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Try to find a daily meal you can share with family members so you stay connected even during the days you work. Post your work and sleep schedule on the refrigerator so they can see when you’ll be working, asleep, and awake. Get your household on board.Įnlist your family members/housemates in supporting your schedule. You can plan out the best time for self-care activities like exercising, yoga, meditation, and napping, as well as household tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Stick to a routine.Ĭonsider using a time-management strategy to create a schedule for other aspects of your daily life.
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Then on your last free evening, stay up as late as possible, sleep in, and maybe even take a long nap before your first shift. Take power naps during the next couple days. If you want to return to a more normal schedule after your last overnight shift of the week, try going to sleep in the morning-but get up in the early afternoon and stay active until a more normal bedtime. However, this may not be practical for everyone. They were also higher risk for developing psychological and cardiovascular symptoms. One study found that nurses who worked rotating shifts-a group of night shift followed by day shift-reported lower job satisfaction, reduced quality and quantity of sleep, and more frequent fatigue. That way, your body can get used to one schedule and is not always in adaptation mode.
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It’s helpful to cluster your shifts together and stick to a night work sleep schedule even on your off days. But there are ways you can work the night shift and stay healthy-and caring for your own health will help you care more effectively for others. You mightfind yourself spending a chunk of your time off recovering from your time on.
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While a few true night owls prefer this schedule, working through the night is challenging for most nurses. In many hospitals and long-term care facilities, newly hired nurses are asked to work the night shift.
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