Back to the Dark Side! Night Shift Life. Survival Guide.
Working the night shift is not for the faint of heart. Many of us in the healthcare field work on "the dark side," whether we want to or not. No matter what time you’re expected to show up for work, we all have to report for duty fully rested and prepared to give our best.
It’s imperative for those of us who work the night shift to get sufficient sleep, eat healthy meals, exercise, prioritize our mental health, and sustain close relationships. These things are hard enough to do on a normal schedule, and even more difficult for those of use with nontraditional work schedules.
While some true night owls prefer working while the world sleeps, most of us find it challenging to work through the night. If you are like me, you might find yourself spending a large chunk of time off recovering from the “jet lag” you feel after working a night shift.
Still, there are ways to prioritize your health and wellbeing while working at night. You may even find ways to enjoy the night shift lifestyle! Here, I share a few key tips I have learned from working as a night shifter over the years that have helped me get through the work week. Hopefully, they’ll help you as much as they’ve helped me!
11 TIPS FOR NIGHT SHIFT WORKERS
1. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
This is easier said than done, but is always important to consider! Try to maintain a consistent schedule for working, sleeping, and recovering. This will obviously vary as you can’t predict every detail life will throw at you, but there are some things you can do to help yourself establish a routine.
For me the biggest tip here is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day that you work. Some nurses prefer to maintain their daytime sleep schedule on off days to keep their bodies and minds ready for work, while others prefer to adjust their schedule to match that of their family members and friends. The take home point here is to convince your body that it’s “bedtime” when you get home from work so that you are in a position to get a long, uninterrupted rest during the day.
2. MAKE YOUR BEDROOM A SANCTUARY
Learning how to adapt to a different sleep schedule is one of the hardest obstacles that a night shift worker must master – especially since our sleeping pattern is one that is opposite to that of the majority of the population, including our family and friends.
The greatest threat to our health as night shifters is chronic sleep deprivation. Risks of sleep deprivation include increased chances of being involved in a car accident. These risks become exponentially higher as our lack of sleep worsens. Because most nurses drive to and from work, this impacts us on a huge scale, and is definitely something we should consider when starting out as a night shift nurse.
One of the most frustrating things about trying to sleep as a new night shifter is that no matter how tired I was, no matter how hard I’d try to sleep, I’d often lay awake in the middle of the day thinking about the things I need to do, wishing I could enjoy the sunshine beating through my window. The only thing that helped me to sleep and turn my brain off was turning my bedroom into a sanctuary. This involved:
Making the room dark (blackout blinds/curtains are a must).
Making the room cold.
Putting clean, soft sheets on the bed.
Wearing an eye mask and earplugs.
Using soft lighting like a salt lamp.
Using apps like Calm or Headspace, or a white noise machine to fall asleep.
If you have a partner or kids, make sure to let everyone know that your bedroom is off limits during the day while you sleep. Those of us that have worked night shift for years know that once you wake up, it’s difficult to fall back asleep.
3. MEAL PREP
Night-shift work may alter your eating patterns and food preferences. Good meal planning and food preparation can go a long way in ensuring healthy eating habits for night shift nurses.
Before grocery shopping, make a list to help you focus on buying healthy foods. Otherwise, you may be tempted to buy overly refined sugary snacks that provide quick energy but end up giving you a sugar crash in the middle of your shift. If you feel you don’t have time to do this the right way, consider getting your groceries or meals delivered to your doorstep. You’ll want to avoid getting take out or fast food meals if you can, though I’d be lying if I didn’t get the occasional Taco Bell after a rough night shift!
4. SHIFT PREP
In all of my tips, you’ll notice that preparing for night shift is the key to success. In addition to preparing your meals, you’ll want to have your scrubs laid out, lunch prepped, bag packed, and car full of gas. Here are a few things I ensure are in my work bag ahead of time:
Compression socks
Advil / Aspirin
Chapstick
Mouthwash (swish once a shift to decrease bacteria build up in the mouth)
Badge
5. ALWAYS HAVE HEALTHY "PICK-ME-UP" SNACKS ON HAND
All night shifters have that “hit the wall” hour. Mine usually comes between 0200-0400 am. To help you combat the exhaustion, a “PICK ME UP” can help. For me, the top hitters are caffeine (coffee, tea, celsius drink) and an energizing snack. I’ve crowd sourced everyone’s favorite night shift snacks and have compiled a comprehensive list below!
