Sleep Schedule

[CowboyMike]

Due to various circumstances I've become stuck on a weird sleep schedule. I can't seem to shake myself out of going to sleep around 4 am and waking up early afternoon. Any suggestions?

I've tried waking up early and staying awake until bedtime, but even then I can't sleep until 4 am.

 

[Lonestar94]

Either try to stay up or try going to sleep early.

Been there done that.

 

[Reality]

For me personally, I have found that the best way for me to get back on a normal sleeping pattern is to focus mainly on the wake-up time more than anything else. If I need to regularly wake up at 6:00am, I force myself to get up at that time even on days that I do not need to wake up that early. It is tough for a couple of days, especially when my sleeping pattern is way off of that schedule, but I have found that my body likes to wake itself up at the same time each day. After a couple of days, I start to get sleepy at the appropriate time each night that is necessary to wake up at the right time.

#reality

 

[Dallas]

Get a job where you start @ 7am and work 12 hours. Your body will find that schedule to be on for proper sleep and it won't be going to sleep @4am and sleeping like a teenager.

 

[YosemiteSam]

For me personally, I have found that the best way for me to get back on a normal sleeping pattern is to focus mainly on the wake-up time more than anything else. If I need to regularly wake up at 6:00am, I force myself to get up at that time even on days that I do not need to wake up that early. It is tough for a couple of days, especially when my sleeping pattern is way off of that schedule, but I have found that my body likes to wake itself up at the same time each day. After a couple of days, I start to get sleepy at the appropriate time each night that is necessary to wake up at the right time.

#reality

My issue with this is I would be getting up way earlier that I would want to on the weekends. Right now usually try to get up between 7 and 8 am on the weekends which is between 2-3 hours later than I get on weekdays.

I suppose I could start waking up at 6am on weekends and that would make the difference negligible.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

I wake up when I wake up.

I am typically up by 7-8 everyday regardless of what time I go to sleep.
But I stay up until around 3 everyday/night. 4-5 hours is all I need. More than that and I am a zombie.

I can take a nap around 2pm or 3pm and sleep for an hour or so and be fine.

I could be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that the body is typically on a 45 minute clock. Meaning you could sleep for 45 minutes and feel rested. I am sure it is different for everyone. But the only time I have ever slept for more than 5 hours was after staying up for 2 days plus in college. Even then it was only about 7 hours.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I wake up no later than 6am everyday including the weekends. My internal alarm has been on the same schedule since 1987.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Mike, what about setting an alarm at like 10:00 in the morning and making yourself get up. That's enough sleep that you can function during the day, but still little enough that you'll be tired that night.

Then work out hard during the day, and be sure to get at least an hour of sunlight. That'll help reset your clock.

Sleep problems suck... I've had them intermittently most of my adult life.

 

[visionary]

Due to various circumstances I've become stuck on a weird sleep schedule. I can't seem to shake myself out of going to sleep around 4 am and waking up early afternoon. Any suggestions?

I've tried waking up early and staying awake until bedtime, but even then I can't sleep until 4 am.

this is something called "delayed sleep phase syndrome"
it is actually not uncommon at all in teenagers

basicaly means, your body is most comfortable going to sleep late and wake up late and will do so if it is allowed to do so

if this is what your body wants and you have no pressing need to change, stay with it because studies indicate that people are most productive if they are allowed to "go with it" rather than try to change it

if you want to change because of work or social issues, the way out of this is to start waking up an hour earlier everyday, exposing yourself to strong light (called "phototherapy"), and take no naps during the day (this is absolutely critical)

gradually, your body clock will "right itself" and once you are sleeping and waking at the times you want, stay there

it can be a little bit of a struggle initially

if you want to read more about this, google "circadian rhythm sleep disorders" or "delayed sleep phase"

hope this helps

 

[kmp77]

Due to various circumstances I've become stuck on a weird sleep schedule. I can't seem to shake myself out of going to sleep around 4 am and waking up early afternoon. Any suggestions?

I've tried waking up early and staying awake until bedtime, but even then I can't sleep until 4 am.

I used to do an all nighter to reset. Stay up until 9:00pm the next night and hit the sack. Used to work pretty well.

 

[Dallas]

I wake up no later than 6am everyday including the weekends. My internal alarm has been on the same schedule since 1987.

