sleep deprivation

Another week of nights completed. 2-3 hour naps twice a day is not conducive to the health of my patients or me. ER's are open 24 hours a day. The night staff is usually self selected, but we still are tired. Patients have decided over the years that ER's are 24-7 walk in clinics. I have been told that a patient chose to come in at 5:00 AM for his one month of back pain because he knew it would be less busy. Having pain at night is significantly more urgent because it interrupts your sleep.
I often share information about circadian rythyms with my patients. I explain changes in body temperature as they relate to time of day. The early morning MI, CHF is a well recognized phenomenon.
For the doctors, nurses, clerks, techs and secretaries who work nights there is a price to pay. Night pay differential does not adequately compensate for the statistically significant shortening of our lives that has been shown to be a consequence of shift work. The fact that our significant others are almost always day people adds another stressor to nights. A nurse I worked with for many years determined that she and I spent more waking hours together than we did with our respective spouses.
I will get my "make-up" sleep in the next few nights. Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde except Hyde is the calm persona in my autobiography.