What's your sleeping schedule for working nights?

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I'm a new grad. and just took a job in the MIU working nights and I'm curious what sleeping schedule works well for people. I'm thinking it is best to do 3 in a row to be able to adjust back to spending time with the "day workers".

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My sleeping situation might be a little different because I have 3 kids. I work 3 12hr nights in a row then have 4 off. The first 2 days, I make breakfast and hang out with my kids until about 9am then go to bed until 4pm so I am available for supper with the kids. I don't usually sleep after my last night, I just go to bed early when the kids go to bed. It works for me. Just make sure you sleep and don't forget to eat!!!

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, E.R..

I work 2 nights on, 2 nights off, then 3 day weekend on, 3 weekend off on a 7p-7a sched.

If I get out before 8am, I go to the gym and do cardio for 1 hour. Be back home at 9am, breakfast, checkmail, watch TV, or read, then I go to bed at 10:30am. Wake up at 5:30pm. Have a light meal, then off to work.

When I'm off, I do a complete workout at the gym. Usually 2 hours.

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Specializes in NICU.

Hiya Teenycar

I generally work 3 in a row, with the exception of my 4 day week where it is usually split in some manner. The first night in I stay awake, you just kind of run on adrenaline and caffeine ;-) I generally try to be in bed by 9 am-after kids are at school, animals fed etc. Wake up time is around 3-4 pm giving me enough time to eat dinner with the fam and leave for work by 6.

You will find what works for you though, good luck and welcome to nursing :-)

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5 in a row 8 hr shifts

usually sleep 7-1 or 2

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.

I work three on four off, but that is unusual in my dept. I take a long nap the night I come in, when i get off in the am i stay up until 10a or 11a then sleep until about 5:30, then on my last day I sleep about 4 hours after work then try to stay up late enough that I won't wake up at 2 in the morning. Benedryl helps when I can't get to sleep.

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Specializes in NICU, Psych, Education.

I also do three 12's in a row, Friday through Sunday. By the third night I'm pretty tired, but it means I can have Monday off before I have class on Tues and Thurs afternoons.

The tough part is coming home from class on Thursday evening and trying to stay up late enough to get back on track for a Friday night shift.

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Specializes in med surg, oncology, outpt and hospice.

I work baylor weekends. I work Fri, Sat, Sun nights. I usually stay awake Thursday night as long as I can and sleep in as long as I can on Friday. Then Sat go home and go sleep by 9am until 4- 4:30. Sun I try to go to 8:30 am church service then go home and sleep by 10:30. I make it to church everyonce in a while on Sunday morning. Monday depending if my husband is home or working. If he is working I ususally crash and sleep most of the day and then the night also. If he is home I just go to be early in the evening.:zzzzz

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Specializes in critical care.

I work my 12hour shifts in a row. usually day one I take a nap like 2-4pm. I will sleep all day the next day and all day again then when i come home at the end I take a nap get up at 12pm and return to "normal" Just remember to drink a lot of water. and be prepared for the 3-4am wall(fatigue , nausea, itchy). Get some exercise and you will be ok. the nap on day one cant be missed for me. I have 2 kids and get up early get them off to school and so on So I need that nap. I do know others who don't nap . And then I know others who don't sleep at all(still cant figure that one out)

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

well i'm also a new grad and i actually work days, nights, and evenings, different days of course, but most of the time i work nights, i usually get home by 8a cause my shift finishes at 7a and i sleep until 3p. i just kinda let my body get the sleep it needs, unless i know i have stuff to do that day, like school ,etc... your body will get used to it!!

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

I am retired now,but I worked nights throughout my career. I worked 3-12 hour shifts and off 4 and the next week it was 2 on and 2 off and I alays had around 4 hrs OT. I have to say that when my kids were teenagers I had to work days or my little hoodlums were out all night. Now I still have a hard time sleeping nights. I sleep better from 8 am to 5-6 pm

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Step-Down, and ER.

If you are working nights, its always better to work your days together. For example, I do 4 nights in a row a week, then 3 nights the next week and so on.

Since I work 12am-830am, I usually sleep from 10-6. Before my last night, I usually sleep from noon-10pm. I get enough sleep so I can stay awake for the next day since I'll be off for 4 days. I end up using my last work day as an off day since I stay up and I hardly sleep when I go back in for my first day.

I think its perfect, I get a lot of sleep between my work days and switch to days without being sleep deprived. I have good metabolism and have a strict workout routine, and that basically fuels me.

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