Resetting the Biological clock for sleep

[Ansar]

Sunlight. Get yourself up and GO OUT during 'normal' hours.

Congrats for finishing btw.

This usually works for me.

 

[Elrohir]

After pulling all nighters in college to finish papers for classes (some are last minute). Now that I have finished college, I noticed that my sleep cycle is messed up. I am wondering if there are ways to restore my normal post-college sleep cycle?

There are two real ways to do this: First, you could just stay up all night, and then crash the next day at a reasonable hour. (Say nine or ten o'clock) If you go to sleep early, you'll way up early - if you fall asleep at ten, then you'll almost certainly be up by eight or nine the next morning. That night go to bed at a similar time, and keep going to bed at that time, even if you aren't completely wasted. You'll body will eventually "get used" to the idea that that is the time you are going to sleep and it will be less difficult. Add in lots of exercise, and little or no caffeine to make this more effective.

Or, you could do it the slower way, where you just push the time you go to bed back by one hour each night until eventually you are getting in bed early enough that you can fall asleep at the time you want to. Lots and lots of exercise, and very little caffeine, again, help a lot, even more with this method than with the first.

Good luck!

 

[Chieftess]

Staying up all night, then going to sleep at say, 10pm the next day is a pretty good way to reset your clock. But, you should have something to wake up for every day, otherwise you'll start sleeping in late, and staying up until odd hours again.

 

[Nylan]

While you're up trying to stay awake, be very active. I rode ATVs a few times when I hadn't slept the night before, and they kept me awake and alert...just don't drive home afterwards.

 

[Elta]

Nah, it's better to stay up till like 8-10 PM the next day, go to bed, sleep till the desired wakeup time, and then go to bed at the desired nighttime you want your cycle at.

If you can't do this in one day, do it by steps of 1-3 hours till you've moved the cycle, probably less straining on your body as well.


My problem is that my awake time isn't 16 hours, and my sleep time isn't 8 hours. More like 20-22 awake and 10-12+ sleep.

I agree & my sleep clock is like that to actually. There have been test* where people have been in isolation and away from anyform of light or source that tells time (the subject only had her guitar and some books) after 2 weeks everyone was like that

All thou I admit it "feels" better to be up durring sunlight hours ...but that doesn't mean I like it probabbly from living in the desert all my life.


*(from 8th grade science I suppose if I flip through my old books I can sort the source in a bit)

 

[nivi]

Pull another all nigheter, easyest and simplest way, if you can get over the 3-4am hump, the rest will a piece of cake, but make sure you have an alram set up for the next morning after, or you just might sleep too much becuase of sleep deprivation.

 

[GenMarshall]

I have made an attempt to reset my biological clock however, I came across another nuscance. Wakeing up in the middle of the night two or three times.

 

[Ansar]

That usually happens to me (well, I wake up only once).

Just go back to sleep.

 

[mrt144]

get a job slacker.

 

[wicshade]

A glass of warmed brandy about 30 mins befor you hit the sack, it knocks me out every time.