Shift workers cannot sleep, eat, or decompress after long nights

“I take my state-mandated meal break (1 hour meal + 15 minute break) and it usually revives me! On my break, I always make sure I get off the unit; something about being physically off of it is mentally refreshing for me. I do not know how to nap. Sometimes I will just go elsewhere and eat, other times I will find somewhere quiet to read or doomscroll, or I will go outside for a walk. Having break nurses and being free from Vocera is what saved my sanity; I feel great after my break and can do wh”

“Same [re: Night shifters: input on unique ways you practice self-care during your shift?]”

“Reddit lol [re: Night shifters: input on unique ways you practice self-care during your shift?]”

“Fellow night shifter here and I’ve been asked to speak on an informal panel about how to practice self-care on nights. I want to offer something unique besides the “bringing kale for lunch, drinking water, and running a 5k before shift”. All of those are valid ways to practice self-care, but I’m looking for something a little more rooted in reality for the majority of us. For example, something small but impactful for me is a grip strengthener that I bought at a dollar store. I bring it to work”

“I tend to get fried during this time too. I believe, at least for me, its due to the season change. My ability to fall asleep and wake up is more difficult during October until the time change occurs. [re: Is anyone else feeling the Sunday Blues tonight?]”

“You should try to stick to a night schedule on your days off. Why do you get up at 7am on the day you work? Try sleeping through the morning/afternoon and get up at 4 or 5. You’re sleep deprived on top of being on an unnatural sleep cycle, you probablt need more rest. [re: How do I survive night shift?]”

“Eat some food at 3:30 you are getting hypoglycemia [re: How do I survive night shift?]”

“I’m a new nurse and I’m having a hard time. During my shift, once I get to about 4 am, I get so nauseous, my head starts to hurt like crazy, and my heart starts racing. I get so miserable and it’s hard to focus. It seems like everyone around me is doing great, so maybe I’m preparing wrong? My process to prepare myself is to: Stay up as late of possible the night before the shift Day of, wake up at 7am Stay awake until 11:30am or 12:30pm Sleep until about 5pm Go to work I’m so scared that I’m goi”

“I’ve been working night shift on this unit almost 2 years, and on Friday my manager called me in to tell me they have to move me to day shift to balance staffing after a few people just quit. To answer the question of why they’re able to force me: I was technically hired for a dayshift position, and during my first week they asked if I wanted to do nights instead, and I agreed. But my contract was for days. I’m also of very low seniority on my unit so that’s a big piece of it too. I’m saying thi”

“I'm a night owl, my body absolutely hates it, and it reminds me every fucking workday. Just thinking about it I'm sick and don't sleep well because I feel like I'm getting robbed submitted by /u/No_Ring2502 [link] [comments]”

“i’m an ED tech and just got off shift. i’m feeling guilty, angry, sad. The police brought a woman in while we were slammed. EMS, at the exact same time, brought us another drunk driver. I had no idea what was going on with the woman the police brought in. the nurses were caught up helping other patients. while trying to get the EMS lady settled and vitals and everything, the police pull me aside and say hey our lady needs to go to the bathroom. at this point, no nurse, no tech , no secretary, NO”

“Night shift nurses crashing out at 7pm because dayshift didn’t draw morning labs? Huh? [re: Shift handoff will probably be the reason I leave bedside]”

“I don't see how morning labs should be drawn before night shift even starts, no. But baths on night shift is bullshit and I don't care how many times day shift complains or how busy day shift gets. Patients need to fucking sleep, and the only hours a med surg patient has a fair shot of getting left the fuck alone are maybe 2330 to 0430, depending on when your unit requires vital signs. I'm not doing all my meds, all my assessments, and anything else that comes up only to barge back i”

“I work in a very large ER that also has a huge emergency psych area. We rotate assignments daily so we are usually not in psych 2 shifts in a row. I work nights, and one morning at the end of my shift, I gave report to a day shift nurse who was so passive aggressive about my report. She tried to get me to stay to help with orders that were placed after 7 am. She had a new grad with her who she was orienting, and she was so passive aggressive picking apart my report and my work, even though I had”

"Mostly." [re: Shift handoff will probably be the reason I leave bedside]

“Why do I always stay hungry all day long post night shifts. Like literally I feel like a cow. I work on my diet the whole week then comes post night shifts I ruin everything in one day. I literally had 2 burgers, fries, lunch, a doner and I still feel hungry 😅😅 submitted by /u/klumzyboy [link] [comments]”

“I generally work the overnight shift in Los angeles. Typically everything goes very well. I really have no issues with anything. But, every now and then you going to run into somebody at 3:00 in the morning where you say to yourself okay, do I really want to deal with this? I have an electric car, and I had ended up in Long Beach, and it was trip after trip, back to back. So I'd been down there for like 4 hours, but the car was down to about 25 miles of range, and I really need to charge the”

“For sure. It took me years to build up enough discipline to work out before shift (but I give myself grace from time to time and sleep in) that now my body just wakes up and my mind has no choice but to obey. You'll get there. Hang in, hang tight, and eventually the shit-shift will come and you'll be able to move forward. [re: Has anyone recovered their empathy after burnout and moral injury? How?]”