I also wake up about this same time each and every day. It doesn't matter how late I stay up. I can go back to sleep mind you, but my inside clock is all RINGGGG at 5:59AM. I then casually reach over and grab the phone and turn off the alarm before it goes off.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I also wake up about this same time each and every day. It doesn't matter how late I stay up. I can go back to sleep mind you, but my inside clock is all RINGGGG at 5:59AM. I then casually reach over and grab the phone and turn off the alarm before it goes off.

During the week it's great but on the weekend it's annoying

 

[The30YardSlant]

The human body is actually designed to sleep in four hour intervals. For centuries, most societies on earth would sleep for four hours, get up for a couple hours then sleep another four. Our industrialized work schedules and school systems are what has created modern sleep schedules.

This is why most people who sleep 7-8 hours at a time wake up every several hours and have to fall back to sleep.

 

[jobberone]

Your biorhythms are set by the time you get up. To reset your clock you may only have to get up once or you may have to do it multiple times to get your body into the rhythm you wish.

You may not take naps at all.

You should schedule 8 hours of sleep. Up at 6 to bed by 10. Nothing more than enough light to make it to the BR. No TV. If you must have white noise it should be very low and no ups and downs of the volume. It helps for it to either be continuous like a fan or rhythmic but nothing dramatic. If possible turn off anthing that will disturb your sleep like phones, printers that suddenly come on, yada.

Use an alarm and put your feet on the ground. A shower helps.

No stimulants at first after 3PM then when you're sleeping no later than 6PM. No tea, cokes, yada.

Nothing but small glass of warm milk after 8PM if going to bed at 10. Don't eat things that will make your stomach rumble at night.

If you're not asleep in 30 mins and 'wide awake' then read a book. No TV. Soft music ok but turn it off when sleepy.

Your body cycles in regular arousal/sleepy patterns all day. When you feel drowsy put the book down and go to sleep. 1 hour cycles are common.

If you're not sleeping in one week or you get worse see a doctor right away. Mild hypnotics work in most people at least for awhile and in a number of patients will work for years.

If you feel depressed you should see a doctor right away. 70-80% of depression presents with insomnia as one symptom.

I'll send you a bill.

 

[visionary]

The human body is actually designed to sleep in four hour intervals. For centuries, most societies on earth would sleep for four hours, get up for a couple hours then sleep another four. Our industrialized work schedules and school systems are what has created modern sleep schedules.

This is why most people who sleep 7-8 hours at a time wake up every several hours and have to fall back to sleep.

:laugh2:

not sure where you are getting this but this is not correct
most normal people who sleep 7-8 hours at a time do not wake up every several hours

probably true if you are talking about obese human bodies though

reading a couple of the posts above, remember that you canot "make" yourself go to sleep at a set time but you can "make" yourself wake up at a set time

therefore, fix a wake up time everyday and do what i described in my earlier post
do not go to bed at a set time, go to bed when you feel sleepy or you will just lie there and toss and turn and get frustrated

once you sleep deprive your body enough, it will want to go to sleep

 

[The30YardSlant]

not sure where you are getting this but this is not correct

It's common knowledge in the historical community and has been generlly accepted by medical and scientific professionals since all the longterm sleep cycle studies were published about 10 years ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

For thousands of years human sleep across the globe was divided into a first and second sleep each lasting about four hours because that is the natural sleep rythm we are primed for. The unnatural way we sleep now is the result of societal change, not biological ones. In addition, a study of 10,000 people across Europe about five years ago showwed that 82% of those who sleep longer than four hours at a time awoke at least once and had to fall back to sleep. Sleeping through the night is very rare for people who try and get the "recommended" eight hours all at once.

 

[bayeslife]

I wake up no later than 6am everyday including the weekends. My internal alarm has been on the same schedule since 1987.

You geezer.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

This is my sleep schedule.

Go to sleep whenever I want. Wake up whenever I want.

That'll change when I get a job though. Once I turn 18 my pops is gonna make me get a job.

 

[arglebargle]

This is my sleep schedule.

Go to sleep whenever I want. Wake up whenever I want.

That'll change when I get a job though. Once I turn 18 my pops is gonna make me get a job.

Enjoy it while you can...

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Enjoy it while you can...

I will. Gonna really enjoy this last month before my working career begins.