Resetting my sleep cycle?

Niceguyeddie616

So recently I've been going to sleep at 3 or 4 am and waking up feeling awful, and I think it's time to change my sleeping habits. I just wanna know, is it safe for me to stay up all night to reset my sleep schedule? I don't want to further mess it up by trying to fix it.

wunderbar

if you stay up all night, just make sure you're not doing anything too strenuous the next evening, and please, don't drive anywhere the next evening either.

I've stayed awake for 40+ hours several times and can say you'll be fine as long as you don't have to think too hard near the end.

Dont' go to bed too early when you do sleep though, otherwise you'll wake up at 3am and be screwed. Try to stay up till 10ish, then an 8 hour sleep puts you at 6am the next day.

Shogun

I did that to reset my cycle a couple weeks ago and it failed miserably. The way I've found to work best is to do it gradually over a period of 4 days, but you have to stick to it and I suppose some people don't have that much time to devote to it.

Tube

the better way of doing it is just going to bed at a more sensible time. 3am first day, 2am the next, 1am the next etc.

jhunter46

Try Melatonin. I've had to change my sleeping schedule before, and taking this for over the course of a week a few hours before I wanted to go to sleep did the trick.

You can pick it up over the counter at any drug store. It's usually with the supplements.

Sarcastro

I occasionally 'flip the clock' by staying up all night, especially during vacation, when I start staying up until retarded o'clock. Generally, if I'm seeing a couple sunrises from the other side, I tend to think about flipping it over. Not getting tired until 4 though is natural for me, it doesn't often go past that.

Tube

jhunter46 wrote: »

Try Melatonin. I've had to change my sleeping schedule before, and taking this for over the course of a week a few hours before I wanted to go to sleep did the trick.

You can pick it up over the counter at any drug store. It's usually with the supplements.

This is true. If you live outside the US though, it's not always available over the counter. I don't think you can get it at all in the UK, I used to have it flown in.

variant

Yep, Melatonin does the trick for me too.

Also going for a run in the morning will ensure you're tired earlier at night.

urahonky

jhunter46 wrote: »

Try Melatonin. I've had to change my sleeping schedule before, and taking this for over the course of a week a few hours before I wanted to go to sleep did the trick.

You can pick it up over the counter at any drug store. It's usually with the supplements.

That shit gives you the craziest, most vivid dreams ever too.

Shogun

Man I tried that melatonin thing for months and it never worked for me.

Echo

Sarcastro wrote: »

I occasionally 'flip the clock' by staying up all night, especially during vacation, when I start staying up until retarded o'clock.

This stopped working as I got older.

Curse you, 28 years of aging!

Frostozuna

I've had some experience with this and I can say that trying to stay up all night is a sucky option. You make it past 3-4 to around 5 or 6 and think, "Hey this isn't going to be that bad - no one is up and I have all this extra free time to do stuff". Then by around 8 or 9 am you start wanting to go to sleep and its wierd to see everyone else with normal sleep cycles getting up to start their day. You'll be tempted to "just take a nap" and that nap will end up lasting 5 hours and you'll have ruined everything and be back to square one.

Going to bed earlier isn't really an option in my opinion. You just won't be tired enough to do it (especially because I'm assuming you're sleeping in pretty late if you're staying up until 3 or 4).

Your best bet is probably exactly what you don't want to do, and that is to set your alarm for a respectable time in the morning and just get up. DON'T GO BACK TO SLEEP. Then, that night, go to bed at whatever time you're shooting for, maybe even an hour earlier. The next morning do the same thing - wake up early and DON'T HIT THE SNOOZE. Structure is probably your best bet to fixing this, as if you just wake up and go to sleep whenever you feel like you'll end up drifting later and later like you have. No tricks, just kick yourself in the ass and wake up early. It will suck for the first night because you won't have gotten much sleep, but you'll quickly get used to it

Xenocide Geek

just repeating what a lot of other people said:

if you do try to just stay up all night, be disciplined. right around 5-6PM you'll start feeling really god damn tired, especially as it starts getting dark outside.

do not do not do not go to sleep. you may think oh, 7PM, that should be alright, will work for you...

but you're just gonna wake up at 3am. 10pm to 6am is a good way to swap it. i think last time i did that though i did 9pm to 5am...

