Sleep patterns

[Rookie]

Look at the time I'm posting this, it's approaching 3am. I probably won't get to sleep for another 2 hours at least. And I have an A level exam at 9.30, and another one at 2.

For the last 5 or 6 years, I've had consistent trouble with my sleeping pattern. I tend to stay up very late and either stay asleep until very late in the day (11am onwards) or have terrible trouble getting up early on. In my last school year this year (A level year) I ended up with about 60% attendance, partially due to inevitable laziness and partially because I'd often just stay in bed until the first lessons were over and go in at break or lunch, or not at all if I'd already missed too much.

I took the sleep pattern test the BBC had on a year or so ago, and it said I was an 'Extreme Night Owl'. Thanks for telling me something I already knew.

Basically, it's getting pretty debilitating. I've seen my doctor twice and all he said was get to sleep earlier, eat earlier, exercise before bed, etc. I tried this sort of stuff thoroughly for a couple of weeks, and it had no effect, or nearly none. I've tried less conventional measures like getting drunk, stoned or throwing back some sleeping pills at 9pm and falling asleep, but then I wake up after 12 hours of sleep, and don't get to sleep until the early hours the next night. The fact is I could force myself out of bed earlier, but if I don't have to be up for anything, I don't want to be hauling myself out of bed - I want a lie-in, without feeling the effects of it that night.

Which brings me to another problem. If I somehow manage to slip into a slightly more reasonable pattern (about 2 months ago I suddenly found myself getting up naturally at 9am, for about 5 days) I'll go out at the weekend to a pub or a club, and I won't get in until 2 or 3 in the morning, and it starts all over again.

Basically, I have no idea what to do. I enjoy night time, but I get absolutely nothing done (I could spend this time tonight revising for tomorrow, but I feel lethargic and lazy.) All I end up doing is watching TV on the laptop and talking to McGee, who very often goes to bed before me, despite being 5 hours behind our time. Recently, since I've had nothing to do at all, it's gotten to the stage that I'll fall asleep when the morning is well and truly here, around 8am. And I look around and it's a beautiful morning, and I wish I could be waking up now, instead of being knackered, and go for a ride on the bike or do something productive.

Basically, I'm completely helpless. I really want to get into a normal sleeping pattern, but I have trouble with being motivated into doing something about it, and if I do get it done, I just fall back into it without even realising it. So does anyone have any advice or tips for doing it, without going on some self improvement purge or telling me to go to the doctor? I won't go to the doctors again, it's a total waste of an hour.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I'm pretty sure your younger, ie under 20. In which case your body is still growing so requires more sleep. 10 hours wouldnt surprise me.

Do some hard exercise for 2 hours a few times a week, playing football etc. Also look up on google sleeping times/patterns. There are times where your body is naturally more tired than otehrs, one is around 9-10pm I beleive. If I manage to stay up past this (even if feeling very tired) I then perk up a bit.

Some self discipline in forcing yourself to get up may help as well. Perhaps drink less when going out on a Fri/Sat then force yourself to get up at 9am the next morning to be out jogging for 30 mins by 10 etc...
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[matt89]

im having the same problem as you rookie, once i get past 10.30 im dont need to go to bed until 1.30-2am but i need to but up in the morning most days and the days i dont have to be up i will just stay in bed untill 11.30.

theres a book out about sleeping patternsandto get back to a sleeping pattern you need to move the time you going to bed back gradually, say go to bed a hour earlier for a week then the next week go to bed an hour earlier until you start going to bed at the time you want to. for getting up in a morning set a time of say between 7.30-8am for you to wake up and start getting ready

Matt

[colin1]

yeah i agree, when i stay up past a certain time, i also am not tired until the sun comes up

the trick is to go to bed when first feel sleepy b4 that wideawake kick in point
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[Jenks]

I have sleep problems too, I wake up at 9am LATEST, I can never sleep longer, however much i try...

I sometimes stay up till 5AM .. Then i'll wake up at 8AM....

If i go to bed Really early, like really force myself i will wake up, the same, yet feel REALLY REALLY tired!

Bizzare totaly!
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[craigie b]

Well everything I say here is from personal experience sooooo if it doesn't ring true to you then fair play....

If your sat on your arse all day, whether it be in front of a pc 'working' or sitting in the pubs with your mates then your probably not getting enough exercise so your simply not tired when you go to bed. When I'm grafting hard sleep doesn't come hard because i'm physically exhausted.

I use to have chronic sleep problems but I was taking drugs 7 days a week and spent the rest of my time being bone idle. These things will screw up your sleeping pattern.

The people who mentioned sleep 'patterns' are correct. At certain times of the day you will feel naturally more sleepy. If you miss this window of opportunity then the body picks up naturally. I experience this especially when working to a dead line and 24 - 36 hour days become the norm.

Also worth noting is the period of time that you sleep. I can go to bed at 4am and jump at 7am, no problem. I think this is because my body has not reached a really deep state of sleep so coming out of it is easy. If I go to bed at 3 and jump at 7 then that four hours sleep leaves me feeling like shit because I've just entered REM sleep (google it if you don;t know what it is ).

It takes time and a conscious effort to note these things about your sleeping habits. But also worth noting is your lifestyle. Being a layabout induces a bad sleeping routine and laziness makes you more tired and a worse sleeper.

Physical exercise is the key to a blissful nights sleep. When I'm wrecked from fatigue then a nuclear bomb wouldn't stop me from sleeping. Stress, worry etc is all bullshit if your physically worn out.

[Visitor Q]

Wait until uni mate.

EVERYONE becomes an insomniac.

i havent been to sleep (unless mashed) before daylight in a month or two.
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[stinkwheel]

Something to try.

Make sure you wake up in daylight. I mean proper daylight, not during daylight hours or with the light on. Sun streaming in through the window and hitting you in the face daylight.

Your body has a complex system of hormones that are released in response to daylight which help to regulate your sleep pattern. What do we do? Close the bloody curtains! Hardly surprising your body doesn't know when it is supposed to be awake and asleep.

Waking up in daylight should mean you come properly awake when you are designed to (ie, in the morning). As a result, you should feel tired sooner.

You should try to expose yourself to daylight throughout the day too. Solar radiation shining on your head is what tells your body clock it is daytime (even if it is cloudy).
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[colin1]

[Resurrection]

Rookie i sympathise with you!

I'm 22 and i've been like this for years hence i work nights

I find its got me covered

My doctor is a fob off merchant telling me to try changing what i eat or excercise more!

I either go gym or swimming before work what does the fool want from me

Only time my pattern has changed in about the last 5-6 years is when i was in hospital this xmas having surgery, i went onto hospital times!

Either way not important but thought i'd let you know your not alone

Hope you sort it out mate

Res
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