Healthcare Workers & Disrupted Rhythms
Healthcare professionals on rotating and night shifts are experiencing profound disruption to their sleep, energy levels, and overall well-being. This leads to exhaustion, difficulty relaxing, neglecting self-care, and a sense of isolation, impacting their ability to enjoy personal time and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
SOURCES (60)
“This has been a common thing for me at almost every job I have had now and I have been in this line of work for 10 years now. It’s probably been the worst it’s ever been with my latest role though. I’m at close…”
“It can be gambling with our mental health. It also feels like it can be gambling with our license at times.”
“Baby came home with runny nose on DAY 3 of daycare. She’s had it for several days but her spirits are good. I on the other hand got what she had and have been laid up. Slept all day yesterday and taking the day off work today. I’m so scared that we’re only a week in and it’s already this bad, in the summer no less. Please tell me that it will get better!! submitted by /u/smileyjones92 [link] [comments]”
“Currently burnt out beyond repair with my OP mill job. Been treating for over 5 years and seeing roughly 17-25 people a day on average. It’s really the social interaction that is draining me. Needing to be a psychotherapist to so many people each day on top of doing what I went to school for. Needing to force conversations and talk all day is too much for me as an introvert. I’m miserable almost every morning knowing I need to go to work. I know it’s inherent to the profession to be a people per”
“been there. what helped me was realizing naps mid-day are usually a sign i skipped something the night before, not a sign i'm lazy or weak. tracking sleep for a week made me way more honest with myself about it ahah”
“This sounds rough. I am looking at an 8-5 M-F right now. I do nights inpatient atm and am miserable!”
“I’m a night shift inpatient nurse and the consistency of M-F is so alluring. I just feel like a zombie all the time right now.”
“Seconding this. I work Saturday and Sunday day shift but get paid like I work 3 days. My husband works Monday through Friday. We don't have to pay for daycare.”
“Pre-op 5:30a-1:30p. I could do 10 hour shifts in the same unit, but right now I have family watching my kid so I try to get home earlier. Works for us because my husband doesn’t have to be out the door until around a few hours later.”
“I used to years ago do 10 hour shifts and it was 30 minutes for lunch and 3 15 minute breaks so this seems way off and that job was remote too!”
“how can I make these long shifts feel less exhausting? I'm a restaurant busser, and when I joined, I had a coworker for the same position. they quit unexpectedly, so the owners asked if I could handle working 6 days straight with Sundays off. I said yes immediately, and they were thankful. but now I'm second-guessing myself lol. I think I can manage it for a while though what are your thoughts? submitted by /u/mojaverevenant [link] [comments]”
“I’m a FTM returning to work part time at 3 months. I’m an RN and planning to work two 12 hr shifts per week. Do any shift workers have any advice or a schedule you like to follow for pumping at work? I will be working 6-6 and had to give away my initially pumped milk because of severe MSPI so I can’t afford to have a supply dip! submitted by /u/Fragrant-Fail6244 [link] [comments]”
“I hated 12 hour shifts because on my days off I was too tired to do anything. I like have free time after a shift.”
“I'm tired at the end of the day and ready to go. I told my AP last year "look, man, I'm 60 years old, it's all downhill after lunch."”
“I don’t LOVE it but I do hospice. I love the autonomy! Since it’s summer and my kids are home I’ve been able to go in later and leave earlier, like 10-2. Or yesterday (Friday) I did 8-1130 and started the weekend early! I could neverrrrr do 8-5 in a clinic now that I know this exists.”
“The only reason 5x8s is tolerable is because I’m salary and I have zero stress making it to a clock. I come and go as I please. I have an appointment? I just leave and come back. Or leave/come in late and make up the hours elsewhere. I’m done for the day? I’ll leave.”
“Depends. Night shift is tough. I might exercise and shower and go to bed and pray for sleep. After day shift I’ll just eat something I really want, watch some TV and then go to sleep. The day shift one is easy. Night shift is a bitch even after a relatively normal night so no tips from me there.”
