Night Shift

I recently switched from working day shift to working night shift at a small community hospital in North Central West Virginia. There were a lot of good reasons to make the switch, ranging from shorter shifts to liking the quieter work environment. Believe it or not, even though the patient volumes can be just as high during the day, ER patients at night tend to be quieter. So far the greatest adaptation required is switching from the daylight life to the darkness.

Despite the fact I have worked as an EMT for several years, I never routinely worked one shift or another (and truthfully, I worked a lot of event or odd shifts). This means I never needed to adapt to a set shift, there were just some awkwardly long days and some “lost” days.
But this is the real deal and it’s an indefinite schedule. So here’s what I’ve been working on to make the adjustment:
  1. Regardless of how much my husband hates it, the bedroom is getting dark. Because daylight is a prompt that it is time to get up and be productive, I need as little of this as possible in the room I intend to sleep in.
  2. Keeping it cool, I’ve always slept better under cool conditions. Even though it may be warming up outside (especially this time of year), keeping it cool seems to help trick the body into thinking it is a totally normal time to be sleeping.
  3. Cutting out the caffeine by 2:00am. My shifts run from 10:30pm to 7:00am. I can usually get to bed by 7:45am (given the commute plus a few minutes to try and wind down). By holding back on the caffeine far less jittery on the road (you’re welcome, I-79 commuters) and feel more ready to sleep when I do get home.
  4. Packing healthy snacks. Caffeine is a great way to perk up, but I’m finding fruit, yogurt, and granola bars can help extend my usefulness as a night drone well beyond the end of my self-imposed caffeine deadline. 
  5. Establishing a routine. For example, I try to be in bed between 7:45am and 8:00am each day and I want to allow myself to sleep as long as possible. The first morning it was about 3 hours, then it was 6 hours, then it was about 4.5 hours, but gradually the amount of time my body will let me sleep at this point is extending. 
    1. Note: I’ve attempted to avoid using sleep aids, but have considered some basic over-the-counter aids (e.g. melatonin and diphenhydramine) but have so far resisted, trying to avoid needing them.
  6. Napping, it’s not just for pre-school kids! In the evening, prior to beginning my shift, I try to watch something on TV (the more mindless the better) and lay very comfortably on the couch. Sometimes I don’t get any sleep, sometimes I’m off to dreamland for an hour or two. It’s sort of like a last chance before re-entering the maelstrom that is the ER.
Having only been a “night-owl” for about two weeks, I’m sure I’ve got a lot to learn. I’d be interested in hearing any of your stories about adjusting to night shift as well as tips and tricks that have made your night shift life a little less weird.