Alertness During Night Calls

[Seirende]

For those of you who function significantly better at one time of the day vs. another (early birds, night owls), do you have any tricks to "get in the zone" when called out at your worse-functioning time of day?

I'm very partial to the morning myself and when I get a night call, my patient care is not up to the same standard as during the day. It is adequate, but it could improve. I've thought about getting into some sort of routine while en route to help transition into a more alert state faster or even keeping an energy shot by my bed. I'd like to eventually get on a 12 or 16 hour daytime shift and leave the night work to the night owls, but until then, I'd like to make the best of my current situation.

 

[Flying]

I've only been able to do overnight shifts by changing my lifestyle. Finish shift, come home, sleep till 2p-4p, go on with my "day".

 

[NysEms2117]

Idk how much this will help, but i'm more of a "suck it up guy". Once i come to the realization, that xyz is paying me to do something, i don't have a choice, but to go, once i get there i just make the best of it. I find if I relieve my stress before i get to wherever it is, that also helps me. Because i find stress+being somewhere when im tired or grumpy, or what-have-you, is a fatal combo.
Also EATING HEALTHY, is a big key for me. If i eat like sht the day before, or the day of, game over, i feel grumpy, tired and all that jazz. However if i eat properly i have more energy and don't get as grumpy

 

[Seirende]

I've only been able to do overnight shifts by changing my lifestyle.

I find if I relieve my stress before i get to wherever it is, that also helps me. Because i find stress+being somewhere when im tired or grumpy, or what-have-you, is a fatal combo.
Also EATING HEALTHY, is a big key for me. If i eat like sht the day before, or the day of, game over, i feel grumpy, tired and all that jazz. However if i eat properly i have more energy and don't get as grumpy

Good, sound points. I hadn't thought about how my lifestyle outside of work might be contributing to the problem.

 

[Operations Guy]

24s and 48s are shown to not be healthy plan and simple. I use to work 48s and my key to success was sleeping when I could. I would nap any chance I got. Eating healthy was a big point as well cause fast food use to make me feel groggy. I slept like crap in quarters normally. I would recommend staying away from those energy drinks.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I'm very partial to the morning myself and when I get a night call, my patient care is not up to the same standard as during the day. It is adequate, but it could improve. I've thought about getting into some sort of routine while en route to help transition into a more alert state faster or even keeping an energy shot by my bed. I'd like to eventually get on a 12 or 16 hour daytime shift and leave the night work to the night owls, but until then, I'd like to make the best of my current situation.

Are you talking about working night shifts where you get to sleep but are woken up for calls?

It isn't just you. There's lots of research on this stuff. When you are woken abruptly from a good sleep, your performance is weak. Cognitive processing, alertness, reaction time are all poor. Using a stimulant (energy shot, Red Bull, coffee) will shorten the time it takes you to wake up and will increase your alertness, but at the expense of your being able to get back to a good sleep later.

If it really seems like an issue to you, maybe the best thing to do is to fully commit to a night schedule, which means sleeping during the day and staying up at night even when nothing is going on, even on the days you don't work.

Working nights is hard on your body and relationships, but it is probably much better than frequently changing your sleep patterns and being chronically tired.