Alarm clock - Sleeping cycles

workaccount

I have really got my sleeping routine down to a tee at the moment. I am getting 9hrs every night thus sacrificing tv and other things in the evening.

Some mornings I still wake up heavy headed and groggy and this can last for a good few hours.

I have heard about those clocks that wake you up at the correct stage of your sleeping cycle to minimise this.

Has anybody used one?

rubadub

Never heard of them. You could probably figure out your own cycle and guess when it will be best. I sleep with a phone beside me, my phone allows you to set your snooze time which I like. I would prefer a few snooze options though, like 40min first, then 20, then 5min. I stick with 15.

I don't know how a clock would determine your cycle. You can get devices to induce lucid dreams, these detect your REM patterns and send LED light pulses into your eyes, you are dreaming and see these lights and realise you are dreaming, then you can go lucid. Dunno if that is how these work, it does need a face mask on you, with electronics in it, so could disrupt your sleep even more. I have a lucid dream device but dont use it much, forgot I even had it till now!

I imagine you can get software for the PC for fancy snooze settings.

workaccount

This is one of them http://www.sleeptracker.com/

Trev M

Since Ive started exercising regularly my sleep is all over the place... I think it might be because I usually get back from the gym round 8.30 - 9.00 and then eat later than I should be...also although my body is tired from the effort in the gym actually getting "sleep tired" isnt happenin and I end up staring at the ceiling or the cat for about 3 hours. Funnily enough Im not wrecked next day

I think 9 hours is a lot of sleep , maybe its too much for ya ?. Ive noticed I need less since excercising...err sorry my post is of no help:rolleyes:

workaccount

Trev M wrote: »

...err sorry my post is of no help:rolleyes:

No it's not really is it.

I need 9hrs a night at the moment.

celestial

workaccount wrote: »

I have really got my sleeping routine down to a tee at the moment. I am getting 9hrs every night thus sacrificing tv and other things in the evening.

Some mornings I still wake up heavy headed and groggy and this can last for a good few hours.

I have heard about those clocks that wake you up at the correct stage of your sleeping cycle to minimise this.

Has anybody used one?

Well I'm not sure you're looking in the right place as regards why you're groggy in the morning and how to minimise it. Do you exercise regularly? How is your diet? These will have the greatest impact on how you feel waking up in the morning. For example, yesterday morning I was sluggish and tired (hadn't exercised over the weekend) but right now this morning I am perfectly alert (good work-out in the gym last night).

Just something to think about.

Leon11

I was told this by a friend before so it could be bull****, supposedly you got through 4 hr sleep patterns, ie 1 hr getting into deep sleep, 2 hrs deep sleep, 1 hr coming back round.

Now if you were to sleep 8 hours you'd be grand (2*4hr periods) but the extra hour could be leaving you groggy because your going back into a deep state.

I sleep between 6-7 1/2 hours 5 days a week and 8 hrs at the weekend, I definitely feel fresher waking up at the weekend.

workaccount

celestial wrote: »

Well I'm not sure you're looking in the right place as regards why you're groggy in the morning and how to minimise it. Do you exercise regularly? How is your diet? These will have the greatest impact on how you feel waking up in the morning. For example, yesterday morning I was sluggish and tired (hadn't exercised over the weekend) but right now this morning I am perfectly alert (good work-out in the gym last night).

Just something to think about.

Did a weights session last night and was eating well also.

BossArky

If I get up at 7am, I wander around in a sleepy haze, unable to function.

I have a bowl of porridge, then back to bed for 20 mins to half an hour. When I arise for the second time I feel fine. (about 40 minutes snooze is optimal after the porridge)

hunnymonster

I got 2x12 hour sleep/rest sessions last weekend and I feel refreshed for the first time in about 6 months. I think 9 hours sounds perfectly reasonable for someone who is training hard. Unfortunately, it is the one part of training I tend to neglect badly and I average less than 6 hours. I just need someone to decimalise time. With 100 sec in a min and 100 min in an hour, I might just manage to fit everything in.

There is definately something to be said for waking up gently. I'm not sure about those clocks but maybe a more gentle cd on the alarm clock?

matrixroyal

someone there said that they slept with the phone beside them. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, although research will eventually bear this out.

Anyway, based on something I read, I put my phone 10-12 feet away from me and I plugged out everything in the bedroom ( no more red standby lights on all night also equals smaller carbon footprint ) and I do find I have a better quality of sleep and feel better in the morning.

