Even if you’re not a full-fledged nurse, it can be difficult to get enough sleep at night (or during the day, depending on when you work). CNAs and nurses often work long shifts of twelve or more hours, which can be taxing on both endurance and strength. Double shifts can make it even harder. However, sleep deprivation can be detrimental in a profession that requires constant alertness.
Here are some benefits of getting enough sleep as a nursing assistant.
Staying Alert
If you are enrolling in an educational training program, CNAs and other medical professionals need to be alert, and one of the best ways to be so is to get enough sleep. You need to be ready to respond to any emergency small or large that arises, and you’ll perform much better if you’re rested and energized. Otherwise you may be groggy and sluggish, which can be detrimental to your performance.
Being a nurse is one of the most demanding jobs, and if you’re working a long shift, you’re likely to be tired by the end of it. If you start your shift out feeling tired already, you’re far more likely to be ineffective at the end of the day. You should always go into work feeling prepared and refreshed, which will help maximize your endurance.
Improved Immunity
As a CNA, you’ll likely see many injured and sick patients on a daily basis, over the course of the entire day. If your immune system is weakened due to a lack of sleep, you may get sick. If you’re sick, you’ll have an even harder time performing, and you may miss work, taking a hit on your paycheck.
Being sick as a nursing assistant is also particularly bad for patients around you who may also have compromised immune systems, making it necessary to stay healthy for the patients more than anyone else while on the clock.
Healthier Heart
Your heart is the muscle that works the hardest in your body, and your blood pressure goes down when sleeping, giving it a rest along with the rest of you. Sleeping also relieves pressure on blood vessels. As a result, you’ll feel better when you wake up, and you’ll feel energetic and without the kind of stress and tiredness that comes with the demands of nursing. Of course, a healthy heart is something that everyone should have, regardless of profession, but in adding more energy and stamina, it can go a long way for a CNA.
Regardless of what industry you work in, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night, which can help you perform your job at the level you need to at all times.
As long as you’re not working those long shifts, you should be focused on recuperating so you can return to work refreshed and ready to make a difference. Not only will you feel different, but people around you will also notice a difference and react more positively.
