How to adjust sleep habits?

[Essentio]

How to adjust sleep habits to be able to go to bed at a certain time?

 

[phreak]

liquor is a hell of a sleep aid

 

[hypersonic]

Originally Posted by phreak

liquor is a hell of a sleep aid

LOL
Hmm...well liquor does make you drowsy but it also hinders REM sleep -- so it is not really good if you want proper sleep.

The best way I found to re-program my sleep patterns is to go to bed when I am very tired -- so if I have become nocturnal and want to have more normal sleep times, I will deliberately deprive myself of some sleep so that I am very tired when I go to bed.

 

[javyn]

The trick is to force yourself to wake up at the time you need to be waking up, and then stay up while going to bed at whatever your normal time would be. Won't take long at all until you start falling asleep earlier.

 

[Ajaxv2]

Ugh, this is one of the numerous problems with my college life. I can wake up whenever, as I have a crazy internal alarm clock (I swallowed it a few years ago, it works fine), but can never go to sleep early.

Grr.

 

[Essentio]

Originally Posted by javyn

The trick is to force yourself to wake up at the time you need to be waking up, and then stay up while going to bed at whatever your normal time would be. Won't take long at all until you start falling asleep earlier.


Thanks, but it doesn't work that well. Usually ends up in feeling restless in bed...

 

[Essentio]

Originally Posted by phreak

liquor is a hell of a sleep aid

It is but the possible consequences are too expensive. Same with sleeping pills that doctors just love to prescribe, it ends up in the scenario "no sleeping pill = no sleep".

 

[Essentio]

Originally Posted by Ajaxv2

, but can never go to sleep early.


Yeah, I know the feeling

 

[CDFS]

Originally Posted by Ajaxv2

Ugh, this is one of the numerous problems with my college life. I can wake up whenever, as I have a crazy internal alarm clock (I swallowed it a few years ago, it works fine), but can never go to sleep early.

Grr.

Battery life?

 

[Corniche]

Melatonine, the sleep natural hormone.

 

[javyn]

Originally Posted by Essentio

Thanks, but it doesn't work that well. Usually ends up in feeling restless in bed...

Same here, but after few days of going to bed at your normal late hour, then waking up at the early hour you're supposed to be waking up at will eventually force your body to go to bed earlier.

My sleep schedule during college was messed up, going to bed at 3 or 4 am every night and waking up at like 1 or 2. It took a while to change to waking up at 5:45 to make the commute to be at work by 8:30. The only way I ended up doing it was going to bed when I was tired (around 3:30), but forcing myself to wake up when I needed to at 5:45. Wasn't long before I was more than happy to be in bed and asleep by 10.

If ya need to cheat though, break a tab of benadryl in half and take it.

So, in short, to sum up my rambling post, the key is not forcing yourself to go to bed at a certain hour, but forcing yourself to wake up at an earlier hour. The getting to bed earlier will take care of itself if you do that.

 

[Essentio]

Originally Posted by Corniche

Melatonine, the sleep natural hormone.

Melatonin has side effects...

 

[Essentio]

Originally Posted by javyn

Same here, but after few days of going to bed at your normal late hour, then waking up at the early hour you're supposed to be waking up at will eventually force your body to go to bed earlier.

My sleep schedule during college was messed up, going to bed at 3 or 4 am every night and waking up at like 1 or 2. It took a while to change to waking up at 5:45 to make the commute to be at work by 8:30. The only way I ended up doing it was going to bed when I was tired (around 3:30), but forcing myself to wake up when I needed to at 5:45. Wasn't long before I was more than happy to be in bed and asleep by 10.

If ya need to cheat though, break a tab of benadryl in half and take it.

So, in short, to sum up my rambling post, the key is not forcing yourself to go to bed at a certain hour, but forcing yourself to wake up at an earlier hour. The getting to bed earlier will take care of itself if you do that.

Thank you, will have to try the "forcing to wake up" approach.

P.S. Benadryl is good stuff.

 

[javyn]

You'll be tired and miserable for a few days, but that's the only way I know how to do it. *shrug

 

[Kas]

Originally Posted by Essentio

Melatonin has side effects...

If you take it in a pill form, but I think he's talking about spending more time in the sun.