“Hi, so I am a kitchen porter and have been for a few months now (8-9 months) and I find the work alright and I am able to shut my brain off and get on at the work but I work shifts around 9-10 hours and get no break, no food and very little time to go to toilet during my shifts Now there's 2 KPs on at a time so one is able to go on break but none of us do and it's starting to get on my nerves as it's the law to get your 30 mins break uninterrupted best I get is 5-10 mins sprinkled th”

“Meanwhile, me just trying to survive my 4th night shift on enough caffeine to kill an elephant. But yeah, sure, supply room orgies or whatever. https://giphy.com/gifs/xchUhdPj5IRyw [re: Why do people post straight up lies? Like yeah man I’m sure people are casually having sex in the storage room!]”

“Things are a little busy and difficult right now. Two of our three cars are in the shop, my wife is a nurse that works weekends, we have company in town, and one of my two kids has ADHD. I know other people have it much harder than I do, but I’m still struggling all the same. I keep thinking about how I don’t feel “built” for this. That I’m a person who does much better with fewer responsibilities that I can actually properly attend to rather than having tons of things that I can only “half-ass”

“Never understood this in tv shows. Who TF is fucking at work? I barely have the energy to get through the shift. [re: Why do people post straight up lies? Like yeah man I’m sure people are casually having sex in the storage room!]”

“If you guys are on a 24h shift, I often feel the need to shower before trying to crawl into bed even if it’s for 1-2h of sleep. The shower is available but it’s a shared bathroom between everyone overnight in that unit (aka attending, fellow, resident and APP) so 3-4 people share that bathroom. But there is a shower in there. Is it weird if I shower on my 24? I just feel so gross by 8-9PM and want to wash my body.. especially if I’m trying to sleep a few hours here… submitted by /u/O”

“Wondering how everyone else who takes stimulant medication schedules it around call shifts and post-call days. IM PGY1 here and I have been taking my Vyvanse at 7:00AM as usual the morning of my call shifts, which usually gets me through til 5pm on a regular day, but obviously doesn't last overnight and I really struggle to organize my thoughts for late night consults and morning handover. And then I go home and sleep for three hours and then struggle to wake up and be productive and not doo”

“Just Started a new 4pm to midnight job soon 5x a week, trying to keep my second job part time in the morning 8-16hrs a week( preferably only 2 days a week) without getting too tired. I don’t have kids or a family to take care of. But do have a lot of bills to pay and rent to afford on my own. What schedule at the second job do you think would be best for balance? I luckily have some flexibility available with my second job and could do half shifts. Should I work the other job on my 2 days off, o”

“I am absolutely drained every day after work. I am home by 5pm so I should have plenty of time to do things with my kids, dinner , bath etc. but I am barely able to function. I haphazardly put some food on the table , read a book or two to my kids and that is about it. How do you moms stay energized and present after work? submitted by /u/DirectContribution10 [link] [comments]”

“When am I supposed to eat if I am always asleep? 😭 submitted by /u/hmphandumph [link] [comments]”

“Day shift shouldn’t assume anything, especially when they were at home tucked in bed the whole time [re: Need thoughts on what could’ve happened]”

“I work on night shift and it gets hella cold at night. I am thinking of getting electrical hand warmers, a heated vest, and/or a little heater. Is there any recommendations you guys have for the brand? Or any other tips and tricks to get through the cold? Thank you! submitted by /u/throwawaysorrryqoq [link] [comments]”

“My first 12 hour shift starting at 5am. Idk if I can do it. I was working nights before this and I've slowly been trying to push my schedule up for the last 2 months, but I've never managed to wake up before 6am. I've set my alarm and slept through it 3 times. Wish me luck, y'all. Anyone that starts work at o'dark thirty, please give me all your tips 🙏 I'm so so thankful to have this job after my last company went berserk but these hours are leaving a lot to be desired!”

