Working out after night shift/ depression

Nurses Stress 101

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Specializes in ER.

Hello

So lately I have been swapping all my day shifts for nights (for various reasons, I am a newer nurse and I find nights less stressful, I don't feel as tired etc etc). I love working out it keeps me in shape and relieves a lot of stress I have. I have been going to the gym right after my night shifts, and although it works out okay, I can never sleep afterwards, I feel extremely tired on my days off and lately my mood has been horrible. I just can't stop crying and feel so down. My questions are

1) when is a good time to work out with night shifts? Would it be better to come home, sleep for 6 hours and then go to the gym, shower and then go back to work for another night

2) is it possible that working all these night shifts is making me feel really depressed and fatigued all the time?

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

i work pretty much straight nights and I go home and sleep first and then go to the gym. Then I have time to get ready and go back to work. I think that exercising right before trying to sleep makes it more difficult to fall asleep.

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I train right after work. Does your sleep get affected whether you work out or not? Some people just can't sleep during the day. If working out is isolated, maybe cut the cardio and intensify your workout. I train on power/Olympic lifts at competitive levels, but I sleep fine regardless. I can't train before work after sleep though. Never tried but I feel like it's a waste of time.

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Could you maximize your workout time on days off? That's what I do, then I workout right BEFORE I work on one of my night shifts. (Usually the first one of the stretch or week, depending on the work schedule.) that way you have two days off and the other days you rock it?

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As weird as this might seem make sure you're getting enough vitamin d. I never knew it was a real issue until I had more or less the same things going on

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Some people can sleep after working out some can't-you'll have to experiment to see which you are. As far as the fatigue. You need more than 6 hours of sleep. Make sure your sleep is quality sleep. Turn off your phone, place do not disturb signs on doors, have meticulous sleep hygiene. No screen time while waiting for sleep to come, give yourself some white noise to block out normal day sounds even if you think it's quiet, put up black out blinds even if you think you sleep fine without them, eat something light before going to bed, no caffeine after about 3am. I take a vit D and multivitamin. Make extra time for social and creative pursuits on days off to help balance some of the night shift feelings of isolation. :)

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
i work pretty much straight nights and I go home and sleep first and then go to the gym. Then I have time to get ready and go back to work. I think that exercising right before trying to sleep makes it more difficult to fall asleep.

For me, it's the opposite. Exercising makes me tired and I almost always have to take a nap sometime afterwards. When I worked nights, I would exercise right when I got off, shower, eat some protein or drink a protein shake and then go to bed.

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I prefer to go home and sleep, then get up while there's still daylight and do a little cardio. (Sometimes my coworker and I, both night shifters to the core, go running at the high school track around 11 when we're both at our peak. Buddy system ftw!) On days before I work, I get up around 4 and do little exercises at home (planks, squats, push ups, etc). I just print off those 30 day challenges online and follow those. It's a new system but working well so far. I am usually too tired after most of my shifts to do much else than shower and crawl into bed.

Night shift for sure has made me feel fatigued and depressed at times. I've definitely gained a bit of weight, and eating well takes a lot of planning. I also feel like I have a much harder time with keeping up with hobbies and family/friends. These have not been insurmountable for me, it just takes some diligence and planning. I find that if I schedule something to do the first afternoon I am off (like 4 or 5 in the afternoon), I might be sleepy at first, but will actually get up and do something that makes me feel good.

Just be patient with yourself. Nights are hard to adjust to, but I feel like it's the best shift for me and I wouldn't switch to days if I could!

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Specializes in Progressive Care.

I work three 12-hour nights and my husband works five 8-hour nights. I work out on my days off and/or on the morning of my first work night prior to a nap. I get in 3 good workouts a week and I never work out right after work. My husband sleeps all day and then works out after he wakes up and eats.

I think it's different for everyone and you have to find what works for you. It took me almost a full year on nights to figure out my rhythm and what works for me.

If you're feeling depressed there may be something more going on that you should talk to a doc about. Initially I was having trouble sleeping during the day and my doc recommended an OTC that helped me and I actually don't need anymore. I felt tired and out of shape at the time but not depressed so be sure to seek help if you need it.

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