Any night shifters out there?

[SMRobinson]

Well, I'll be at work all day and then in-house call from 3 pm- 6 am the next day.  Generally you get a couple hours of sleep in there, though that's not guarenteed.  I have had a night here and there where I'll get 6 hours of sleep.  I'm pretty much planning on being awake from 6 am until 2 am for sure...so around 20 hours. You get breaks through out the day and night, so I'll have time to eat. I just really don't want to undo my routine when I'm taking three nights of call in the next week.

 

 

You are better off with a mini-meal that fits the template, than an off-kilter snack like a piece of fruit or a bar, this helps to keep your blood sugar even and give well-rounded nutrition.

 

How does a 24 hour shift work? Do you get multiple breaks? Any sleep in there?

 

[praxisproject]

If you can, drink some bone broth before sleep, it won't give you a foggy head if you need to get up, but it has lots of trace elements which help with sleep. A good eye mask would be worth it too.

 

I'd go for low carb if your body can handle it, as it will keep your blood sugar more even. Starchier items may help you sleep, but not everyone is the same, some do better with them earlier in the day.

[littleg]

Ok night shifters... this isn't working

 

Last Tues was my first night shift.  I was scheduled Tues/Weds nights 7P-7A.  Slept Monday night as normal, got up around 6 AM Tues.  Tried to nap, no luck.  Went to work Tues night.  Did fine.  No trouble staying awake all night despite being up 24+ hrs.  Took a melatonin before leaving the hospital.  Got home and had some magnesium.  Still awake at 10:30.  Started to freak out a bit.  Called a pharmacist - she said it was still ok to take a benadryl - so I did - 25 mg.  Panic attack at 12:30.  MIL (ED night nurse) said to take an Ambien.  Final asleep around 1 PM.  Until 3 PM.  Stayed in bed until 4 but couldn't fall asleep.  Went back to work at 7 PM and had a minor breakdown since I was looking at doing 48+ hrs on 2 hrs of sleep.  They told me to just go home.  

 

Worked again last night.  Same problem.  Couldn't nap.  Up for 24 hrs.  Came home today at 8 AM.  Took an Ambien (went to the big guns first).  Stayed up hanging out with hubs until around 10 AM (I was literally nodding off at the dining room table - I totally thought I was going to just crash for the day).  Fell asleep around 11.  Woke up sleep walking (almost fell down the stairs) at 1 PM.  Had another minor panic attack (combo of being scared of (1) almost falling down the stairs (2) sleep walking/nightmare I was in the middle of (3) realizing I was going to be doing another 36 hrs on 2 hrs of sleep).  

 

How long does one try this until you just admit you can't do nights?  I can't imagine living like this for long.  I've cried more in the last week than I have in years.  I'm an emotional mess.  My body aches.  What do I do?  

 

PS - black out shades, ear plugs, white noise, eating before going to bed, winding down like a normal evening, etc... I'm doing all of this.

[Kmlynne]

First - and I know that it is easier said than done - don't stress about it!

 

When you are worried about not sleeping, you aren't going to sleep well.  For that matter, when you start night shifts, you are not going to sleep well.  Sometimes, two hours of sleep is all I'm going to get.  You just push through the next night.  The times that I have resorted to caffeine (of any kind) during my night shift, I have not been able to sleep at all when I get home.  So I really, really try not to have any.  Eat well also.

 

I know it is not ideal.

 

Do what you have been doing.  wind down.  have a hot bath.  then just lay in the bed.  Sometimes you will sleep, sometimes you will just doze.  Be kind to yourself and don't panic.  

 

As far as the sleep walking - do you do this on a regular basis?  Find a way to make you bedroom a safe place (lock the door, hide the key).  It may be that you were already keyed up and that is why your body got up and moving.

 

Also, you might have to do every other kind of schedule for a while.  That way, if you don't sleep well during the day, you will be able to "catch back up" the next night - although there never really is catching up and keeping this type of schedule will be hard for long periods of time.  

 

And yes, you are right - some people just can't do night shifts.  There does come a time when you have to weigh keeping that job with your health.  You don't say what type of job it is?  Nursing?  I know it is very difficult to get into an entry level nursing job without starting on nights, depending on your specialty.  

 

Good luck to you!

[littleg]

This was my first time sleep walking.  I'd read about that effect from Ambien and in the 10ish times I've taken Ambien in the past it has never happened to me.  

 

This is my first nursing job.  They have scheduled me every other for now but it is a horrible way to live.  Waking up knowing you have 24 hours to go... ugh, its terrible.  I'd almost rather just work 24 in a row and be done with it!  All I do is lie in that dark room trying to sleep.  Every thought is about sleeping.  If I have coffee... well maybe I skipped the coffee I could have slept.  If I get up to walk the dogs... well maybe if I didn't go into the sun I could have slept.  I honestly can feel myself slipping into depression.  I just can't face any length of time like this.

 

Sorry.  Just feeling really low right now

[Kmlynne]

 

Sorry.  Just feeling really low right now

 

Don't be sorry!  It is a really hard adjustment to make.  I have been doing nights for 18 years now.  I can never say that it is "easy", but you do get used to it.  Give yourself some time.  You won't need to stay on every other forever.  Once your body realizes it should sleep when given the opportunity, you can play around and see how it helps.

 

Believe me, you really don't want to work 24 hour shifts!  I just did a 20 hour one and it really, really wiped me out