?'s for those of you who work overnights

[2angelsinheaven]

I just started a new job two weeks ago working overnights. I'm still having a hard time adjusting to my schedual though. When I get home around 9:30am I just can't make myself go to sleep, the whole mentality "it's light out I should be doing something other than sleeping'... well around 2 or so I'm so tired I chrash and sleep till around 8:30pm or so then I wake up eat dinner and head back into work at 10pm.
My real problem is the days off and the first day of the week. I sleep the whole night before and then the next day I can't get myself to sleep... so I got to work, I've already been up all day or most of it and don't come home till 9:30 the next morning.
I guess my questions are these... (by the way I work a 4 on/3 off sched).

Do you still stay up at night on your days off, or do you sleep?
How do you handle the day back, ie; stay up the night before or force yourself to sleep that day, etc?
Have you enlisted the help of sleep aids, I just can't get myself to sleep in the light.

Anyone used Melotonin to change their sleep pattern?

Anyone know how long Melotonin lasts, aka if I take it now, how long will I be "sleepy" for?

Wanted to try it today but don't want to be groggy tonight.

 

[monkeyboy]

When I worked overnights it was tough especiall on days off.


Oddest part was going out from your dinner (everyone elses breakfast).
Go to a diner and order steak and beer at 9:00 a.m. people look at you funny

 

[KM2004]

My girlfriend is a nurse who works the night shift (7p-7a). Her sleeping schedule, when she started, was a lot like yours. She wouldn't fall asleep until later on because of the sun.

She now sleeps about an hour or so after she gets home (at around 9ish - kind of limits her time sleeping when she has to get up at 5:30). She shuts all sunlight out, even outside of the bedroom so as to not let any rays leak in. She turns on a fan (a loud one, to drown out the noise from the outside) and puts her head down. Like anyone, at any time of the day, she has troubles relaxing, but that's normal.

She used to take Tylenol PM but found that her body was getting used to the effect and wouldn't work like it used to.

Every time she has a night off, however, she stays up very late, not because she wants to but because she's just not tired. It kind of ruins the days we have off together because she's sleeping when the rest of the world (myself included) is wide awake. We have the nights, though, so that helps.

It'll take your body some time to adjust to sleeping during the days, but once you realize how tired you are after working the night shift, you're body will naturally relax during the day and you'll be able to fall asleep much quicker than you are now.

Speaking of which, you should probably catch up on those Zzz's

 

[LargoLori]

I work the midnight shift 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. I am usually asleep by 7:45 because I have to get up at 2;00 pm to pick up DD from the bus stop. Our bedroom is pretty dark so I don't get alot of sunlight there. I do use a fan on Sat and Sun when the family is home to help with the noise. My days off are during the week. I usually have a hard time sleeping the night of my first day off so I need to try to force myself to stay up on that day. I also try to get a 1 1/2 hr nap in before I go to work. The longer you work the shift the easier it gets.


Lori

 

[Raysplus1]

I used to work 12:00am - 8:00am. I would go to sleep by 9:30am and sleep until 4:00pm. Then stay awake the rest of the day.

As for days off it would depend on what plans I had I would try to stay awake the entire first day and then sleep at night. And when I went back to work I would try to nap before I went back.

No matter what you do I believe you always feel tired because you are trying to change your sleep schedule each week. All I can say is try to sleep when you can.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

I work 10p-6:30a. I go to sleep around 8a. I sleep off and on until around 3p, then an hour nap around 8p.

You never "really" have a day off, at least it sure doesn't seem that way, because if my day off is Wednesday, then I am sleeping part of that day and then on Thursday, I am sleeping part, so I can stay up all night Thursday.

I usually sleep the nights I am off. Probably should try to maintain the up all night schedule, but with the family, I can't.

All total, I never get more than 6 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, though.

 

[ladypoo]

I have worked the night shift for about 11 years now. 11p-7a Monday-Fri and then 7p-7a on Saturday & Sunday. Then normally scheduled off for a week.
I tried taking melatonin for rest but it left me too sleepy. Most days I am in bed by 8 30 and sleep till around 5 pm, If I dont have to get my granddaughter from school. I normally dont have any problem sleeping in the daytime, I have done it so long. It did take me a while to get my sleep rhythms back to normal on the off weeks, but it isnt a problem now.
My Monday off I sleep most of the day, then get up for a few hours and then back to bed around 9pm.
My friend, (works the same schedule) takes both Melatonin and Benadryl so she can sleep. There is a fan going along with the TV and a room AC, to drown out outside noises. She sleeps from around 9am until 2 pm and then another nap after supper.
We both try to die after our week and then have a normal off week.

 

[mudnuri]

In the past, I worked 7p to 5a, 4 days on/3 off. I have no problem sleeping during daylight, heck, I can fall asleep with the window shades open, and the sun coming up!

however, I do feel for you on the 3 days off! My 3 days off were never together...which made it a bit easier! I always had Saturday night off but I didnt get home till 6am saturday and then had to sleep...I was up about 3-4pm saturday, and stayed up saturday night, till about 330-4am, then crashed till about noon. I too taok naps on days off, so I could get a bit more sleep just prior to going to work.

I also lucked out because DH was home with the DD's during this time during the day, he would take them to his mom's, or outside etc. so the house was a bit quieter. Though, I usually just turned on the TV, and went to sleep.

