We all know that the life of a nurse is a busy one and sleep deprivation is a real thing. Whether you’re working night shifts, day shifts, 12-hour shifts, or varied shifts, getting enough rest is essential. As a travel nurse, your shifts could change every few weeks or months and it can become difficult to make the transition. You might have been able to get away with minimal sleep in nursing school, but getting enough sleep should be a priority in your professional life. It can greatly affect your day-to-day mood and work practices. Here are a few sleep tips for travel nurses.
4 Sleep Tips for Travel Nurses
1. Invest in a mattress topper
If you’re traveling around the country to different assignments, it’s likely that you aren’t bringing your own mattress everywhere. It’s hard to control the type of mattress you’ll get in the housing provided. So, bringing a mattress topper along could be a solution. This can be one of the best sleep tips for travel nurses since no one likes to sleep on an uncomfortable mattress. There are different toppers that can offer more support or more softness depending on your preferences. They are much easier to transport than an actual mattress and can make a world of a difference.
2. Block out light
Most people sleep better when there is minimal light, so eliminating any sources of light can drastically help. Buying black out curtains could be one of the best sleep tips for travel nurses working the night shift. They’re relatively inexpensive and are easy to pack up and take with you as you travel. Eye masks are also great for blocking out light and are way smaller than curtains if you don’t feel like carting them around.
If there are other lights in the room that can be distracting such as a digital clock or TV, turn them off before bed. Most clocks have a setting to dim or turn off the display, but facing the display away from you can work just as well. People also say that TV helps them sleep, but the changing scenes and lights can prevent you from reaching REM.
3. Avoid technology before bed
Staring at a lit up screen whether it’s your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or TV keeps your brain alert. This means that doing so right before bed doesn’t allow your brain to adequately unwind and relax. You might think that you’re watching a movie or your favorite TV show to help you chill out and relax, but it’s actually doing the opposite by engaging your brain. Instead of watching TV or surfing the web, try reading or writing and avoid using your devices 30 minutes before bedtime.
4. Take naps
This might be one of the sleep tips for travel nurses that you’re already quite familiar with. Taking naps is a daily habit for many nurses, so it’s important to address the subject. If you have a case of insomnia or can get enough sleep without naps, you might want to skip this one altogether. While naps can be very beneficial, there are a few things to remember.
Don’t sleep too long
Usually, naps lasting from 10-20 minutes give the best results. Longer naps can cause sleep inertia or that groggy feeling that you get right after waking up. Sleep inertia can cause reduced performance, which certainly wouldn’t be good for your shift.
Set an alarm
If you’re going to take a nap, make sure you set an alarm. You might be worrying that you won’t wake up in time, so it can be harder to fall asleep. Setting an alarm can help limit this worry and help you nap better.
Find your “nappy place”
Sleep Tips for Travel Nurses
We all know that the life of a nurse is a busy one and sleep deprivation is a real thing. Whether you’re working night shifts, day shifts, 12-hour shifts, or varied shifts, getting a restful sleep is essential.
As a travel nurse, you might be rotating shifts every few weeks or months, making it difficult to transition to new sleep patterns. Sleep can significantly affect your mental health, well-being, and daily habits. It is important to prioritize your sleep health to stay alert while working long hours.
Sleep Problems for Travel Nurses
Getting a good night’s sleep can be a delicate process that requires a consistent routine. Keeping your body’s circadian rhythm, or internal clock, in check is difficult for healthcare professionals working the night shift or bouncing between shifts.
As a travel nurse, your sleep-wake schedule will often be disrupted by night shift assignments, travel requirements, or schedule changes.
Identifying the main sleep problems impacting travel nurses is important to improve sleep health.
Jet Lag
After long flights across time zones, your body’s circadian rhythm can be thrown off by the sudden change in schedule. While it may be 11 pm where you are, your body could still think it is 7 pm depending on where you came from.
Jet lag causes a multitude of symptoms, including fatigue and drowsiness. Jet lag can also make falling asleep difficult, even if you feel tired. The effects of jet lag typically last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
First-night Effect
Brown University found that areas of your brain will stay awake when sleeping in a new location, thus leading to worse sleep quality.
Your mind may be too aware of your new surroundings when trying to get some shut-eye and stay active throughout the night. The first-night effect will make you sleepy the next morning, even if you have no trouble falling asleep. This effect typically lasts 1-2 nights.
Lifestyle Routine Changes
Your sleep schedule likely isn’t the only thing that changes when you travel. In a new location, you’ll probably have some changes to your routine.
