Please give me your top tips for sleeping after a night shift

[rossKemp]

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Marking

Dont go.to bed as soon as you get home. Stay up and unwind. Get a good black out blind for your bedroom. I've got a white noise machine beside my bed I have it on and it really helps block out any outside noise. Put your phone on silent & switch off your door bell.

I love night shift 😊

Glass of red wine and a sandwich with lettuce in it.

I usually have no problem sleeping after nights, except for after the first shift. I would usually take nights nurse after the first night of my set of nights. I also love nights.

Routine. Wind down properly and do the same things.

Very very important is to avoid the drugs of night shifts; sugar and caffeine.

I would give the opposite advice. Home /clothes off/ bed asap/ do not stop to drink tea etc.

Wind down with no caffeine.

Have an evening meal, not breakfast.

Do what you would normally do in the evenings - read, bit of yoga or TV.

Go to bed at about 10am, with ear plugs and blackout blinds or a mask

Benadryl.

Only thing that ever worked for me.

I sleep better after a bit of exercise so generally run for half an hour or so on the way home. I find generally I then have a deeper sleep after. Minimal drink after about 5am to save waking up for a wee at midday and being unable to go back to sleep.

Fan/heater, windows shut, black out curtains, a proper meal and a bath/shower. Take a couple of hours to wind down properly before sleeping. Avoid caffeine/sugar after about 4am.
Stay up late the night before, get up early the morning of, then nap later before your shift, helps to stop getting overtired that can stop you sleeping if you've been awake 24 hours.

My mum used to work nights as a nurse. She found that purposely getting quite cold and getting into a warm bed helped her go to sleep. Perhaps not at the moment but she'd put the eclectic under blanket thing on her bed really high (turn it off when she got into bed). Obviously this works better in the winter!

I used to drink red wine in the morning and take some night nurse 😂 probably not the best advice.

I always went for a very long walk while working through the events of a busy night in my mind (I worked in prisons). By the time I got home, I was both mentally and physically tired and ready to sleep. That winding-down time was crucial.

I used to have whisky with hot water and sugar in bed at 730am and inhale the steam
Knocked me out for hours in no time at all

Night nurse after my first night shift. I only do 2 so it’s the sleep after the first one that counts

Thank you all so much for these suggestions - from red wine and night nurse to lettuce sandwiches.

I’ve had a solid 6 hours today. Is that around about the norm for people?

I think 6 is about average. I usually manage 8 but I'm quite unusual in that.

6 hours is a decent amount-I’d be happy with that. I go straight to sleep when I get home, but try to eat breakfast either before I leave work or on the way home. I’ve woken up hungry a few times when I’ve not eaten which is really annoying! 2 wees as well-one before I leave work and one when I get home so I don’t wake up needing one

I find if I spend any time in the sun/daylight it screws up my sleep. So home, into bedroom with blackout blinds down. Grab breakfast on my way up and a supply of drinks/snacks/lunch so I don't have to go back downstairs until I'm up for the day. Usually read until I fall asleep, wake about 3 hours later, eat, then sleep for another 1.5-4 hours.

My husband bought me a pair of those eye masks with built in headphones. I stick on a podcast/boring talky radio and it blocks out a good amount of background noise. I love them and use them every night now!