It is quite possible that i will be resuming this work schedule quite soon, same 4 days work, 3 days off, and the same 7p-5a schedule, only difference is this new position will require AM overtime...Theres a chance I wont get home till 8 or so. I'll be up each day at 3pm for the DD's bus.

I live now on 5-51/2 hours sleep a day, so I think I'll be okay.

Good luck to you, and no I wouldn't take sleep aides, too easy to get hooked on, then you wont be able to sleep at all without em

Brandy

 

[Nancy]

I did the 10pm till 6:30am shift for 5 yrs. I fell asleep after 9am..that's when last kid got off to school. usually slept until 2 when they all started coming home. On my days off (Thursday and Sunday) I went to bed early (usually 9 or so) and would sleep staright through. I only was getting 5 hrs a day for 5 days so my days off were catch up sleep days. When I wnet to days I felt great the first 2 days then my body started reacting to a different full time sleep schedule. I had some strange things going on for a few days.

 

[Fire14]

What I found works for me is crashing when I get home, get up around 2p than lay back down around 7p-10p. On my days off I sleep at night but tend to be a late nighter anyway.
No kids and Dh on same schedule helps.

 

[RNMOM]

I have been working nights for about a year now on a regular basis. I did it off and on before that. I have always been a night owl.

I usually have a very light breakfast then go to bed. I use a sleep apnea machine and it pretty much gives me "white noise" so I rarely hear noise from outside. I sometimes use a black sleep mask over my eyes. Any other color does not work for me. I like to be cold when I sleep so either the air conditioner is on or I have my windows closed the the ceiling fan on.

I sleep until I wake. Usually about 5pm. DH helps with dinner or I make things that are easier for us. I find sleeping just before work makes me groggy so I don't lay down again. I usually shower just before going to work so I get woke up. I love working nights.

On my days off I pretty much stay up till 5 or so. If I have to get up for an appointment I try to go to bed earlier but usually toss and turn so I do the best I can and take a nap after getting done with my tasks.

When you think about it, I sleep when they are working/school and work when they sleep. I can still go to dinner or a movie. We still have evenings to see each other. I see DH more this way then when I worked evenings.

 

[syncer55]

Small meals and frequent naps throughout the day really help my frind who does works nights.

 

[2BigKIdz]

I work nights, 4 on(Mon-Thurs) with 3 off from 9pm-7:30am. I have been on this shift 3 years now, and honestly days off still are hard to manage. I don't usually have any trouble sleeping during the day, I usually stay up a few hours and try to get to bed around 11 or noon. Our room (husband works nights too so that helps) is very dark, I have aluminum foil on the window, and we have the fan running. It does take a long time for your body to adjust, took me about a year.

Days off being a "regular" person is kinda hard. If I stay on my regular schedule then it's not a problem. Sometimes I stay up all day and don't go to bed until 9-midnight, as long as I keep moving I stay awake. Sometimes I sleep for a few hours then get up. It really just depends on what I have planned for the day.

I don't use any sleep aids. I don't like taking any medications and know that they would make me very groggy.

 

[poohtown]

my husband has worked nights for over 10 years and still can't get used to it. He usually sleeps only a couple hours during the day - wakes up - falls asleep on the couch for another 1/2 or so - wakes up - eats - lays back on the couch - you see the pattern. I've seen him work on only 2 hours sleep sometimes - I don't know how he does it. On his nights off he crashes. He'll sleep for 14 hours straight.

 

[aprilgail2]

I used to work 10pm-6am for 11 years and I had Fridays and Saturdays off....and I also had a part time job duringhte day for the same 11 years...I would go to work at 10pm and work till 6 then shoot over to my other job and work 6am-noon then sleep until 8pm 4 times a week ...then Friday I didn't work my part time job so I would get off work at 6am, sleep until 9am then just go to bed like a normal person Friday night and Sat night...sometimes I would come home Friday mornings at 6 and not even go to sleep until 10pm that night...but I was younger then, don't think I could do that now!

 

[Disney Doll]

When I used to work nights, I would come hoem at 7AM and go right to sleep an sleep for as long as my body would sleep. Then I would not go back to bed again that day, and would go in for the night shift that night.

However, on the days when I didn't have to go to work that night, I would come fome form work at 7AM, go to sleep, and sleep till about noon. Then I'd get up and stay awake until bedtime that night.

Nights is a tough schedule.

 

[princesspumpkin]

I have worked night shift (11p-7a) for over 17 years. The first three months, I took benadryl every morning and slept for 12 hours every day that I had to work. Once my body got used to sleeping during the day time, I would come home and stay up until around 2pm and then sleep until 9:30pm. On my days off, I would sleep from 2pm-2am, get up and stay up until around 4pm then sleep until 9:30pm to go back to work. Once my body got used to that, I started being able to sleep at anytime that I needed to sleep. I ALWAYS have to have a nap before I go into work. I can't stay up all day and go into work at night. I always try to lay down for at least 2 hours. Now on my days off, I'll sleep from 10am til around 2 or 3pm. Stay up the rest of the day and then go back to sleep around 10 or 11pm. Up early the next day and have a full day of wakefulness until I take my nap around 8pm to go back into work. I also have a dark room (thanks for flannel sheets ) and a ceiling fan and humidifier.