Niceguyeddie616

So far I like the advice I've received. I don't think just going to bed early is gonna work for me, even if I do I just won't fall asleep cause I won't be tired enough. Also, I don't want to bring any drugs into this, Melatonin sounds like it would work but I don't know much about it to be sure. I think resetting it by staying up will help me the most. I'm thinking of getting a large coffee though later on this evening to make sure I don't accidentally fall asleep. Is this a good idea? I'm thinking the caffeine would help me stay awake but I want to make sure there isn't any problems with using that method.

urahonky

The caffeine boost generally lasts about 30 minutes and you will probably crash and burn right afterwards. I've never been good at staying up more than a day (except camping out for the Wii... But that was because I was outside in the freezing cold). But really melotonin would be the easiest way to do it. It's completely safe, just don't take more than 1 a day, and maybe a most 3 a week. Just so you don't get addicted. Either case, good luck to you sir. It's hard to reset your body cycle... Especially in one day.

Djeet

crashing after an allnighter at 6-7PM and getting up at 3AM isn't all bad, I get a shit ton of work done before even rolling in to work when I wake up at 3-4AM. it's quiet, hardly anyone is awake yet, good time to meditate/exercise. and it's much easier to get to bed on time (say 9-11PM) if you woke up at 3-4AM cause you're tired already.

i've found i have no problems going to sleep at a reasonable time (10-11 PM) as long as (1) the tv is off and (2) the computer is off/put away for the night. if a screen is on, it will keep me up, even if shit is on tv or i'm not doing anything productive on the computer.

melatonin is good stuff, but it won't knock your ass out like a sleeping pill might. take it like 2 hours before you want to sleep, and turn off the tv.

KMFurDM

Do something productive. Start working out or something. An hour a day or every other day. That will pretty much guarantee that you will be tired come 11 o'clock or midnight and benefit your health.

Fizban140

I have to change my sleep schedule pretty often, a couple times a month. What I find works best (when I am up to it) is to not sleep for 24 hours and than goto sleep 8 or so hours before you have to wake up. You won't feel tired at all when you wake up and it still takes a few days to get use to it (you will feel tired when you usually goto sleep and are still awake) but it is the quickest way I have found. Also, to stay up that long just keep busy, play a game, go outside and don't read.

Glorfindel

stilnox (ambien in the States) is a pretty good alternative if other sleeping tablets don't work for you

bombardier

The only way I've been able to do it was gradually getting up earlier. Take when you'd normally wake up. Set your alarm back an hour. Go to sleep when you're tired, which should be earlier. Set back an hour again. Just do that until you're good. Staying away from caffeine and being active during the day helps as well, and in general is a good idea regardless.

chuck steak

I used to have a really hard time getting to sleep at a decent time. Then I got a job that required me to be up at 5:30 every day. After a week (and to this day) I had a hard time staying awake past 11 pm. It kinda sucks to get tired so early on weekends, but oh well, such is the life of a working man.

Just get up at 6 or 7 every day no matter what for a week. I think this will work a lot better, and be a lot less painful than trying to stay up all night.

themightypuck

I have terrible sleep issues partly due to medication I take. My doc hooked me up with low dose Mirtazapine and it knocks me down and leaves me there for 8+ hours. Still, I personally think drugs should only be used as a last resort. Create a nice sleep zone. 100 percent dark (unplug that damn 360 power supply), clean, comfy. I also sleep better with company but I know others who sleep worse.

Shogun

themightypuck wrote: »

I have terrible sleep issues partly due to medication I take. My doc hooked me up with low dose Mirtazapine and it knocks me down and leaves me there for 8+ hours. Still, I personally think drugs should only be used as a last resort. Create a nice sleep zone. 100 percent dark (unplug that damn 360 power supply), clean, comfy. I also sleep better with company but I know others who sleep worse.

I've read some interesting stuff concerning this idea of creating the proper sleep zone. For example don't do anything in bed other than sleep. Don't lay there to talk on the phone, don't read there, don't watch TV there, etc. Keep clean sheets, and of course make sure your bed is supportive and comfortable for your body.

The Black Hunter

I use panadol when i need to get to sleep.

Just 2 pills of the drowsy mix, then out the lights and try to sleep, usually works.

Sliver

Speaking from experience, do not use sedatives to try and fix this. The rebound insomnia will break you.

Blender

i did a research paper on sleep cycles-

kinda interesting- melatonin overdose can shrink your testes, kinda like a hibernation scenario. and the dream stuff is right, your pineal gland makes melatonin, also detects light...an overdose can give you vivid nightmares no problem.

and don't forget that melatonin turns back into seratonin in light, so it WILL affect your mood. but a t least it is natural

have you tried a really solid light dark cycle? you can buy a cheap system to monitor you while you sleep, correlate that to light cycles and maybe that is bugging you.

good luck