“Would you still take them if you had a less stressful job e.g. are you just an anxious person, or is it specifically for your work? I think I might've seen this asked previously so apologies if it's repetitive. submitted by /u/sophanon2 [link] [comments]”
“To sum it up, if just had energy and fatigue issues for the past 2-3 years. I just randomly get dizzy and nauseous throughout the day and it’s fixed if I lay down for a few minute. Especially in the heat. It’s gotten miles better, and I’m 29 now. I used to volunteer way more and I really want to help out wherever I can. I know I’m somewhat “unreliable” but I’m trying to think of some low stacks things I can do (in terms of, if I have to call out sick it won’t mess everything up). Hypothetically,”
“PGY2 now. the last 2 weeks I’ve been feeling more blah. I can sleep for more than 8 hours and still want to sleep more. I sleep all day on my day off and still want to sleep. I’m still tired. I had my last vacation in early May. I haven’t been too overworked as I have mainly been on electives or half days of clinic. I will say some of my clinic days I am just so over some patients demanding from me. I’ve let my notes sit for days. I just don’t want to do them, I know I have to and eventually I w”
“Today I hit a wall. I went into the sick room at work during my lunch break, shut the door, and slept for 30 minutes. I didn't want to. I had toIt got me thinking about how many of us confuse being productive with running ourselves into the ground. I've always been someone who likes having a lot going on. A full-time job, businesses on the side, ideas, meetings, planning the next thing. I genuinely enjoy building stuff. But today was a reminder that even if you love what you're doing”
“I've had to start pumping after starting a part time job 3 evenings a week, it's been 2 weeks and I'm already tired of it. I keep forgetting I have to pump during the week. Having to wash all the equipment and bottles and pump multiple times a day is exhausting. I wish there was an easier way to pump. submitted by /u/Best_Benefit_3593 [link] [comments]”
“This isn't an elective, it's a mandatory rotation. I don't mind working nights but shifting from 5 days of day shift to 1 of night shift seems insane to me. Anyone have any advice on how to manage the sleep disruption and how to function, should I just sleep at the hospital if nothing is going on? submitted by /u/Financial_Barber_936 [link] [comments]”
“Hi All, I'm 17, and started a new job as a KP/KA recently. Since starting, I've really struggled with the late shifts, where I've been getting home at 12am most nights and my diet has started to tank, alongside my motivation. In addition, I cannot work Sundays thanks to the reduced timetable that my train operator sets. As well, my social life has took a hit, I can't engage with my hobbies (volunteering) as much anymore, and I cannot see my partner. This has had a massive toll on”
“i’ve done three days so far of my 9-5 and i feel so drained compared to my old job. my old job i was a barista maestro and my hours were often 8-6 with constantly physical labour and moving around, and as someone who has an autoimmune condition i struggled and NEEDED this office job so i could rest my joints. however, two hours into my day my eyes are heavy and i feel so tired and i come home from work aching. just wondering is it a normal experience for everyone ?? i mean, i’ll probably be a li”
“Unsure what to do besides to “keep trucking along,” but I’ve been nonstop sick left and right these last 2.5 weeks and I’m exhausted to say the least. Fever, night sweats, ear/jaw/neck pain, now diarrhea, bloating, etc. I’m physically exhausted and I missed 1 too many college days and had to withdraw from my only Summer course and now have to meet with the Director of the program. The only good thing is: I started 1:1 mental health therapy yesterday🙂👍🏽 submitted by /u/Shot-Positiv”
“After had a busy night shift, I’m wondering how you handle super call light heavy patients? I’m talking ringing multiple times in the span of 15 minutes for half the night. Any good tips on how to set limits/handle the situation without coming off as aggressive? I am already meticulous with making sure they’re comfortable in bed, have everything they need within reach and verify they have no more immediate needs before I leave the room (pretty frequent as it is). submitted by /u/luan”
“Thanks for the advice. Sorry to hear you’re going through a similar thing. Hope you take the advice you gave me. We’ll get through this”
“Idk why but I've been so tired lately and wondering if any other R1s feel that way? The mornings are cool but the afternoons have been killing me in the reading room. After the day is over, I'm ready to just go home and pass out. Never felt like this as a TY. My hours are also not bad at all. Also still feeling like a dumbass in the reading room while overcalling/undercalling is not helping. I enjoy the learning but it's still pretty intense since there's a lot to learn and when”
“I’m currently on night shift about to start days next month because I feel like I’m slowly dying. No matter what I can’t recover from my stretches if I keep having to flip to nights. I’m never truly rested. I feel like I can’t do any of the basic things I need to do since im either asleep or near catatonically exhausted in the daytime. It is not for me”
“Unfortunately my unit is like this. I work nights and we all agree days is not it. There is a clique of favorites that controls that dynamic during the day with a few smaller nicer groups mixed in. They don’t really help one another during the day and constantly talk shit. During the night we always swarm the room for admits, constantly check on one another and in general have a laid back vibe. This is in critical care by the way.”
“My schedule is 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. 12 hour shifts. Lately and most of the time i get 6h or less of sleep. Laziness gets in the way so most of the time i only eat 1 meal a day. When i get off at 7am ill try to cook something. If not I only eat around midnight. Then repeat next day. Snacks in between. My place has no cafeteria or food except vending machines. Even if i wanted to get groceries it's an hour drive so usually just eat what I have or not at all. submitted by /u/Equi”
“Yeah I've been out since May and I can easily sleep 15 hours a day and nap. I go back to work next week.”
“I've had to stop taking my adhd meds for the past week or so (just a temporary thing) and I have been so incredibly exhausted without them, I've been napping all the time.”
“Oh ya, pretty much 3-6hrs a day of sleep lol. Thankfully I have a lot of downtime at work, so can grab a cat nap if I really need too. I've only really started working this amount of OT the past year or two since I'm trying to jumpstart getting into real estate seriously. The plan is to HOPEFULLY have 2, possibly 3 commercial properties by the time I get into my 50s. I'm currently 32. Figured I'd work myself into the ground while young, get some properties to offset my income, an”
“Multiple snacks to fry outright the shift. Go to bed early and get as much sleep as possible before and between shifts. I put a timer in to remind myself to take bathroom breaks or I start getting bladder pain in evenings post shift.”
