sleeping all day, woke up, passed back out and am now awake at 230am.

I have spent my entire christmas break nto going to bed till 7-8am.

I worked nights as a CNA for the last 4 yrs so its..very engrained in me that this is how it should be!!

I even got a tattoo that says "Carpe noctem!" which means seize the night hehe (along with an ekg line that flatlines and rod of asclepias - greek symbol for medicine).

i havnt figured out a trick except staying up over 24 hrs when i know i need to sleep the next night. sometimes i try benadryl to give me that lil nudge for sleep. helps sometimes. but usually wkends i revert back to my schedule cuz it feels normal and right lol.

clinicals this quarter start in 2 wks, at 630am..ugh. 2 days of wk of 830am and 2 days a wk at 0630. should be...interesting!

i think they need night shift nursing school. nurses almost always start out on nights anyway!! =)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hi

Been there, i UNDERSTAND. when i was in my fnp program, on several occasions i had to be at my working job from 7 30 pm to 8 am. then get to my clinical site at 8 30 till 4pm, then when i would have class from 6 pm to 10 pm. on a few occasions I would have to be back at work at midnight. I definately did not have time to go the freaking Catalina Wine Mixer when I doing my clinicals.

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i completely understand your pain. i too have trouble falling asleep early at night and my clinicals site is always at least 30-40 miles away from me. and the worst part of it is my clinical days usual are the day before at test so studying was rediculously hard. i can't really say i overcame that but i tried my best to sleep early. sometimes i could and sometimes i couldn't. i also had to manage my time so that i study for tests in advance because i'd be so tired after clinicals and cramming just wouldn't be very smart to do afterward. it's all about time management and having the strength to get through a 12hr shift on a couple hours of sleep. im glad im not alone on this for sure.

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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

I'm not actually a nursing student yet, but in preparation I changed my work schedule a few months back so I have to be at work by about 6:15am every morning. I'm a night person through and through, but I figured practicing getting up early like this will help a lot once I get to clinicals!

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Do like my older brother told me the first day I rode my bike to school at 5 years old, and fell on a curb when a car passed another and came towards me. I hit the sharp corner curb with my forearm, and my brother told me to do like the natives do and don't think about it, and it won't hurt.

My mother took my jacket off when I got home and my bone was about to break my skin it was broke so sharp. Well, maybe that's not the best example now that I think about it :coollook:

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Specializes in Hospice.

Don't even go there! My sleep is all crazy right now. I will stay up til 4 or 5 then sleep all day. It is really bad. But, nmy kids are home from Christmas vacation now so I have to get up at 6 am. But then I sleep after they leave. I am so glad because I got up at 11 am today. My school starts back on the 12th so I have to get it under control. It is just so hard for me to go to bed early and I have always been this way!

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I'm dragging today! My plan isn't working. I haven't been able to sleep. I'm tired since getting up early the last two mornings, but when I go to bed I just toss and turn for hours. I tried a Tylenol PM, but I didn't feel rested at all. I'm hoping it will work itself out before I have to start on the 20th.

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Specializes in LTC.

Tylenol PM works wonders for me ! Benadryl also knocks me out in a heart beat. Once I took benadryl at work( back then didn't know it caused drowsiness), I was dead tired and could barely keep my eyes open !

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Specializes in LTC.
Hi

Been there, i UNDERSTAND. when i was in my fnp program, on several occasions i had to be at my working job from 7 30 pm to 8 am. then get to my clinical site at 8 30 till 4pm, then when i would have class from 6 pm to 10 pm. on a few occasions I would have to be back at work at midnight. I definately did not have time to go the freaking Catalina Wine Mixer when I doing my clinicals.

What you are doing is DANGEROUS ! Not only are you putting yourself in danger, but also your patients. The mind and body cannot not function effectively with out sleep. What if you make a huge error at clinicals d/t not paying attention ? What if you fall asleep behind the wheel driving and kill yourself or someone else ? I use to work at the hospital 7p-7a, then go to my full time job (which is health related) from 8:30AM-4PM, then attend theory from 7-10PM. ALL in one day. I stopped doing that because I was putting myself and others in danger ! Don't ever go to clinicals sleep deprived, that isn't SAFE :banghead:

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Specializes in Critical Care-Neuro/Trauma ICU.

I totally feel ya...sounds like I posted this thread myself! As a fellow night owl, I too have been staying up all hours during break and I'm trying SO hard to get back on track. What I have found to work is eliminating caffiene or cutting back considerably (especially before bed). I know people say all the time not to eat before bed...but I have a TINY healthy snack about 20 minutes before so that I don't lay in bed with a growling stomach. Hot baths work for me sometimes too..not showers though because I feel like I'm getting ready for school! Last but not least...the last 2 nights I've been taking Benadryl to help me fall asleep because even when I've been in bed at 10 or 11...I lay there and get anxious about school starting! I hope some of these help!

GOOD LUCK!! We will be feeling your pain!!!

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