“It can unfortunately be the norm for home health. I do home hospice shift work and I have coworkers who are case managers. Their schedule is "marketed" as M-F 9-5 but really those are their hours to see patients and a lot of them spend additional hours at home charting. I'm so glad I don't do that aspect of home care. [re: Career advice]”

“This is an every night occurrence. It’s 10pm. You can even hear MY stuff shaking and rattling in the background. Help😭 submitted by /u/cmc9819 [link] [comments]”

“Recently got a job in my dream setting…BUT it’s an hour away and 3 days a week I start at 7 am and the other 2 days a week I start at 9 am but I’m not done until 6 pm. Tips and tricks for early routines/funky schedules where you don’t see much of your kids during the week so I don’t lose my mind entirely??? Not sure I’m making the right decision in taking this job 🙈 submitted by /u/crunchysquishy614 [link] [comments]”

“That is my starting pay. I've been working here for about 10 months. No differentials for night shift unfortunately, but it's relatively light work. The hardest part is staying awake [re: My pay sucks]”

“My entire life, I have had sleep and time management issues. Since I was a kid, when I would lay in bed wide awake for hours, or miss the bus multiple times in a week. On top of this, I deal with other things that make it very difficult (depression and potentially ADD effecting motivation, as well as anxiety and IBS that can make it feel impossible to get out the door on time in the morning). I have spent my whole life fighting myself trying to fit the mold of workplace compliance. I used to be”

“Sometimes I just can’t sleep at night, even when I’m tired. I’m curious to know what you guys usually do in that situation. Do you listen to music, scroll through your phone, watch something, or just lie in bed until you fall asleep? I’m looking for some genuine suggestions that actually work. 😅 submitted by /u/amitnagar0001 [link] [comments]”

“girl (around 5’3 to 5’4) so usually i’m paired with bigger dudes that can balance things out and it’s never been an issue until that shift. i believe it was because of the stair chair i did that time and i was visibly very fatigued from it despite doing it efficiently, which was why i was reported. (BTW my company doesn’t have electronic stretchers or chairs, so that may be another issue 🫩) i can’t work for my company until i do remedial lifting classes and it’s going to put a halt on my clinic”

“Thinking about moving to a PT night shift position to alleviate childcare as number 2 is due in February. Any moms out there that have gone from dayshift back to PT night shift for this reason? Are you happy you did it? I am trying to decide stacking my shifts vs working 1 having 3 days off and working 1… My daughters will be going to her aunts the morning that I get off while I sleep, so if I stack my shift I will try to get in 6-7 hours of sleep before going back in. If I don’t stack my shifts”

“Just called out today because I had about 4 hours of sleep and I don’t really wanna feel like shit during the shift. It takes me an hour to get to work and back (not counting accidents along the road). This would be my fourth call out of this year. I don’t wanna be seen as unreliable and I also don’t wanna get in trouble for missing more than I already have. I live in Cali so we have 5 regular sick days, and I think 7 days of kin care? Any thoughts? Thanks! submitted by /u/_rozespear”

submitted by /u/IceCreamICantLetUGo [link] [comments]

“This kind of schedule is definitely "easier" (term used loosely) when you're younger. I worked a physically and mentally demanding job for 60-80/week when I was in my early 20s on top of being active during the weekends. However, I was tired ALL THE TIME. In hindsight I should have spent a lot more time resting on the weekends. But I survived. I think your mentality going into it has a lot to do with how sustainable it is. It sounds like you have good reasons and goals. But you sho”

“I need to vent because this has been driving me crazy. I live a 1.5-hour commute away from my office. Combined with my 10-hour shift, I spend 13 hours a day dedicated to work. By the time I get home, I’m looking at a tiny 3-hour window of actual free time before I have to go to bed and repeat the entire cycle. My work-life balance is essentially nonexistent. At my job, we are given two 45-minute unpaid breaks for a total of 90 minutes. I would dearly love to use this time to go work out. There i”

“So I’ve been working a 0.8 FTE on the evening shift 3-11pm. They’re 8 hr shifts & every other weekend. I have a toddler at home that I feel like I never see or my husband. I got an offer for a 0.6 FTE, 12 hr shifts and every third weekend but it’s straight nights. I ended up accepting but I’m feeling nervous about night shift and all the downsides with it. It felt like with this schedule- I’ll have more family and weekend time since it’s only 2 nights a week vs 4 evenings a week. Just feelin”

“My boss expects me to swap my sleep schedule for two weeks for over night pms this coffee shop makes too much per day to close for a maintenance day so we’re forced to do it from 12-5 am. I’m almost willing to find a new job he already tricked me into working outa town and being on call he can’t trick me into this I expect and need to get thrown a bone but one with meat on it still like a tomahawk for me to switch to night shift ,, what do you guys think submitted by /u/Deep_Brother_”

