Sleep schedules and circadian rhythms

I'm aiming to get at least 8 hours of sleep most nights—it would be nice. Does anyone have tips on how to actually train my body to stick to a regular sleep schedule?

Just power through it for a few days and you'll get used to it... I promise.

Chris Ward43 said:I really want to hit at least 8 hours of sleep. Any tips on how to actually train my body to stick to a rhythm like that?

Just take it slow. How much are you getting now? Try shaving off 10 or 15 minutes every night—kind of trick the system so it doesn't notice... Say you want to cut two hours off your total by next week, just do it gradually...

I’m at a loss... I’ve always been a night owl, but this past week, my schedule has completely spiraled out of control. I spend my days wandering around town with the crew or hanging out at their place. I don't get home until midnight, then I stay awake until five in the morning. I finally crash around 1 or 2 PM, grab some food, and head right back to them. It’s just a constant loop...
I keep thinking if I could just stay awake through a single night, things would reset, but even that seems impossible. I just end up passing out at dawn...
What's the move? Should I try some sleep aids? I have to be up early next week...

rustycrane21 said:I have to start waking up early next week.

Look, if you actually care about being present at whatever destination you're heading toward next week—and let's say that deadline is Tuesday at the latest—then you’ll simply go to bed earlier.
If it isn't important to you? Then you won't. Simple as that.
I assume you aren't dealing with some clinical sleep disorder or significant anxiety, right?...
If the issue is that you need to study and nighttime is the only window where things are quiet, then perhaps you should reconsider your environment. Find another spot. Negotiate some space. Try to change the variables.
And if you're out on the town—especially in those loud, smoky bars—don't be surprised when you can't crash the second you walk through the door. You might want to weigh the cost of these outings against how often you feel the need to make them.

rustycrane21 said:I’m at a loss here... I’ve always been a night owl, but this past week my schedule has gone completely out the window. I spend all day hanging out with the guys around town or at their places, get home around midnight, and then stay awake until five in the morning. I don't roll out of bed until 1 or 2 PM, grab a bite, and head right back to them... just a constant loop.
I figure if I just stayed up one whole night, things might reset, but I can't even manage that—I just end up crashing at dawn instead...
What’s the move? Should I just pop some sleeping pills? I have to be up early next week.

Try hitting the sack by 3 AM tonight (if you usually crash at 5) and set an alarm for noon at the latest. Then, for the next two nights, try to shift it gradually—honestly, it's a bit late to be realizing this now, wouldn't it have been better to start shifting a week ago? Let's say on Sunday, go to bed at 2 AM and wake up at 11:00. Then Monday, hit the hay at 1 AM and rise at 10:30. Just nudge it forward like that until you hit a decent hour... and in the meantime, lean on coffee in the mornings to stay upright.
If you can't fall asleep by 3 AM on that first night, try going for a run this evening—maybe an hour, really push yourself until you're wiped. Just don't run too late, though... ideally about three hours before you want to sleep, otherwise it'll just keep you wired.

I’ve been quite fascinated lately by Seasonal Affective Disorder—or rather, since I am a bit of a hypochondriac, I have convinced myself that I suffer from it—so I have spent a significant amount of time researching the subject and even put together an oral presentation on the matter.

We are all well aware of the consequences of prolonged sleep deprivation, aren't we? One really ought to make the most of the night—specifically its darkest hours—for rest. However, it is purportedly suggested that electric lighting could be one of the primary contributing factors to cancer development; this is due to the fact that light inhibits the synthesis of melatonin, which is absolutely vital for the immune system (a point bolstered by the high cancer rates observed in those working night shifts at places like FedEx or local hospitals). Some scientists even go so far as to claim (?) that even brief, momentary exposure to light during the night—say, if you wake up in the middle of the night and flip on the switch just to head to the restroom—can significantly disrupt melatonin production...

For those of you in the medical field, what is your take on this? What data can you provide regarding whether it is truly unhealthy to, say, use the bathroom under bright lights? It seems a bit radical, doesn't it?

Thanks for the input!

It seems unlikely that one would just happen to wake up in the middle of the night with all those lights on, though I suppose you could argue that people living in places like Alaska should see higher cancer rates due to the northern lights and all that

Thank you kindly; I suppose I’ll be able to head to bed at six in the morning feeling quite peaceful and content 😢

😲
Wonderful... assuming you're actually right about this.
Personally, I rarely get any decent sleep at night—I usually have the lights on, and sometimes the TV running in the background too.
Do you happen to have a link or some kind of source for those claims?

