I work the overnight shift and find that no matter what I do, I still have problems getting the sleep I need.?

Question

I have been working overnights now for three years and while I have been able to adapt, I still have trouble getting sleep. I have tried melatonin, relaxing music, silence, sleeping masks and the like. I come home from work but can't go to sleep right away and then when I get ready to go to sleep I hit a major second wind and am functioning again. I seem to get more rest from short cat naps lately and before I go to work I lay down to rest but never really go to sleep. This can't be good. Any advice would be helpful.

Answer 1

Very familiar with this one... I worked 7pm to 7am for about 3 years too. It is very hard to do, because it is hard to "time" falling asleep right when you get home. You've got to be awake and alert at work, so maybe you are drinking caffiene? If so, try to stop your caffiene intake a few hours before you are off. Another thing I used to notice, was if I slept too long, I would have trouble sleeping the next few days.... you should pick a time to go to sleep and stick to it, and wake up 8 hours later, no matter what. Some people on your schedule go home and stay awake, and go to sleep 8 hours before they have to be up to go back to work, and others go home and sleep 8 hours and get up long before they go to work. It's when you go home at 7am, and sleep until 7pm that hurts. Because the next day, you won't be able to fall asleep, and you'll get off track.

They key is consistency. If you decide your "sleep time" is from 8am until 4pm, you've got to do that every day, and even on your OFF DAYS. That's the hard part. It sucks, because on your days off, you don't want to stay up all night, but when you sleep at night on your of day, it throws your body off.

Another thing to mention, which might not be good to hear.... Numerous health studies say that you should not stay on a graveshift for more than 3 to 4 years. So, you might want to think about switching back to daylight hours if that is an option.

Answer 2

Check with your PCP (primary care physician) and see if Rozerim is right for you. Since trying it, I get the sleep I need and also wake up feeling rested. You can also try Lunesta.

Answer 3

You probably have high sugar level. If this is not the cause, try a Valium 10, or a low concentration medicine that does not cause habit. Ck with your doctor.