“If you're going from mornings to overnights, how do you adjust your sleep schedule in the interim? submitted by /u/rainshowers_5_peace [link] [comments]”
“Have u ever tried music or podcast? I use it to "eat up" computing power, something distracting so the body sleeps.”
“Funny. I worked ER and it was so OVER stimulating for me. You’d be getting a new patient, trying to discharge one who didn’t have a ride/didn’t have shoes/refused to leave, have somebody tanking all of a sudden and then patients that aren’t even yours are coming into your patients’ rooms to complain while you are about to start compressions. “I haven’t eaten at all today!!!” Omfg the respect I have for ER nurses now. I like control way too much to thrive in the ER.”
“So I've always had ocd and struggle with health anxiety that comes in as intrusive thoughts and then mental compulsions. Somehow I have been able to keep this somewhat at bay and have worked in a hospital for the last 4 years. Now that I'm pregnant I'm on guard constantly & hyper aware of workplace exposures. My plan was to quit before flu season beginning of November in my region. Last week I had an absolute crisis at work worried that I may have unknowingly had a needle stick i”
“It’s why I hate being understaffed. Or sometimes it even happens when my job is fully staffed. Last night was understaffed and I worked my butt off. Patients constantly making requests. Pain meds. Ice packs. Bathroom. Food. Coffee. Changing bed linens because a patient peed in them. I want to go to the chair. 20 minutes later I want to go back to bed. Not long after, I want to sit in the chair again. Then a patient decides at the very end of my shift that she’s ready to get a shower. One tech fo”
“Just be careful OP, I too tried to push myself. Until one day I fell asleep on the way home. I luckily was woken up by a very good hearted by stander and I luckily didn’t hit anyone. But I also know many others that were not as lucky.”
I do deliveries, and lately I've been pulling a lot of 10 to 12 hour shifts. My back gets all the attention, but my legs are starting to bother me even more.…
“Sorry if post seems redundant but I'm beyond burnt out. Currently work as a norturnist PA 7p-7a, 7 on 7 off schedule. I deal with obs patients and once in a while will admit inpt. Expected to see 10 patients before midnight, after midnight cross cover floor calls for 250+, separate pending obs admissions, send that list to the day obs team, as well as doing total census and sending to day inpatient team. The day team doesn't get how busy it is at nights and frustrating when they can'”
“I’m 37 weeks and working as a Primary care doctor for complex older adults. My office is making me see new patients up until the day I leave (give birth basically) which feels so uncomfortable. Because I don’t know them and can’t figure anything out in 1 visit, plus I don’t want oxycodone refills to continue while I am on leave without anyone monitoring.. leave is unpaid for 12 weeks but I plan on telling them I’m taking 16 weeks unpaid. I don’t feel well. Just venting. I have no pto I can use a”
“I’ve been an RN working bedside since 2022. After 3 years of medsurg, I now work 12h nights on a medical ICU. I’ve struggled with insomnia since childhood but it’s gotten worse with age. I’m not seeking advice on how to manage it (I have an awesome PCP), but I’m hoping to hear from others who can relate to me. I’m 30 now and I can’t tolerate the lack of sleep like I used to. When I don’t sleep, I am totally incapable of normal functioning. Mentally, I’m not there — I make basic errors, I’m labil”
“oh I'll work 4-5 nights in a row happily because it's how I get a week off once a month and several other long stretches. I value those stretches off immensely. But I think part of that is night shift and if I were on days I'd rather have the breaks in between! Only getting 3 days off a week though, and working 48 hours a week for many weeks in a row? nopeee”
“I’m a nurse manager in a busy procedural area, and lately I feel like I’m running on empty. I stay late to help when needed, come in to cover call, and try to support my team however I can. I know some people will say I’m contributing to the problem by always stepping in, and maybe there’s some truth to that. What I’m struggling with is the constant criticism from all sides. Nurses have concerns, physicians have concerns, and it often feels like no matter what decisions are made, someone is unha”
“I’m about 32 weeks and not really sleeping at night much. At work I sit at a desk all day and lately have been getting SO sleepy, I have never been so exhausted. A couple days ago I dozed for maybe 2 mins/was in and out of consciousness at my desk and I think my supervisor noticed. He didn’t say anything but I was so embarrassed I’d never done anything like that so after that I said everytime I feel so tired I need to get up and walk. Today during my lunch break I was falling asleep so I decided”
“The headphones with nothing playing is so real, I've started wearing my gaming headset just to signal to my brain it's work time”
“I almost didn't take my friend seriously when he first brought it up. We were grabbing coffee a couple months ago and I was complaining, again, about how I felt wired but somehow exhausted at the same time, completely gassed by 2pm every single day no matter how early I crashed the night before. He kind of laughed and said he used to feel the same way until he started using some app. And honestly I kind of tuned out, because I've heard that a hundred times. But then he showed me his plan”