“Hello all my fellow night shift nurses! Winter is almost here and I’m planning out my winter arc. I’m good working out on my days off thank God planet fitness is 24/7 most days. I’m wondering if you all work out before or after your shift and when you wake up/go to sleep. I work a 7pm-7:30am schedule. I’ve tried working out after and it makes me wide awake and I struggle to wake up early when sleep is so valuable. Thank you in advance! I’m down 25lbs already and I have 25lbs to go! submitt”

“I think I'll be working all 60 of those hours 👍 [re: HANG IN THERE MY TAX BOIS AND GIRLS. LAST 60 HOURS COMING UP. WE GOT THIS MF'ER. GRAB THOSE CELSIUS, SMASH DOWN THOSE MEDS AND LET'S F'N GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]”

“Worked overnight 10-2 AM is great for earnings & Appointments from 4:30-7:30 definitely work….anything after that is Medical Appointments submitted by /u/TERRANCEJ17 [link] [comments]”

“Is it lame to use a day of sick time after a trip? I did a road trip with some friends and worked from home but I got back last night at about 4 am and all I want to do is go home. Can I do that or should I just power through the day? I don’t really understand what’s acceptable at work or not submitted by /u/Weak_Replacement_954 [link] [comments]”

“Working night shift 10p-6am. It's always different. Some days I'll come home and immediately pass out and spend 14 hours in bed. Other days I'm up until 3pm. It's really subjective on a day to day basis. [re: What time do you go to bed on days you work?]”

“Some people are used to different amounts of sleep. I’m like your coworker and feel the most rested when I’m in bed by 830-9pm for a 7am shift and 30 minute commute. [re: What time do you go to bed on days you work?]”

“10 AM, wake up at 5 PM, leave at 5:30 PM to be at work an hour-ish later! [re: What time do you go to bed on days you work?]”

“On the bed by 8, in the bed by 9, lights out by 10 [re: What time do you go to bed on days you work?]”

“so I’m just so tired i work night shift and I haven’t gotten much sleep the last 3 days I was working in a row so I just feel sooo tired. Ive only really gotten like 3-4 hours of sleep the last few nights and thought instead of calling off I’ll just ask to get cancelled. So I asked at the start of my shift to get cancelled for tomorrow and my charge put a note that I want to get cancelled. Then later on like at around 0200 another nurse asked the charge if she can get cancelled and the charge nu”

“This doesn’t sound super relevant necessarily because you’re actually up and working at 8am - but I have learned I’m a night owl. I used to fight it a ton, but realized if I had a spurt of creative energy from 10pm-2am, I’d feel guilty for taking the motivation when it was there & staying up late. And why? I’m working for myself, so why not work when I actually feel like it? That’s just my personal hack. If I have two days that I DREAD the computer, I just don’t work. And the third day I mig”

“I’m so sorry you are struggling. Burn out is very real. Please get some rest when you can. [re: Working 13 days straight]”

“Been dealing with a bad cold for the last four days (an entire long weekend, yay) and still feel like shit, being nowhere close to 100% yet. Still going in tomorrow because going to work while I feel like this is somehow still easier than writing plans for activities that really need me there to function and putting in a sub job that has a 0% chance of getting picked up. Great example I'm setting... submitted by /u/the_gaymer_girl [link] [comments]”

“I am about to enter a senior FDD position. I am basically going into with the mindset of expecting to work every weekday night, which I’m okay with. I was wondering what I should more realistically expect? Is it really that hard to make a dinner plan on a Wednesday (assuming it’s downish time, thinking you can make a dinner then all of a sudden have to cancel)? Or take a 2 week summer vacation? This would be at a top 10 firm. Would really love to hear about people’s experiences and the peaks and”

“I run a small home service-based business and work a full time job. My co workers on my full time job are my 1099 employees and they are all great. My problem is, every 4 months I work night shifts for 4 months straight then go straight back to days for 4 months. 4 months days 4 months night shift work and it just keeps rotating. When on nights it gets extremely boring. It’s one of those jobs where I could go 8-10 hours with almost nothing to do. It feels wasteful to not try and do something tha”

“I am a nurse and recently moved to night shift, and I am seriously struggling adjusting my sleep schedule. I can’t seem to correctly time going to bed, waking up, having caffeine, taking naps, etc. along with my daily errands, and it feels like I’m constantly net losing sleep hours each night and not able to catch up. Has anyone else recently moved to night shift and struggled with this? Are there any books or apps or anything that you found that seem to help? submitted by /u/yobitch”