Sleep Better on Night Shift: Two Effective Routines for Night-Shift Nurses

Hafa adai and welcome back! Today’s post will start to make its way back to more nursing-related topics. If you’ve just recently started following my blogs, check out the rest of my travel nurse and nursing-related blogs here!

How many of you are night-shifters? Do you remember how you started your transition to nights? What routines helped you to make the switch from a day schedule to a night schedule a little easier? Personally, I came up with two routines that worked for me.

Poulsbo, Washington

Night Shift Routine ver. 1

Night shift work can be challenging, especially when it comes to maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. However, using a few of these strategies can help to adjust the body's natural sleep-wake cycle to the demands of a night shift schedule.

One strategy that I used is to shift the sleep schedule gradually. For instance, the day before a night shift, I found it helpful to stay up late until the early morning. This can help to adjust the body's clock, making it easier to fall asleep during the day. During this time, it's important to avoid bright light exposure and other stimuli that could disrupt sleep.

After staying up late, it's important to get adequate sleep to feel refreshed and alert for the upcoming shift. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep is generally recommended, but the exact amount of sleep needed can vary from person to person. Some people may find it helpful to use white noise or blackout curtains to create a dark, quiet environment that promotes restful sleep. I grew accustomed to having relatively dark curtains (not quite blackout) and a fan that acted as white noise and helped to cool the room. A little later I added a diffuser that my partner got for me. I would try to use calming essential oils like lavender, tea tree, or mint.

For those stretches of night shifts, I established a routine that supported healthy sleep habits. For example, after the first night shift, getting home and going to bed by around 9 am or 10 am can help to maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Waking up around 4 pm or 5 pm provided me with time to eat, exercise, and prepare for work.

Night Shift Routine ver. 2

Eventually, I just wasn’t able to keep up the same routine of staying up late into the morning the night before my first night shift. So, I switched to my second strategy. This involved shifting my sleep schedule earlier in the day before the first night shift. For this routine, I would go to bed early the day before my scheduled night shift and wake up early the day of my scheduled night shift. This meant going to sleep between 8 pm and 10 pm and waking up between 4 am and 5 am.

Having a normal morning routine and eating breakfast was important to me, and I would also try to fit in a workout. Sometimes, I would eat an early lunch and then take a short nap before getting ready for work. This nap helped me to feel refreshed and alert for the upcoming night shift.

After this routine, I would follow the previous strategy mentioned in version 1 and go to bed by 9 am or 10 am after a night shift and wake up around 4 pm and 5 pm if I was working a stretch of nights. This routine helped me to maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule.

It's important to note that everyone's sleep needs and preferences may vary, and it's important to find a routine that works best for you. Experimenting with different sleep schedules and routines can help find what works best. It's also important to prioritize sleep hygiene habits such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, keeping the sleep environment comfortable and free from distractions, and winding down before bed with relaxing activities such as reading or taking a warm bath.

So, what strategies do you use? Did you find my routines helpful? Let me know!

Until next time! Salamat and si yu’us ma’ase!