There comes a point when the effort to remain awake AND alert exceeds the ability to consume / understand/ comprehend the material you are studying.

I’m sitting here at my computer desk re-reading and re-typing this weeks notes and I find my brain just simply shutting off? No warning, no prompt. Just…

POOF

One minute I’m reading, typing, comprehending….. saying to myself, “uh-huh. Yep, I remember this”.

The next minute I’m in a zombie-like trance in front of my screen. I’m Carol-Ann staring at the snow on the TV screen??

Then the bobbing starts.

Oh- you KNOW what I’m talking about. Back in my military days we called it ‘doing the funky-chicken’. Your getting sleepy-tired and your head drops, chin to your chest. You realize where your head is or you feel your chin hitting your chest and you do a ‘OH Wait a minute’ moment and jerk your head up. This cycle can continue on for minutes to hours if you let it.

So this is the ‘critical mass’ I’m talking about.

In the effort to be studious and take advantage of my time, I’m not contributing to my learning just by ‘putting in some hours’. My brain has officially shut off and I can’t seem to turn it back on.

I need the quality, not the quantity of studying.

Yep – calling it a night.

Image Source: aplusteacherfitness

the abnormal sleep and fall in vigilance demonstrated among intensive care unit nurses may have implications for patient safety

Abnormal sleep may increase nurse errors – UPI.com

I can relate to this dangerous possibility.

*SIGH*

Well my first nightshift in over a year came and went. I survived. Somehow I did more than just scrape by? I actually tolerated the nightshift with some energy left intact!

For me, the nightshift has always been about not sleeping. Not sleeping – which lead to my zombie-like presence. I would basically not sleep for the shift I worked, then run the marathon and pass out the following night.

The last time I physically had to work the nightshift was with the job that was 70 miles away. That drive home was wickedly horrible. After a 12-hour night shift I would sit in my car for another hour and some change. Then try to figure out how to get in to bed and sleep.

Zombie.

Now I work a 12-hour shift and my drive is, at the most, 20 minutes. That’s a blink of an eye. Before I know it, I’m home.

So I worked 2 12-hour shifts so far. I made it home and I was exhausted after a night of being awake. I passed out. For someone who claims to be a light sleeper -  I slept pretty darn good. I think I got between 6 and 7 hours of sleep!

My second worked shift, I got home and immediately went to sleep and was up after about 5 hours of sleep.

I’m hopeful.

If I can get the needed sleep… I’m golden!

I think the key element here is now when I get home… I’m actually tired. Hell – I’m whipped! So I get all my stuff ready for the next shift, shower, shave, etc. Then I crash.

I’ll keep you posted on how things turn out. I work the nightshift all weekend.

Fingers crossed.

Then I’d wake up for some of this:

  Whilst having that I’d then proceed to this:

Once I arrived I’d start a lot of this:

After a day full of that I’d return to this:

I’d arrive home with enough time to do this:

Get ready for the next day and then

Can I just tell you I am:

And I’m getting ready to do it again this week

All I can say is:

Talk again later.

Buh-bye