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Night Shift

stephaniembuhl
stephaniembuhl Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, I am struggling with knowing what to do and how many extra calories to allow myself when I work night shift. I am a nurse and work a night shift every week or every other week, sometimes three night shifts in a row. Going into my first night shift I often stay awake for 24 hours (I wake up at a 8am and stay awake all day watching my son then go to work that night and don't have a chance to sleep until the next AM around 9am. Should this change my calorie allotment for the day? Any advice? Thanks!

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If you're going to be awake for 24-36 hours, you might consider logging in 24-chunks. When the night turns into day at midnight, start logging on the next day.

    A person who is awake for 24 hours will naturally require more food during their waking period than a person who is only awake for sixteen hours.

    It'll probably be easier to keep track if you change your days when the day change. Or maybe not. Just a thought. :)
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    I work 12 hour nights 7P-7A, three times a week, the schedules vary. I changed my diary settings to midnight-6A, 6A-noon, noon-6P and 6P-midnight. I log the food in the appropriate place. I do the same on non-work days. At work, I simply move onto the new day at midnight.
  • Nightnurse33
    Nightnurse33 Posts: 30 Member
    Also a Nurse here. I do work nights and have for 16+ years. I always keep my 12's in a row, so much easier then switching back and forth. My first 12 of the week I wake up like a normal person BUT I dont eat anything except coffee,( Coffee is like breathing). I take a Nap from 12-3:15 and start my day with breakfast then. It ends when I get home the next morning. Sleep by 8am and back up at 3:15 Repeat. Works for me.

    Ted
  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
    I just want to thank you for being a nurse. It's a tough job, not all can do it.
  • mystgrl1604
    mystgrl1604 Posts: 117 Member
    Nurse here as well. Can't count how many night shift threads is on here lol. I work day and night shifts, and I log midnight to midnight. Someone just recently suggested changing the meal names to chunks of time (12mn-4am, 4am-8am. etc) and I think I'm gonna try that. Beats having to figure out when and where to log!
  • JoLeeHamilton
    JoLeeHamilton Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2015
    Nurse here too!

    I find counting my calories from midnight to midnight when I'm on nights really helps. So I'm sticking to my daily goal.
    As does pre planning all my meals, and balancing my macros.

    When on nights I tend to have my 'lunch' at 1 or 2am, and log it as such under the 'Lunch' heading. I then have my breakfast and dinner as I usually would on a non nightshift day. On my days off I would just have my lunch at a normal lunchtime. This also helps me stick to a regular eating pattern, which I find really difficult on nightshift.

    Pre logging my calories and macros for the next day also stops me from being tempted to indulge in high fat/high sugar during the night to keep me going. I now have one or two high protein snacks instead.
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