The Bad Night Protocol

Hard nights happen. It’s 2 a.m., you’re sore, worried or wide awake, and the questions feel bigger in the dark: Is this normal? Should I call someone? Can this wait until morning?

The Bad Night Protocol gives you one calm plan to follow, written before the hard night comes. You fill it in on a good day, with your care team’s instructions in hand. Then, on a bad night, you simply follow the steps:

1. Pause and check — name what’s wrong right now: pain, worry, can’t sleep, or feeling sick.

2. Use your team’s plan — where your night instructions, medicine list and after-hours number are kept.

3. Comfort steps — position, breathing, a calm routine and getting back to rest.

4. Know the next level of help — what can wait until morning, when to call the after-hours line, and when to call 911.

5. Note it for the morning — what happened, what helped, and what to tell your team.

It works alongside any CarePlanCompass™ Companion and for any condition, surgery or caregiver. It does not replace your care team’s instructions; it helps you find and follow them when you need them most.