Most travelers stray from their normal diet and exercise regimens, which can disrupt circadian rhythms. For example, increased sugar consumption at night or decreased daily exercise can cause temporary sleep issues.
Higher Stress Levels
Starting a new position can bring feelings of anxiety or stress, especially during the first few days of a new travel nurse assignment. For new night shift workers, the change in routine can produce extra stress, especially if you do not typically work nights.
An increase in cortisol causes a lack of sleep, which in turn, further increases cortisol levels. This process creates a negative spiral that can affect your sleep health.
It is important to incorporate healthy sleep habits into your daily routine to prioritize better sleep.
5 Sleeping Tips for Travel Nurses
1. Invest in a Mattress Topper
If you’re traveling around the country to different assignments, you’re likely not bringing your mattress everywhere. It’s hard to control the type of mattress provided with your housing. Getting a mattress topper can help promote a more comfortable sleeping experience.
Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress can keep you awake throughout the night and cause physical discomfort. There are mattress toppers available that can offer more support or more softness, depending on your preferences. Mattress toppers are easy to transport and can make a big difference.
2. Block Out the Light
Eliminating sources of light may help you get a good night’s rest. For nurses working night shifts, it may be light outside when your shift ends, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Blackout curtains are an excellent and inexpensive option for nurses working the night shift. These curtains can block out bright lights and keep your room dark after a long night shift. You can also wear a sleep mask to help block out the light.
Consider turning off other distracting lights in your room, such as digital clocks and TVs. Many clocks have a setting to dim or turn off the display, but facing the display away from you can work just as well.
If you enjoy falling asleep with the TV on, consider scheduling a timer on your TV to turn off after 30 minutes. Keeping the TV on throughout the night can interfere with REM sleep.
3. Get a Sound Machine
Whether you’re trying to fall asleep after a night shift or live in a busy city, noise can make it impossible to get a deep sleep. Investing in a white noise machine can make a huge difference in blocking out unwanted noise.
4. Create a Routine that Supports Quality Sleep
A disrupted sleep routine can be the leading cause of sleep issues. Poor sleep can increase your risk for multiple health conditions, including high blood pressure and suppressed immune systems. Here are some tips approved by sleep experts to create a routine for the best sleep.
Maintain a Healthy Food Habits
While certain foods can make you sleepy, eating healthy foods at healthy times is far more critical for your sleep.
Avoid eating or drinking alcohol before bedtime and aim to eat complex carbs throughout the day, which promote the release of serotonin in the body.
Try limiting caffeine intake to daytime hours or earlier during your night shift. Sugary, caffeinated beverages like energy drinks and coffee can interfere with your circadian rhythm.
Use Your Bed for Sleeping Only
Creating a mental association with sleep can make it easier for your body to get good rest. Try to avoid resting in your room unless you plan on sleeping. If you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, get up and try again later.
Avoid Technology Before Bed
Limiting your screen time before bed is essential. Devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets, and TVs promote wakefulness and keep your brain alert. Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime to allow your brain time to unwind and relax.
try not to exercise before bed
While it is important to get enough physical activity, try to avoid exercising right before going to sleep. Exercising increases your body temperature and activates your mind, making it more difficult to get restful sleep.
5. Take naps
Taking naps is a daily habit for many night-shift nurses. If you have a case of insomnia or can get enough sleep without naps, you might want to skip naps altogether. While naps can be very beneficial, there are a few things to remember.
Don’t sleep too long
Usually, naps lasting from 10-20 minutes give the best results. Longer naps can cause sleep inertia or that groggy feeling you get right after waking up. Sleep inertia can cause reduced performance, which certainly isn’t ideal.
Set an alarm
If you’re going to nap, make sure you set the alarm. You might worry that you won’t wake up in time, so it can be harder to fall asleep. Setting the alarm can help limit this worry and help you nap better.
Find your “nappy place”
Try to take naps in a distraction-free environment. Many nurses can take short naps on their breaks if allowed. If there isn’t a “sleeping room” in the hospital, bring an eye mask and earplugs.
Additional Sleeping Tips
Plenty of other sleeping tips, tricks, and gadgets are available to help you live your best nurse life! Start here if you are having trouble sleeping in your new home.
If you’ve tried everything and are still having trouble sleeping, consider contacting your doctor or other healthcare professionals. They may be able to conduct a sleep study and prescribe medication to help you fall and stay asleep.
If all else fails, consider taking assignments within your current time zone or avoid working night shifts.
Browse for travel nursing jobs and filter the results for somewhere where you can get a good night’s sleep.
