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".

Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.

7 *12s but i can sleep in the day - in fact i sleep better in the day than at night - the 7*12s also gives us a 'free' week off so you effectively end up with a week off a month

used to do 4 *10 and 4*12 just as tiring and don't get the week off

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I do 2 back-to-back 12's one weekend and the next I do Fri/Sun 12 hours. I just started alternating, and I have to say, I like the back to back better. The only upside is that I have Sat night to diddle around and Sun morning I can go to church. But I'm a zombie.

When I'm working the back to back 12s, I'm usually asleep Saturday between 0930-1030 and I try to sleep til around 1630. Sometimes I wake up around 14-1500 and can't go back to sleep. Oh well. Sun I sleep til whenever and then get up to be with my family. Then I usually hit the sack around 2200 Sun night & sleep til 0800-ish.

When I do Fri/Sun, I sleep til whenever (usually 4-5 hours) and then go to bed as early as possible Sat night. I'm zonked. Sometimes I sleep Sun in the day before I go back, sometimes I can't. I sleep til whenever on Monday too, then go to bed early Mon night.

I wish I hadn't switched, and will try to switch back to the consecutive 12s every weekend ASAP. The other wreaks havoc with my schedule.

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