DRAFT, nurses version, October 2026. Not yet approved by Rob.
Tired nurse in scrubs at the end of a shift
For nurses and midwives

Home from shift, and your head's still on the ward?

Twelve hours on your feet and your body's done. Then you lie down and your mind clocks back on: the patient in bed 4, the handover you rushed, the hours left before the alarm.

Six questions, about a minute. You'll see your after-shift pattern, get one thing to try before your next sleep, and pick one free 20 minute session to try for 7 nights.

See why it happens ↓
Six questionsDays, nights or rotatingNot a test, not a diagnosis
Rob Edmonds

Rob Edmonds, Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy. Creator of The Mindshift Method and Cognitive Pattern Reprogramming.

Question 1 of 6

Pick the answer closest to you. Most nurses are a mix.

Your after-shift pattern

How your answers split. This is not a score, and it does not diagnose anything. Results vary from person to person.

A note on safety and health. If you're nodding off on the drive home, or the sleep trouble is new, getting worse, or has lasted for months, please talk to your GP, your manager or your workplace EAP. Nurse & Midwife Support is free, confidential and open 24/7 on 1800 667 877. Shift work can affect sleep in ways that are worth getting checked. Everything here is designed to sit alongside that support, not replace it.
What you actually get

Sessions Chosen for After a Shift

One email gives you one free session for 7 nights. Pick the one that fits you best. No credit card. Each runs 20 minutes and plays whatever time of day you sleep. Do not listen while driving or operating machinery.

Woman lying in a dim room with a hand to her head, looking at her phone with a tense face
Free for 7 nightsFor the 3am wake

Back to Sleep After Waking

For when you wake mid-sleep and your mind starts on the next shift.

 A woman asleep, resting peacefully on a pillow
Free for 7 nightsFor getting off to sleep

Deep Restful Sleep

For lying down after a shift and not being able to drop off, day or night.

 A man with a beard asleep on his side, head on a white pillow
Free for 7 nightsAfter a hard shift

Sleep After Stressful Days

For when your body is home but still running at ward pace.

 Man sitting with a hand pressed to his head, looking drained and lost in thought
Free for 7 nightsWhen the mind won’t stop

Calm the Overthinking Mind

For running the what-ifs about the next shift and the hours of sleep left.

 Woman and man sitting apart on a sofa, the woman looking away with a worried expression
Free for 7 nightsReplaying the shift

Stop Replaying the Conversation

For a handover, a patient or a word with a family that keeps coming back.

 Healthcare worker in teal scrubs and gloves leaning back with arms crossed and eyes closed
Free for 7 nightsWork stress

Reduce Stress and Anxiety in the Workplace

For the pressure of the job itself, staffing, pace and the load you carry home.

After your free 7 nights, a subscription of $29.95 a month or $299 a year opens the whole library on your phone. Cancel any time. It sits alongside any support you already have.

Rob on your pattern

Rob's video for this pattern goes here.

Know someone on your ward who's running on empty?

Want your seven-sleep plan and the Back to Sleep session sent to you?

Seven short emails, one per sleep, built around your pattern, with the session link so it's on your phone when you get home. Email 1 lands in the next few minutes. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Done. Email 1 is on its way.

If it isn't there in ten minutes, check spam or promotions and drag it across. That tells your inbox the rest are wanted.

Know someone on your ward who's running on empty?

If you're in bed right now

When you're home and can't switch off

Being wired after a shift is normal. The trouble is what your mind does with it once you lie down. The aim isn't to force sleep. It's to stop telling your body the shift is still going. Keep these five steps on your phone.

  1. Don't do the maths. Don't count the hours until the alarm or the next shift. The number is what wakes you up properly.
  2. Let the shift out of your body. Soften your jaw, drop your shoulders, spread your toes. Twelve hours of standing and bracing is still sitting in there.
  3. Lengthen your exhale gently. Let the out-breath run a little slower than the in-breath. Nothing forced.
  4. Hand it over. Tell yourself: "It's handed over. The next shift has it." Say it as many times as it takes.
  5. Give your attention somewhere safe. Press play on the Back to Sleep session and just listen.
Questions nurses ask about sleep

Tap a question to read. Nothing is wrong with you.

Why is it so hard to sleep after a night shift?
  • Your body clock reads daylight as "be awake", however tired you are.
  • Your body is often still running at ward pace when you walk in the door.
  • Then the thinking starts: the patient, the handover, the hours left.
  • Tired body, switched-on mind. That's the combination that keeps you lying there.
An Australian study of 202 nurses found those at higher risk of shift-related sleep problems were far more likely to lie in bed planning and worrying (54% compared with 22%).
Booker et al., Sleep, 2020
How do you sleep during the day after a night shift?
  • Make the room say night at noon: blackout curtains, or a good sleep mask.
  • Wear sunglasses on the drive home, so the morning light doesn't wake you up properly.
  • Keep caffeine to earlier in the shift.
  • Phone on do not disturb, and tell the house your sleep hours.
  • Many nurses find a short nap before a night shift easier than a long one.
How do I switch off from work stress after a shift?
  • Give the shift an ending. Type the one thing still on your mind into your phone notes before you leave the car park, then say "handed over".
  • Give your body a gap between the ward and the bed: a warm shower, lights low, phone face down.
  • Don't do the maths. Counting the hours until the alarm is what wakes you up properly.
  • The Mindshift Method uses Cognitive Pattern Reprogramming, drawing on Clinical Hypnosis, Strategic Psychotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. While listening, you remain aware and in control, able to hear what is being said and respond if you choose. People respond differently, and results vary.
Why do I keep dreaming about work?
  • Dreaming about the ward, hearing pumps and call bells at home, waking sure you've missed something. A lot of nurses know this one.
  • It usually means your mind hasn't finished the shift yet.
  • It isn't a sign you're not coping, or that something is wrong with you.
Is it normal to worry I won't sleep before a shift?
  • Yes, it's common. Worrying about sleep, and about being safe on the next shift without it, keeps you alert.
  • Alert makes sleep harder, which feeds the worry. It's a loop, and trying harder rarely breaks it.
Is shift work sleep disorder a real thing?
  • Shift work sleep disorder is a recognised clinical diagnosis, and only a doctor can make it.
  • If your sleep or alertness has been off for months because of your roster, raise it with your GP.
  • The sessions here sit alongside that, not instead of it.
What are the signs of nurse burnout?
  • Burnout signs nurses often describe include dreading shifts days ahead, feeling numb or cynical, and time off no longer helping you recover.
  • If that sounds like you, talk to your GP or workplace EAP. Nurse & Midwife Support is free, confidential and open 24/7 on 1800 667 877.
  • This check-in is not a burnout test and does not diagnose anything.
In bed right now? Skip the questions.Press play