I'm on a crazy sleep schedule, how do I get back on track?
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Answers:
The best way to correct your sleep pattern is to move it farther and farther forward until it's in the right time. For example, go to bed 3 or 4 hours later tonight than you did last night, then move it another 3 or 4 hours tomorrow night. Do this until you go to bed at the time you want.
Trying to move your sleep pattern backwards, as in going to bed earlier than you're used to, is that it just doesn't work. In addition, don't have a hot shower, exercise, or consume caffeine within a few hours of when you want to sleep. Sleeping in a cooler environment can help you fall asleep faster too. Being too hot, either from a shower, the air, having too many sheets on your bed, can make it harder to go to sleep and can cause you to wake-up during the night.
Sleeping pills (Benadryl, Tylenol PM?) can actually make the quality of your sleep decrease. If you can sleep without taking sleeping pills, I recommend giving that a try. You might not sleep as long, but you might feel more rested when you wake-up without using pills to help you sleep.
You might try:
- eating turkey for dinner
- getting plenty of sun in your eyes so that you can reset your internal clock
- stopping all exercise 3-4 hours before bedtime
- making your bedroom cool and dark
- get rid of the tv in your bedroom if you have one
- cover the lighted clock dial of your clock if you have one
- stopping all caffeine after noon including sodas, tea and chocolate
- try melatonin
- get up at your desired time regardless of what time you went to bed even if that means you get 1 hour of sleep that night
- do not take a nap
- count all of your blessings - really - sometimes it is anxiety that causes insomnia so you need calming, good feelings to crowd our anxious feelings
- sometimes these help - dramamine, nyquil
- if you can't get to sleep, don't even try. Just make sure to get up in the morning at your appointed time. Your body will catch up quickly.
good luck!
Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday that your wanting to, regardless of how much time you spend sleeping. For the first few nights, you might have to lay there for hours until you fall asleep, but, eventually, your body adjusts to it. And don't oversleep. Get up at the same time.
Lucky,
5 years ago my sleep pattern was screwed up like that. But I was listening to radio shows. You are hyper because of your sleep pattern and being overtired can contribute. Ditch the sleeping pills or go see your doctor and see if there is anything better to help you to go to sleep.
Meantime:
try to get your body back on schedule
relax
this means don't do any heavy workouts
you can have a warm bath this should help you to relax
some medications can also interfere with sleep
from what I am suspecting here too if you are napping during the day this will mess up the sleep, if you nap during the day keep to afew minutes ( 30 )
do gentle exercises ones that will help you to relax
meditate
if you drink drink little if one has a pot of coffee near bed there is trouble.
how is your stress this will cause trouble too.
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