Shift Work

[jake_rn]

I am nurse and recently started a new job where I work nights. I have never worked nights before and was open to trying it out. At first I could not perform my job safely due to a lack of mental clarity during the night hours, a problem I solved by taking the drug Provigil at the start of my shift. I also find it helps to take it again in the morning on my first off day (of say 3-4 in a row) when I want to stay awake for that first day so that I can sleep that same night. Speaking of sleep, I now take Ambien on a regular basis. I'm not crazy about being on drugs and was wondering if anyone out there has a similar pharmacutical solution to their problem. If so, has this led to any long-tearm health issues that I need to be concerned with? The little research that has been done is not real clear to me.
On the plus side, there are definate advantages to the night shift. For example, I have not been sucked into the political BS that exists in every work place because I do not really interact with anyone. I'm thinking that nights may be a good fit for me, but would eventually like to do it without the drugs. Any suggestions?

[ohio_rn]

I too am a nurse who works nights. I've been doing it for several years. You didn't mention your home situation such as are you married or have children? The reason I ask is that if you don't or your spouse works nights, it is much healthier to convert your whole life to day sleeping and being awake at night. This is not an option for me though, as I have a young daughter and day shift husband. I tried ambien for a while, but I felt like it effected me by slowing my thought process for at least 3-4 hours after I woke up. Not good for a trauma nurse. I have heard of people taking melatonin to help them sleep, but it didn't really work for me. I also recently heard that habitually taking melatonin can render the body unable to make it naturally. So what I have done is this: If I only hav one day off, I just stay on my night shift schedule, and occasionally I do this if I have 2 days off. This is much easier to do now that many things are open 24 hrs like groceries, pharmacies, etc. Believe it or not I get a lot done. If I have 3 or more days off I "split sleep" the first day off. I'll come home and go to bed around 9am and get up at 1 pm. It's difficult to force myself to get up sometimes, but then I am tired by 10 or 11 pm and can sleep all night which enables me to convert to day schedule for those few days. I just don't like the idea of taking meds. I worried they may have severe long term use consequences that doctors are not aware of. I hope this may have helped you a little.

[cyndyw]

I'm in law enforcement and we are, just as you nurses, a 24/7 occupation. I also have to be hyper vigilant much of the time when I'm working. I just recently went from working 4-12's, with two dayshifts followed by 2 nightshifts, to 4-10's 1600 hrs-0200 hrs. I've used Ambien for a number of years to sleep for my two nightshifts and it worked well. I'm now in the process of trying to adjust to the swing shift and am still trying to figure it out. I stay up until 2:00 a.m. just fine, but have difficulty sleeping for 7-8 hours during the day. I'd love to switch to a day schedule on my days off, but am afraid I'll REALLY be messed up if I do. I'm still using Ambien every few days in order to try and catch up.

[visualb]

I am not a nurse but too work in a hospital, my hours are 8p to 4:30a which I have just started in the last year. I have been on third shift 11p to 7:30a until I switched, for the last 19 years and have been having a lot of problems sleeping for the past 3 or 4 years now. I have tried just about everything there is on the market. Unisom does not work anymore all it does is give me a headache. My doc has given me ambien cr, lunesta, and others and nothing seems to work. The weird thing is on my first day off or any day for that matter I could stay up for hours and not be tired. I am talking 24 or so hours. I am asking do any of you have the same problem and do you have any other suggestions. I am very frustrated, I am practically overdosing on the stuff just to fall asleep and staying asleep for more than 2 hours yeah what a joke. I run a fan 365 days a year to block out noise and my phone is off and no one rings my bell during the day so that is not the prob.