😱

I found that information absolutely chilling as well—though, given that I spend most of my hours working the night shift, I suppose I’m already a bit desensitized to the dark...

For instance, looking at what’s being reported here locally—not exactly comforting reading, if you can call it that:

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060107/bob9.asp

Honestly, I’m practically begging for someone to step up and prove all of this is just baseless speculation or some unfounded, paranoid correlation...

That’s a solid link—this one from Science News. The final chapter touches on this exact topic quite directly. There is certainly plenty of material to dig through if you decide to go hunting for information on melatonin via Wikipedia.

Good grief, melatonin... it is one of those things where you feel like you can't live without it, yet you can't actually function because of it. As for the actual research? Honestly, I haven't stumbled upon anything that truly satisfied my curiosity—not that I expected much, really! I was just wondering if anyone had picked up any extra insights during their college lectures or perhaps in some advanced seminar.

And then, of course, everywhere you turn online, they are demanding your credit card number 👎.

shadowtrucker18 said:Thank you so much—now I can actually drift off to sleep at six in the morning feeling perfectly content and peaceful 😢

Honestly, just go grab a sleep mask—you can pick one up for maybe five bucks at any drugstore.👍

coppergardener said:Just grab a sleep mask—you can find 'em at a drugstore for like five bucks.👍

Where though?

Oh my goodness... I really shouldn't, but here we are—I'll send you a private message.

I was listening to a radio segment today about homeopathic medicine, and it featured this nurse with 40 years of experience working night shifts. She was basically begging for advice on how to deal with chronic insomnia. She’s already managing quite a few medications for different health issues, but she was really pushing back against her doctor’s suggestion to start antidepressants. The host ended up suggesting she try sipping on some tart cherry juice every half hour in the afternoon, claiming it's packed with melatonin.

I decided to do a little digging online to see if there was any truth to it, and apparently, there's a lot of buzz. People are saying that just twenty cherries—or even just the juice from them—can help with things like arthritis, gout, and various types of inflammation. Some even mention them in discussions about fighting cancer because of what they supposedly contain, like high concentrations of perillyl alcohol, quercetin, anthocyanins, and melatonin...
Do your own Googling if you want to see for yourself.
It sounds like such a simple, easy, and helpful way to go.

Wishing you all nothing but good health and peaceful sleep! 😘

Ever feel like your internal clock is just completely shot? Like you’ve been flipping your schedule upside down, switching day for night, and then after a few weeks, your body tries to force you awake at sunrise even though you can barely function during the day...

Drop some useful tips for me below.

Brian Fowler2 said:Have you ever dealt with constantly shifting your biological clock? Like when you flip day and night, and then after a few weeks, you start waking up early, even if you can't sleep or function right during the day?

Share some advice with me.

My lack of self-control means my rhythm is always changing. I need more discipline, but at least I'm smart enough to know what's happening. Sometimes everything clicks—I sleep well at night and work during the day. Then suddenly, it all breaks. I'll go to bed early in the morning, sleep for three or four hours, work late into the night, and just keep going like that. Eventually, my energy crashes, so I take a couple of days off to reset. Then comes a period of strict military-style discipline until I get lazy again and everything flips back. It's been like this for years. Maybe one day I'll actually stay disciplined.
When things go sideways, just take a few days off. Sleep. Plan out your upcoming schedule. Eat healthy. Exercise. Just push through as long as you can. When the cycle flips again, live through it until it passes, then start over. Just protect your health. Living against your body for the long haul is damaging. Don't overdo the coffee, and watch out for too much physical activity, because that can cause insomnia too. The key is pure willpower to get back on track and realizing bad habits take years to break, not just a month or two.

Hmm. Honestly, it's got me a little worried... But thanks for getting back to me.

Look, I’ve never had an ounce of discipline in my life—some people are just born wired that way. But honestly, that doesn't dictate your spirit, your energy, or how you actually live your life... you could even call it a flaw if you wanted to.

Besides, what’s another five years really going to do? You’ll actually live longer if you’re comfortable in your own skin instead of trying to fit into someone else's mold.