How to reset you bodyclock/sleepcycle?

[Shekwan]

Recently I've been sleeping in til after midday and falling asleep at crazy times like 4 - 6am. I'm a college student and as such I have no real obligations to be anywhere at any given time during the week. Lectures are not mandatory and I only have one tutorial which is at like 2pm so it's not a problem. I have deadlines for assignments which I do anytime I please. All social stuff that I do is at night too so theres no real problem with sleeping in so much.

So while it's not really a problem, it still sucks because it seems like the day is really short. What's the best way to make it so that I'm tired around midnight and get up at around 8am? I think I'm gonna just stay up all night, because I've got nothing on tommorow, then go to sleep around midnight tommorow. Now is there something incredibly stupid about this idea?

So yeah what's the best way to get into a natural sleepcycle from an unnatural one?

 

[raketooy]

I think I'm gonna just stay up all night, because I've got nothing on tommorow, then go to sleep around midnight tommorow. Now is there something incredibly stupid about this idea?

That has worked well for me numerous times when my sleep cycle gets screwed up on long holidays.

 

[DNK]

Wake yourself up really early. I wouldn't suggest staying awake all night, you'll probably not be able to. Best to get 4 hours of sleep and wake up at 10 or whenever. Do that for a few days and you'll be fine.

Also:
Exercise!
Don't drink caffeine, period!

 

[Taras Bulba]

there is a good natural way to reset your sleep schedule, but it might take a little bit

first, when you go to sleep, make your room as dark as possible. Try to prevent your eyes from being exposed to any light (TV, moonlight from a window, light on downstairs and it has a few beams through the crack under your door, etc...) A sleep mask might help

when you wake up from your alarm (it might help to have back-ups if you're a heavy HEAVY sleeper) make sure you have the alarm clock far away from your bed, so you have to get out of it to turn it off. When you get up, turn on your lights, go outside, and do something that involves physical activity, not just sitting there. Walking around the block helped me, just something real quick.

after a little while of this, it really helps.

I mean, just the other day before school I had to help my mom move stuff out of the garage..... I woke up the VERY next day at the same exact time as the day before... this was good as my alarm didn't go off

he's right, don't drink caffeine. People who drink caffeine too much actually harms the sleep schedule, as when you use caffeine to wake you up, your body starts to get dependent on the stimulus you're supplying, and you lose your natural ability to wake up on your own. If you fix your sleep schedule right, you won't need caffeine.

 

[bathsheba666]

easy....Just try some tasimelteon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7760105.stm

 

[silver 2039]

I think I'm gonna just stay up all night, because I've got nothing on tommorow, then go to sleep around midnight tommorow. Now is there something incredibly stupid about this idea?

Thats exactly what I did on Sunday and it worked great.

 

[Shekwan]

Great advice guys

The walking around thing is a good idea I'll give it a go, I wouldn't worry about the caffeine thing though I rarely drink coffee/redbull or even normal coke.

I think I'll try staying up all night, I mean I'm not even feeling sleepy til 4.30 - 5 am. Well even if I am not able I'll just get up at 8am no matter what.

easy....Just try some tasimelteon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7760105.stm

Yeah I thought about having a look for sleeping aids, but I'm 20 years old not an OAP. The closest thing I've got to medicate me to sleep is spliff.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Dude, I've had that exact problem for years. I always go to sleep later each night and about every week I have to stay up 24+ hours straight to get back on track including going to work with out any sleep at all. It may just be my lack of sleep discipline. I had medicine (melatonin) before before and it helped.

I think I'm gonna just stay up all night, because I've got nothing on tommorow, then go to sleep around midnight tommorow. Now is there something incredibly stupid about this idea?

This is the only thing that works to get me back on track. But you might have to do it twice. A lot of times when I have been awake for 20 hours I only sleep for a few hours before I'm awake and sleepless again. You'll be miserable wanting to sleep but you have to stay awake if this is the only free day you have.

 

[Narz]

Good luck! I've been struggling with this for years (as we speak I've been up all klast night & am trying to goto bed early tonight).

 

[bathsheba666]

Yeah I thought about having a look for sleeping aids, but I'm 20 years old not an OAP. .

Well, perhaps the coming decades will improve your ability to read and comprehend....

..or perhaps you've just been up too long

 

[LucyDuke]

Fast for 16+ hours.

link

 

[Shekwan]

Well, perhaps the coming decades will improve your ability to read and comprehend....

..or perhaps you've just been up too long

What? It's not a sleeping aid?

In trials on 450 people who went to bed five hours earlier than normal to replicate crossing into a different time zone, those who took the drug enjoyed between 30 minutes and nearly two hours more sleep than volunteers who received a dummy pill.

Sounds like one to me

Fast for 16+ hours.

link

not gonna happen

 

[CaptainF]

If you don't want to stay awake for a hideously long time (I sure as hell don't)...drugs are your friend.

Said drugs can range from sleeping pills and the like to alcohol and what have you. It's what I'd recommend anyway.

 

[El_Machinae]

It's very common for teenagers/young adults to have this type of sleep-cycle issue. I'd go so far as to suggest that it's natural. We naturally desire to stay awake more than 16 hours, even though we still need 8 hours sleep (or so). This means that, unless checked, this will cause you to go to bed later each evening.

When I was in college, I just used Saturday to catch up.

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

Uninstall Civ from your computer. THen you won't be up all night saying "just one more turn..."

 

[Shekwan]

Uninstall Civ from your computer. THen you won't be up all night saying "just one more turn..."

Actually I've found StumbleUpon to be really addictive. Haven't played Civ in months.

 

[Nylan]

You're asking me? I get up for work at 3am every morning and I still haven't been able to keep myself from staying up obscenely late.

 

[Sharwood]

I try to just stay awake all the way through when I need to change my cycle. And as others have said, move your alarm far away, and don't drink caffeine, ever. I once went 6 months without it, then had a can of coke, it kept me for about 8 hours. I have some every once in a while now, specifically to avoid having this happen, but if you can avoid it period, especially coffee, do so.

 

[Atticus]

Why bother even waking up if not for the coffee?

It depende a lot on person, I get usually stuck to sleeping from 4-6 am. to 12-15 pm. because being wake at night is more tiresome for me. (It wasnät that when I was younger though). For me the best way is to stay awake.

There's also another way: swiching a day nap and real sleep. Just do something that gets you tired and eat haveily around midnight, and then take a good nap. You'll probably sleep for couple an hour or two and then itäs quite easy to stay awake next day.

 

[IglooDame]

Sunlight works for jet lag, I'm sure it'll help adjust your body's internal clock.