Internal clock seems to be off

Earthenrock

I noticed that throughout the day I feel very lethargic and unmotivated until the late afternoon, maybe around 4:30 5:00 PM.

When it comes to doing anything, including activities I like, I seem to excel at them during night hours.

I was playing guitar last night, and enjoying every second of it, everything just came out right. but it was 11PM and I'd like to get a good nights rest, so I decided to end my little practice session.

The next morning I picked it up and it felt a little off and unnatural.

I shared this with a co-worker who's an old timer and he said his best work was always done at night.
But I'd like to be productive throughout the entire day.

Is this something I can fix; Perhaps a better sleep schedule?

Usually I'll go to sleep 10:30PM and wake up on my own at 9PM if I don't have work or school. If I have work or school I still go to sleep around 10:30PM but just wake up earlier at 7PM.

JWashke

Your sleeping way too much. That is what's making you lethargic and unmotivated. on days you don't work your getting 10 and a half hours of sleep. Even on days you work or have school you sleep for 8 and a half hours which is still pushing. Try sleeping for no more than 8 hours at absolute most everyday.

I think adults need even less than that. I usually get around 7 hours of sleep a night. 11pm to 6am on days i have class and i shift it an hour from midnight to 7 on weekends. But seriously, it will be tough but force yourself to get up earlier or go to sleep later. You will have much more energy.

Earthenrock

Didn't think I was getting too much sleep hmm:? I'll try that though thanks.

CrystalMethodist

Do you exercise? Endurance and energy generally come from eating right, getting enough sleep (which you get more than enough of), and exercising. It might help to start running, biking, swimming, playing basketball, etc. every day, I find that it gives me a lot more energy throughout my day.

Earthenrock

I always found it weird that I look in good shape, my muscles are toned and my job has me lifting heavy things a lot.
I eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between(like 2 pretzel rods or something, nothing big).

But I haven't been able to run a mile without stopping and walking the rest of the way, maybe half through.

I recently had a check up and my blood pressure and heart rate are good, but it seems I run out of breathe pretty fast. So maybe its my cardiovascular system that needs to be overhauled.

lifeincognito

Do you use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning? If so you may be waking yourself up in the middle of your deep sleep patterns and that will leave you feeling off. Try adjusting your wake time by +/- 20 minutes to catch yourself waking up to the alarm during your lighter sleep pattern. I only suggest this because a friend of mine pointed it out to me in college and it helped my sleeping habits.

Lewisham

All this being said (I agree about sleeping too much), some people are just wired to work better in the mornings, some during the middle of the day, and some towards the evenings. I never, ever hit a stride until 11, but usually it's 1 or 2PM before I really get going.

admanb

Definitely try getting less sleep. You also might try getting checked for iron deficiency, though I would be surprised if your problem was actually medical.

CrystalMethodist

Earthenrock wrote: »

I always found it weird that I look in good shape, my muscles are toned and my job has me lifting heavy things a lot.
I eat 3 meals a day with snacks in between(like 2 pretzel rods or something, nothing big).

But I haven't been able to run a mile without stopping and walking the rest of the way, maybe half through.

I recently had a check up and my blood pressure and heart rate are good, but it seems I run out of breathe pretty fast. So maybe its my cardiovascular system that needs to be overhauled.

Yeah, it sounds like you're lifting but you don't do enough cardio. You should be able to run a mile without problems, and hopefully you should be able to go for a longer jog than that. Try running before work or before dinner, work up to at least a couple of miles. If your blood sugar is high enough (and it seems to be) then this is probably what's up.