One of the best things a Travel Nurse can do for their health and well-being is to get enough quality sleep.

Sleep Matters: Getting rest is as important to your body as eating and drinking water. Insufficient sleep, inadequate quality of sleep, or disruptions to the sleep cycle have consequences. It will affect how you function at work and can cause irritability, sleepiness, fatigue, and a lack of good judgment. You will not be working at your best without enough rest.

The National Institute of Health states, “Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. Sleep deficiency is also linked to a higher chance of injury in adults…”.

As a Travel Nurse with demanding shifts and responsibilities, it’s important to include a “Pre-sleep and Sleep Plan” in your routine. The goal is to sleep well without distractions, so you are alert and focused when caring for patients.

• Pre-sleep Routine: Get into a sleeping mood. A few ways to wind down include taking a warm bath/shower, doing a skin care routine, meditating, reading, listening to soft music, and stretching. These activities will help provide the calm you need to relax your mind and transition into sleeping. During this pre-sleep period avoid bright lights, loud sounds, or taking on tasks that require heavy concentration. During the Pre-sleep period do not drink coffee or drinks that include caffeine.
• Sleep Time: Now that you have calmed your day, turn off the lights, TV, and electronic devices – computers and smartphone. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and naturally drift off to sleep.

Take Workday Micro Breaks

Short pauses and lunchtime breaks have shown they have a positive impact on productivity and can boost your performance. If you find you are always too busy to take a break, consider this a sign that you need to slow down. Take your breaks and rejuvenate. Try one of our top 5 things to do during your next break:

1. Perform Breathing Exercises
2. Read a Book
3. Write in Your Journal
4. Do Chair Exercises
5. Take a Walk Outdoors

As Essayist Tim Kreider noted in the New York Times in 2012: “Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets… It is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.”

To ensure you are getting enough sleep to be a success on the job, download our Sleep Tracker here.

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If you have weighed the advantages of becoming a Travel Nurse and feel it is the right path for you, MetaSense can help you find your first or next assignment. If you need more information, your dedicated Recruiter will be available to answer any questions you have.