Help with night shifts!!!!

[londongirl12]

I work in emergency services (4 years), and as time has gone on, I'm finding it more difficult to sleep between nights. I worked last night, I've just woken up after 4 hours sleep now during the day, and got to go to work again tonight. I feel like my body is against me. I'm tired, but my body just keeps waking after about 4 hours. I'm close to tears, I'm so frustrated.
I have black out curtains but loads of light gets round the edges so I'm going to get a stick on blind to help make the room super dark, but I feel like i need some sleeping tablets or something? Has anyone tried any? I just feel I need knocking out for 8 hours!!!

My sympathies, it's shit isn't it?

These are some of the things that help me when I'm on nights:

• Definitely a black out blind or similar, or in the short term maybe tape the curtains to the wall to close the gap? Anything to block all the light out.
• Some sort of white noise helps me, I have an wake up light alarm clock that also has a sunset setting with white noise which I find really helpful, but you could just play white noise on your phone, spotify has some playlists.
• The calm app is brilliant, you have to pay after the first week (I think it's 20 - 30 ish a year so not masses) but it has loads of guided meditations for sleep which are brilliant and I swear by.
• Wearing sunglasses on the way home helps cut your exposure to sunlight and stops your brain realising it's the daytime, I've definitely noticed a difference since I've started doing that.
• An orgasm can help sleep, for some reason I never see this given as a suggestion but it definitely works.

Also I've never tried it myself, but I know people who find melatonin tablets really helpful, it's not for everyone and is generally only used for short periods of time but maybe worth looking into?

I generally sleep ok when I'm on days. It's the between nights that's killing me. And not I'm in the cycle of being so frustrated and angry with myself, that I can't sleep anyway. I've never been a great sleeper between nights, but it's just getting worse and worse.
I do think I need some meditation to help calm my mind. Will definitely sort out my curtains. I play white noise anyway as that helps my toddler sleep too. I've tried some basic herbal tablets, but I think I need something stronger. Arghhhh I'm so tired, why work today my body just take a hint and go to sleep!!!!!!!!

Hi OP, sympathies it’s very frustrating. I have blackouts but you do need the edges sealed up, and use an eye mask as well. Agree with PP that a white noise machine makes a massive difference (I find the machine much better than just playing white noise on your phone, better speakers, can buy off amazon for about £20, but you could use a white noise playlist on Spotify in the meantime). Sunglasses on the way home and not too much stimulation, no TV etc when you get home I just eat and go straight to bed.