Sudden changes to your sleep patterns can be tough on your body and mind. Follow these tips to help ease the transition
Your first time working the night shift can be a difficult adjustment to overcome. Your body is naturally programmed to be awake during the day and asleep at night, so it can take time getting used to the new routine.
A night shift may come with long periods of inactivity, and it can be difficult to remain alert and focused while your body is adjusting to the new schedule.
If you find yourself losing steam midway through the shift, unable to focus on your work, or counting down the minutes until you can go home and crawl into bed, you may need to adjust your approach to the shift, or to your daytime sleep routine. It will take a bit of getting used to, but once you get in the habit, the night shift is not nearly as daunting as it may first seem.
Tips for staying awake and alert during your shift
- Nap. Take a 30 minute nap before your shift begins and, if possible, try to get in a few 10-20 minute naps throughout the night. Short periods of rest will help keep your energy high, but be sure not to sleep too long or you’ll risk making yourself groggy.
- Eat small portions throughout the shift. Instead of eating a giant meal right before your 12 hours on the ward, pack healthy snacks to eat throughout the night. Eating small snacks throughout your working “night” will help keep your energy up. A change in your sleep pattern can make your digestive system more sensitive, and large meals can be more difficult to digest than lighter snacks.
- Keep moving. When you have downtime during your shift, don’t just sit there. Walk around, stretch, exercise. Keeping your body moving will keep your blood flowing and mind awake.
- Chat with your co-workers. Keeping your mind active with conversation will prevent you from dozing off. You also may be able to discuss difficulties that you’re having with the night shift transition and share tips for coping with the changes.
- Be careful with your caffeine intake. Having a caffeinated drink before you begin your shift or earlier on into the night can help keep you alert and focused. But try to avoid drinking coffee, tea or fizzy drinks that contain caffeine later on in your shift, as they can make it difficult for you to fall asleep when you get home – thereby interrupting your sleep cycle.
Tips for getting a good sleep in during the day
- Designate a quiet sleep area. Convincing your body to sleep during the day can be a challenge, especially if you are surrounded by reminders that it’s not night time. Creating a comfortable sleep space, one that’s dark, quiet and cool, can help you relax into a good day’s rest.
- Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Your body likes routine, so developing a schedule and sticking to it will help you adjust quicker. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Working your first night shift requires a bit of an adjustment, but once you develop a routine that works for you, it can be a shift full of learning experience and opportunities.
14 comments
Nurse 57
06 June, 2017 at 11:31 pm
I thought I was hallucinating: if possible, try to get in a few 10-20 minute naps throughout the night. Short periods of rest will help keep your energy high, but be sure not to sleep too long or you’ll risk making yourself groggy.
Seriously? Naps throughout the night? Quite apart from this advice being ludicrous (you will end up spending a jolly day at an NMC tribunal, oh yes, and possibly fired for gross misconduct) the article fails to recognize the likelihood of not having a break at all. Yes, we all know we are supposed to have a break and yes, one can do whatever one wants on that break (theoretically) but to advise nurses to take frequent naps throughout the night is tantamount to telling them to sleep on duty. Could the writer be more irresponsible?Log in to Reply
Anonymous
13 December, 2017 at 4:19 pm
I am also appalled with the suggestion in this article regarding short naps this is impractical, irresponsible and totally insane!!As a student nurse you are learning to take care of your patients regardless of the time of day or night you should be well rested before your shift begins..I strongly believe this article should be removed..this is not fitting the reality of working as a nurse even within the capacity of a student nurse.
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Anurse.
19 December, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Naps in the night ha ha, I think the author made a mistake, we get one break in the night and it’s certainly not to sleep. I need a coffee to stop me falling asleep driving home too, and one
before work.See AlsoCan you Work Under Pressure? | Interview Preparation | PrepInstaWhat Are the Pros & Cons of Different Shift Schedules?Optimal Shift Duration and Sequence: Recommended Approach for Short-Term Emergency Response Activations for Public Health and Emergency ManagementWhy Do Nurses Work 12 Hour Shifts?Log in to Reply
Ashley Dunlop
03 January, 2018 at 9:51 am
Bit of a silly, presumptuous article! Advice to sleep and eat in small amounts throughout a night shift sounds lovely, but is often more or less impossible or not allowed!
