**Night nurse vs Healthy lifestyle**

Mommy Life working Night shifts vs Healthy lifestyle

Following my first post #introducingyourself I have decided to post about my life working nights as a nurse. I am critical care nurse caring for patients who require intensive care treatment to keep them alive which can be emotionally challenging as well as physically demanding as I mainly work a night shift which is a 12.5 hour shifts starting at 7.30pm and finishing around 8.00am.

It is my choice to work nights to help with my child care as I find that working nights I still get to tuck her in at night give her a good night kiss then I go to work , so I don't miss bed time with her .
In the morning my husband drops her off at my mom’s or sisters for about 5 hours so I only miss out on 5 hours of her life whereas on a day shift I wouldn't see her at all day which would devastate me .When they are so young they are learning new things and developing so quickly. Most people say it's healthy for them to miss you and be away from you but I miss her.

So getting back to my night shift at around 8:30am resembling a zombie nurse at this stage as I’ve been awake for 24hours at this point .

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I quickly jump in the shower and fall into bed knowing I only have 4 hours sleep before my mom is knocking at the door delivering my little princess back to me :-) . Which sometimes is a beautiful experience other times not so much , When you have only had 3-4 hours’ sleep and I answer the door to her crying because she just feels like it and she's 2 so that means that she's allowed I suppose, I feel like crawling in a ball and crying myself . I can't moan though I am very privileged that I don't have to pay for childcare as I have a very supportive family , my mom or sister are able to babysit my daughter whilst I sleep. On the odd occasion if I am down to work a weekend I usually get home and greeted with this view of my husband and daughter fast asleep in bed together, I secretly think she likes me working nights because there is more room in the bed for her.

The reason I have decided to blog about this is because recently as my New Year’s resolution I have been looking into changing my lifestyle and have a healthier lifestyle as I am turning 30 this year it's shocked me into thinking maybe I need to take care of myself a little more . But for all who really know me I am a big softy and like to put everyone else first.Which usually ends up with me being somewhat neglected which I know isn't great but it's my DNA and we can't change that can we 😉 . As a nurse I think we have elements of OCD at work I pride myself in the cleanliness and organisation of my bed space, it is set up so if I need anything I put my hand on it right away, everything is labelled , dated , untangled and cleaned to within an inch of its life and for any critical care nurses I am sure your nodding in agreement . So being a mom for the first year in 2015 was a SHOCK to my little OCD system and I found it so difficult because babies don't do what books say they do. Babies do what they want, when they want, so my OCD boundaries have been tested over the last 2 years.
Before I start to get ready for my night shift I have been awake for 12hours and all I want to do is climb into my bed and get some sleep but instead I prepare my husband and daughters lunch for the next morning, pack my daughters bag with her outfit for the next day, nappies, wipes, toys, extra clothes in case of an accident and anything else I think she may need . Then as an afterthought for myself I throw a banana, piece of bread for toast and my juice in my bag to get me through my night shift. Kissing them both good bye I head off knowing I won’t be home for another 14hours ;-(

So to try and start thing about myself now I have researched into healthier foods and light exercise daily but one of the main things for a healthy mind and body apparently is as simple as a good night sleep . Researching this I found sleepfoundation.org state that as an adult I should be having 7-9 hours per night which I am never going to be able to sustain working nights with a 2 year old . Even on a good night I sleep maximum of 6-7 hours with regular 2 hours disturbances from my adorable daughter so I'm already at a negative loss from mommy life let's see how much less I get from working my two night shifts .

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Today I've sat and worked it out over the 365 days of the year , how much sleep I lose in comparison to the average individual. So as an adult we should be sleeping 8 hours which is a weekly average of 56hours and 2,920hours sleep a year (sorry number overload but I like numbers, facts and figures make more sense)
I work two nights a week with 3.5-4hours sleep the following day and average about 7 hours sleep on the other 5 nights, minus the disturbed sleep of a my crying toddler who has decided it fun to wake up 3-4 times a night.
So in my calculations I have approximately 43hours sleep a week so I am losing 13hours sleep a week which over the year is 676hours a year. This equates to approximately 28 days sleep I am losing. That's shocked me massively as its almost a month.

So how can I maintain a healthy life style working these unsociable hour . I understand I am not the only person to work these unsociable hours ,there are millions/billions of professionals, health care workers from nurses , doctors , paramedics to police ,firefighters etc , but if we need 7-9 hours sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle and losing on average 28 days a year sleep how can I change it.
I have thought about maybe sleeping longer in the week to try and equal out the negative deficit but it's impossible. Could I try and nap in the day when my daughter sleeps from 2pm-3pm but would this be a beneficial sleep or just make me feel worse for having a cat nap?

Or do I accept that this is the balance between working and mommy life and that by giving up my 28 days sleep I have gained something more priceless and special by spending time with my daughter. We get to spend quality time exploring her imagination playing with her kitchen, playing shops, running around playing tag, taking walks to the park or just chilling out having cuddles watching her favourite films.

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Mommy work life balance and it's a tricky one. Many parents including my own explained how exhausting it can be but I honestly thought they were just over exaggerating, maybe they were having bad day, but until you’re in mommy life you cannot understand. I know having minimal sleep isn't healthy for me but I’m looking for solutions on how to improve my lifestyle. I am young now so I understand my body will compensate but will this eventually be detrimental to my own future health. This is the battle inside my head right now I am trying to get the mommy work life balance and I suppose no way is the right way.

If anyone has any suggestions if they have been in this position and think they know what could help please let me know as I am looking for any hints and tips.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post

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mangyan (43) · 7 years ago

wow I can't do that you must take a break for moment, just for yourself. I know how hard it is doing night shift. I remember I was so thin after doing a night shift for almost 1 year. Take care of yourself...

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williamsbg (38) · 7 years ago

Thank you so much for your comments @mangyan I am very lucky I have a great husband who helps me but the lack of sleep is hard and getting back into day mode from night mode. Thank you for your concerns I promise I will start taking more care of myself , writing this post opened my eyes to my own self neglect.

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sarahstarkey (57) · 7 years ago

Lovely post @williamsbg . I admire your work ethic and focuses on what you consider your precious priorties. You are a true inspiration. There is no way I could even think of functioning on such little sleep, let alone experience it for real!
I would love to be suggesting some ideas on what you can do to improve your sleep deprivation, however you seem to be doing the very best you can already!
As hard as it seems, keep going as you say, your child is worth every second of your time when your eyes are open. Maybe one day when she's 18 and independant you can sleep as much as you want. What is 16 years from now hey? Haha. Upvoted x 😊

Thank You so much @sarahstarkey . I try my best to make sure my daughter has my full love and attention and if that means me sacrifising couple hours sleep so she has someone to turn to and look up to its worth every second. Being a mom is such a blessing and 16 years will fly by at least i can say i have been there every step with her.
Thank you so much for your beautiful post means alot.
I hope by sharing my posts makes others realise they arent on their own and we all feel the strains from time to time , its ok to talk about it and ask for help. xx

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kingxerxesdex (54) · 7 years ago

I feel you.. except the part of being a mom haha... You should reward yourself too sometimes..

Many thanks for your post @kingxerxesdex . I am enjoying Steemit it helps me explore different cultures and new challenges in life so it's my new reward .

birdlover (43) · 7 years ago

Wow.. It sounds really really tiring and hard emotionally and physically.. But you are such a great mom! Lovely post!

Thank you for your kind words and following my post