![]() ![]() If you are going to eat right before sleep, try something light like a small salad or fruit. ![]() I make up some instant oatmeal after I clock out and eat it during my commute home. Also, you’ll find you will not sleep as well if you eat super heavy right before you sleep. Eating right before you lay down leads to weight gain and feeling bloated. This is not good for you, though try to eat at least two hours before you go to sleep. Of course, after work, you’re going to be hungry, and nothing makes you feel better after a rough night like some good comfort food to wash all that stress away. Not everyone agrees with this, but I mean, do not eat right before you get into bed when I say this. No one wants to sit in traffic for thirty minutes after working 12 hours but sometimes, depending on where you live, that’s your life. I either read or journal for about twenty to thirty minutes to decompress from everything that happened during my shift and during my commute home because this can also be stressful. My routine includes getting home, taking a shower having a cup of hot tea, or a glass of wine, depending on how good or bad the night was. Your routine should include anything that helps you relax or unwind after work and gets your body ready for rest. If you’re working your night shifts in a row which I recommend making it easier on yourself and getting back to a normal sleep schedule once your workweek is over, then creating a bedtime routine is huge. For me waking up early and doing a lot before my shift, and trying to take a nap before work makes me more tired and groggy, but some nurses prefer this approach. I usually stay up till 4 or 5 am and sleep in for as long as I can. ![]() Before your first night shift, try and get eight hours of sleep or sleep in super late that day. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep between your shifts at least 6-8 hours. For silence, I either use a white noise machine or earplugs, sometimes both, depending on how much I need to drown out. For the silence because the wonderful thing about sleeping during the day is that everyone else is awake and someone is always doing yard work. Myself personally, I need complete darkness and silence in my room, which includes: blackout blinds or shades, black-out curtains, and an eye mask. Sleep during the dayįor those that sleep during the day, this process is an art form that you have to master if you’re going to survive on the night shift. With this in mind, here are my 5 tips to help you survive the night shift. Why is this? Mainly because the night shift goes against your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle. I’m just pointing out that the needs for the night shift are always greater. You will find that there are usually more needs posted for the night shift for an assignment in terms of the travel nurse world. Why is it that the 12-hour shift from 7 am to 7 pm is the shift that nobody really wants to work, and those of us that choose to work the night shift because we love it are just seen as psychotic? Night shift is certainly not for everyone, and when you ask nurses why they work the night shift, most of them are obligated due to their facility not having openings on days. ![]()
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