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Anonymous
04 January, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Where as Brianne Ross worked being able to take short naps?I have worked nights over the years & usually the only RGN on the shift & unable to take the hour break that I am entitled to,but to suggest taking little naps just makes me speechless.What about accountably?????
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Anonymous
05 January, 2018 at 12:09 pm
“A night shift may come with long periods of inactivity”
… did a nurse even write this?!?!“If possible, try to get in a few 10-20 minute naps throughout the night”
…obviously not!Log in to Reply
Anonymous
05 January, 2018 at 12:16 pm
Bad enough when my friends and family used to say “night shifts must be nice, cos all the patients are asleep”, but the suggestion that nights are a slower pace and you can easily squeeze in a few naps is laughable to me! I never had a quiet night shift ever when I work on a medical ward, might be news to some, but sick people can get sicker/die overnight, not just in the day!
Also, the suggestion:
“Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Your body likes routine, so developing a schedule and sticking to it will help you adjust quicker. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.”How exactly are you meant to get a schedule when you’re frequently switching from days to nights then back to days? What a rubbish useless article!
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Anonymous
05 January, 2018 at 12:24 pm
I have no life and just google stalked the author of this article, Brianne Ross. She’s never been a nurse, not on the nmc register, used to be a writer, and is currently a sous chef. Guessing she’s never actually done a night shift in her life haha!
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Anonymous
05 January, 2018 at 5:04 pm
If she has never been a nurse or done a night shift, why has the Nursing Times published her article? Does no-one proof read articles submitted for publication? Whoever ok’d this should be ashamed of themselves. As should the Nursing Times.
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julie Doughty
05 January, 2018 at 8:49 pm
The article is absolutely hilarious for all the reasons stated by everyone else but hey let’s throw single parents & children into the mix.
How does Brianne Ross suggest I & many others cope with night duty in the school holidays as a single parent ? & how does she feel about the fact I pay £25 for a babysitter so I can work night shifts in a busy A&E department, getting a 30 min break for a 12.5 hr shift …
Naps – I’d be on the nmc hit list.
Eat small amounts throughout the shift – I’d be reprimanded by infection control.
Down time in my shift – no such thing Brianne !
Come & work with me for a night or any of us to be honest, you’ll get used to it !Log in to Reply
Anonymous
08 January, 2018 at 1:00 am
Taking nutritious snack[s] to work is a good idea–there is occasionally time to eat them, but naps on duty? What utter rubbish–just scroll down the N.M.C. Hearings website to discover what can happen to you if you do that!
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Anonymous
08 January, 2018 at 8:44 pm
I knew a nurse that napped on her night shift. Unfortunately her nap lasted longer than expected and while she was asleep one of her patients deteriorated significantly and died during the shift. She was struck off.
I found it incredibly difficult to stay awake when I was a student on Neonates. Lights were dimmed and it was very quiet. They were tough shifts.
When I qualified I worked in A&E and it was the best place to do a night shift as it functioned just like the day shift.
I agree with the advice to keep moving around.Log in to Reply
Anonymous
10 February, 2018 at 6:29 am
The NMC would have a field day with all the nurses sleeping on duty. Even in private healthcare you can’t sleep on duty even if it is your break what more of NHS !! All nurses please do not read this article or follow the advice.
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Anonymous
12 January, 2019 at 8:04 am
Why is this article still available to read? Does anyone at NT ever review the comments and act appropriately to remove irrelevant and in this case inappropriate guidance.
As someone who works nights I can tell you that the author of this clearly does not have a clue about working in an acute healthcare setting.Log in to Reply
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