Cucumbers and hummus
Tuna salad on rice cake (manage cravings)
Boiled egg + avocado + sriracha sauce + toast
Dried figs
Froze balls (from Trader Joes)
Apple + PB
Avocado Toast
Soup (hot or cold, depending on your preference)
6. TAKE A BREAK OR NAP WHENEVER POSSIBLE
For those of us who work long, 12-hour night shifts, breaks are essential. If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’ll know I say this at every opportunity: don’t skip breaks or meals during your shift, and be sure to take advantage of leaving the bedside for designated rest areas when you have coverage. If you are able to, get off your feet, nap, put in some headphones, and take a few minutes to rejuvenate. You need to care for yourself, and your patients are counting on you to stay sharp.
7. FORM STRONG FRIENDSHIPS WITH YOUR CO-WORKERS
Night shift people are the best kind of people! We’ve got a dark lifestyle and dark humor, which help us get through the tough nights! In all seriousness, laughing and joking with your coworkers is a HUGE part of surviving night shift.
Forming close relationships with the nurses, doctors, secretaries, and techs on your team is one of the best things about working night shift! It definitely helps you stay awake. Also, you’ll feel less hesitation when asking for help or bringing up a concern about a patient.
8. STAY HYDRATED!
As nurses, we often overlook the importance of staying hydrated and prioritize other things that seem more important. However, ensuring adequate hydration is the easiest way to stay awake and alert. Drinking enough water helps to regulate our body temperature, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Experts recommend about 11 cups (88 oz.) of water per day for the average woman and 16 cups (128 oz.) for the average man. Be sure to avoid sugary sodas and fruit juices, which can make your blood sugar spike and rapidly crash.
9. DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE YOUR COMMUTE HOME SAFER
At the end of your shift, you’ll be exhausted and drowsy. Make sure you take extra precautions to get home safely. I recommend:
Opening care windows to get a fresh breeze in your face.
Turn up the radio to stay awake.
Calling a friend or family member to keep your brain active and alert.
After some incredibly rough shifts, you may not feel like you can drive safely. Don’t be too proud to take a nap in your car before leaving the parking lot or calling a car service to bring you home.
10. HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY ABOUT YOUR NEW NIGHT SHIFT LIFESTYLE
Your family members, partner, or roommates will have to understand that working night shift is a lifestyle. They may be seeing less of you on certain days, and may need to work around your new sleep schedule. This isn’t always easy, and definitely requires communication to be executed effectively.
It is important to get everyone on board, and it can be a hard adjustment for those that depend on you. Jacob and I share a GOOGLE CALENDAR which is a huge life saver! We share our work schedules and plug in work outs, date nights, vacations, and appointments. We live by the calendar and rely on it to ensure we get quality time together each week!
11. DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR INTIMATE NEEDS (YES, I'M TALKING ABOUT LIBIDO!)
A big negative of working night shift is the detrimental effect it can have on your libido, energy, and sex life. This can be a hard one (pun intended…lol) to maintain, especially if you and your partner work opposite schedules. But it’s important for all of us to remember that sex and intimacy are important for all of us. Make time for date nights when you can, and schedule weekend getaways like mini staycations or local trips to keep things fun.
We’re Here for Every Stage of Your NICU Nursing Journey
For more info on working night shift, check out Cellfie’s full podcast episode called “Back to the Dark Side” where we spill the tea on our best kept night shift secrets! Feel free to reach out on our NICUity nurse forum with any questions for starting your night shift journey — we can’t wait to see you!
I hope you enjoyed this blog! Leave your thoughts in the comments below or suggestions for other night shift tips! Cheers to you in your night shift journey!
Tori Meskin MSN RNC-NIC. Nurse. Blogger. Podcaster. Tori has been a clinician since 2012, works in acute care/inpatient NICU & Pediatric settings in southern California. She is a blogger, podcaster, NICU & Pediatric Critical Care RN, Sponsored Capella University MSN student, a Barco Uniforms Ambassador & Brave beginnings Ambassador. She has obtained her National NICU Nurse Certification (RNC-NIC) & has previously worked as a travel nurse, pursuing bedside experiences in several NICU settings. Follow her as she shares her NICU journey married life & juggles work, school, content creation, & brings you top notch Tips & Tricks along the way. Find her at www.tipsfromtori.com or info@tipsfromtori.com
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