Why night shift is so much better than days

As I sit here waiting for Andrew to get back from the store, I think about today. About staying up all day with the kids today {and sleeping during nap time---thank goodness for the world of naps}, even thought I had worked the night before. And the night before that. And somehow I am still here. Awake, barely, but here.

It's a crazy schedule that I am on and I know it is simply a season of life. This whole little sleep business. I know I may sound insane, but I bet I will miss it one day. I know for certain I'll miss my children being this little, but I even have a feeling I'll miss it all.

Having said that, I also couldn't help but think about the crazy night at work that I had with the crazy people that I work with, and the crazy patients that we encountered. Even though I've worked both nights and days, there is a significant difference between the two. And I'll tell you exactly why nights is better than days:
 


Less family. Sometimes. Most of the time it means that family members are sleeping, whether that be at home or in the waiting room, all we know is that it means they are not hovering over our patients 24/7. Now, believe me, that is not always the case, but being on nights means that we have a better chance of not having someone at the bedside all the time distracting us from the main focus: the patient. Let's just say, less is more.

Less people in general. There is a vast difference in the amount of human bodies around compared to nights and days. From physical therapists to respiratory therapists, transporters, doctors and students, specialists, managers, and every one else in between. I remember my time working days and my phone would never stop ringing. And when it wasn't ringing, there was always someone that needed me. And that someone was usually not even the patient.

Cooler people. It's a fact. The really fun people work at night. Not to say that day shift people aren't fun, but having had worked both days for 2 years prior to kids and now nights for 4, I can tell you with certainty that there sure is a difference. Night shifters are so much more relaxed and go-with-the-flow [not all of course], and it makes such a big difference in how your shift will go.

You can make appointments. Day shift can also make appointments but they have to be during their days off. No office is open before 7 am and after 7pm. So they have 2 days off during the week to squeeze those in. It works. Obviously. But I don't like to think ahead of time and most of the time I don't have my schedule that far in advance, so I love the flexibility of just knowing that I will be off that day. 

You have 7 days off a week. That's the truth. How you decide to spend them is up to you. Most people actually sleep when they don't have two little ones to keep an eye on. They're normal. Then you have people like me who doesn't sleep during the day {except for the wonderful nap time that I talked about earlier} and therefore we get to have all those days to do whatever we want. Park dates. Play dates. Gymnastics. Music class. School time. Whatever we want.

I don't have to send my kids to daycare. I know that this is not the case of every night shifter, but I am thankful that this is the case for me. That somehow we are able to make it work and that I don't have to miss out on a single milestone that my babies go through. I'm thankful that my schedule is flexible and allows me this one in a lifetime opportunity. Kids grow up fast, and before you know it, they're out of the house. I want to a part of their lives as much of possible, and working nights gives that chance for me to do that.

Someone asked me the other day if I would ever think about going to days? My answer to that is simple:

Not while my kids are little.