How Those with Travel RN Nursing Jobs can Optimize Sleep Part 2: Knowing the Sleep Cycle & How to Cut Down Effectively

One key method of  making sure you get a full night’s sleep before your next shift is to follow the 90-minute rule.

What’s the 90-minute rule? For one, it’s something that anyone who frequently has to adjust to new travel RN nursing jobs will want to understand. Recent human sleep research has revealed that human sleep cycles occur roughly in 90-minute intervals.

Within each hour-and-a-half cycle are two periods of REM sleep separated by one session of non-REM sleep. That means those with travel RN nursing jobs can stay alert by modifying their sleeping schedules to 90 minute intervals.

Have you ever woken up feeling groggy for your latest travel RN nursing jobs shift after 8 hours of sleep? Chances are your sleep cycle was interrupted in the middle. That could also be why sometimes we wake from just 6 hours of sleep feeling refreshed. 6 hours = 4 hour-and-a-half intervals.

But we wouldn’t recommend switching to sleeping for 6 hours night right away. Another crucial way those with travel RN nursing jobs can achieve maximum rest is by cutting down on sleep time incrementally. It is possible for most with travel RN nursing jobs to get by on less sleep, but only if they take the necessary steps to doing so. Instead of going from 8 hours to 6 hours right away, try cutting down a half hour at a time. Plan on sleeping for 7 ½ hours for a week, then cut that down to 7 for the next week. Going slowly and steadily will ensure a more successful sleep schedule that won’t leave you groggy.

5 iPhone Applications that will Help Travel Nurses Stay in Touch with Friends, Family, Colleagues and Medical Staffing Agencies

As longtime medical staffing recruiters, we know how much travel nurses care about keeping in touch. Those with travel nursing jobs typically have a lot of people that they need to stay in contact with: family, friends, hospitals and medical facilities and their medical staffing recruiters.

Because part of a travel nurse’s life is moving frequently across the country, the need to stay connected is crucial. The good news is that the latest smartphones come with an enticing array of tools that can help you keep in touch with the people to your professional and personal life. If you have an iPhone, here are 5 key applications that will make easier to team up with traveling medical staffing recruiters like ours and achieve travel success.

TripChill: This is a useful mobile travel application that can help you, your colleagues at medical staffing recruiters and clinics, and your friends on top of your travel status.

Trips: Want to know about flight delays ASAP? Who doesn’t? This application will do that and alert you to other crucial breaking travel information.

roadtrippr: Ever get assignments from medical staffing recruiters that take you off the beaten path? This application will help you find great and interesting places that not everyone knows about.

iPhone Travel: This popular application makes it easy for you to find great deals on top airfare, hotel rooms, dining and a lot more. It can help you save big.

Travelocity: This popular Website has now released an app that can also help you find hotels and great airfare deals.

Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Part 1: Why Your Chronotype Matters for those with Travel Nursing Jobs in Texas

Are you the kind of nurse who thrives in the morning? Or are you at your best later in the day? There’s no single best answer to that question—it’s based on your chronotype, or the attribute that people have that determines what time of day they are at their most alert.

But chances are if you’re a registered nurse looking for travel nursing jobs in Texas, then you probably already know what your chronotype is, since you’ve probably worked shifts where you felt vibrant and alert and you’ve worked shifts where you were dreary and tired. RNs with travel nursing jobs in Texas have likely learned that late shifts can be rough on early risers, and early morning shifts are tough for night owls.

And your chronotype doesn’t just determine whether you’re a morning or an afternoon person; it will also dictate how long you need to sleep at night. Can you get by on five hours a night? Or do you need eight hours to feel your best?But you don’t have to resign yourself to travel nursing jobs in Texas that will leave you sluggish and drowsy. There are ways you can train yourself to adjust to a shift that doesn’t align with your natural rythmn. Odd shifts can really test an RNs natural rhythm. But there are ways to cope. Here is the first tip i our series on how you can get your best night’s sleep.

Tip #1: Wake Up at the Same Time Everyday

This first tip for those with travel nursing jobs in Texas is to go to bed when you’re tired and to wake up at the same time every day. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you’ve taken a lot of travel nursing jobs in Texas, then you know that it can be a rule that can at times be difficult to adhere to.

We’ve all had this scenario happen to us: It’s 10pm, you’ve had a long day at your clinic and you’re ready for bed. But as you flip through the TV channels one last time before turning in, you get sucked in by a TV show. By the time the show ends, at 11pm, and you’re not tired anymore. Now it may take another hour of two before you fall asleep again.

What happened? TV is stimulating. That’s why it’s not recommended for those experiencing insomnia to watch TV. Watching just a little TV can be enough to keep even busy RNs with travel nursing jobs in Texas up after a long day.

So what’s the solution? Should you stop watching TV altogether? Of course not, but it helps to be more aware of your body’s natural rhythm. If you feel tired, then resist the urge to turn on the TV. Just go to sleep instead.

Another thing those with travel nursing jobs in Texas will want to avoid is going to bed when they’re not tired. Even if you have to get up at 5am the next day, turning in at 9pm when you’re not tired will just make you feel frustrated and anxious. And that anxiety can lead to insomnia. In other words, wait until you’re tired, and aim for waking up at the same time every day. Your new natural rhythm will quickly develop.