Try it

rubadub

hunnymonster wrote: »

I'm not sure about those clocks but maybe a more gentle cd on the alarm clock?

Yes on a lot of phones that play mp3 you can set an mp3 as your ringtone, so can have a soft voiced sexy lady telling you "wake up, wake up", like in vanilla sky, rather than my old alarm that would wake the dead. In saying that a harsh alarm forces you up, mine was horrific, I used to put it at the end of the bed if I was going on holidays to be sure I got up, used to nearly kill myself darting around half asleep trying to turn it off!

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, although research will eventually bear this out.

It is not right beside my ear, maybe 3ft, but you can turn it off too and it wakes itself up when the alarm is due. I usually do turn it off anyways, it is plugged in an charging overnight, so I am sure not to forget to charge it too.

I do find I have a better quality of sleep and feel better in the morning

I have heard of that too, "electro-stress" or something. Could be placebo, but who cares, placebos work and if they do then use them.

Colm_OReilly

A few years ago I started sleeping with the curtains open, so that Mr. Sun would start to wake me in the morning before I arose.

Now, I still feel groggy if I don't get sleep, and I'm not a decent sleeper by any means, but if the curtains are pulled I feel completely zonked when I wake up and don't feel right for the day.

Try it and see.

workaccount

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

A few years ago I started sleeping with the curtains open, so that Mr. Sun would start to wake me in the morning before I arose.

Now, I still feel groggy if I don't get sleep, and I'm not a decent sleeper by any means, but if the curtains are pulled I feel completely zonked when I wake up and don't feel right for the day.

Try it and see.

mmmm, how do you deal with daylight saving time etc.

Colm_OReilly

What do you mean?

holdfast

hi there one of the guys that is more use to the constrution side of the house. just a quick questions is there condensation on the windows in the morning in your bedroom. if so this could be a case a of lack of ventilation in the room which leaves you groggy and can affect sleep.

BossArky

I sleep much better if I have the window open a bit.

It is just getting warm enough now to start opening the window again thankfully. November and December were stuffy months in my sleep.

workaccount

holdfast wrote: »

hi there one of the guys that is more use to the constrution side of the house. just a quick questions is there condensation on the windows in the morning in your bedroom. if so this could be a case a of lack of ventilation in the room which leaves you groggy and can affect sleep.

I think there might be you know. I will start the leaving the window open a little from now on.

I actually lit a candle last night in the room an hour before I went to bed. It was winter berry. Lovely smell. It thought it might help me to relax and doze off easier. I'm sure that may have stuffed up the room a little.

workaccount

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

What do you mean?

Well when the time changes twice a year the sun rises at different times. Plus it's either getting longer or shorter every day of the year.

Colm_OReilly

I still have to get up at 6am regardless of when the sun decides to rare it's ugly head.

As I wake up a lot during the night (like I said, I'm a bad sleeper) I find I still wake up more refreshed if I have the ambient light change throughout the night, rather than just have a constant state of darkness that I'll have if the blinds closed.

Like I said, try it and see

BossArky

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

As I wake up a lot during the night (like I said, I'm a bad sleeper)

Probably due to having the curtains open! :rolleyes:

workaccount

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I still have to get up at 6am regardless of when the sun decides to rare it's ugly head.

As I wake up a lot during the night (like I said, I'm a bad sleeper) I find I still wake up more refreshed if I have the ambient light change throughout the night, rather than just have a constant state of darkness that I'll have if the blinds closed.

Like I said, try it and see

I actually have street lamps shining in the window.

columok

I agree with Colm- leaving the curtains open is a great way of gently waking yourself up. This is especially true in the summertime.

Odysseus

I have to go with the curtains open, plus it has the added benfit when I do close them I it feels like I'm allowing myself a bit of a treat on those rare day that I do get to sleep on. Sad but true.

xebec

I'm a curtains open person aswell, I find that waking to a bright room helps with being fresh in the morning. Of course this time of year it's not great, but I really find any light into the room at all helps me to get up in the morning.

Colm_OReilly

BossArky wrote: »

Probably due to having the curtains open! :rolleyes:

Badomtish!

Jimmy Bottlehead

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

A few years ago I started sleeping with the curtains open, so that Mr. Sun would start to wake me in the morning before I arose.

Now, I still feel groggy if I don't get sleep, and I'm not a decent sleeper by any means, but if the curtains are pulled I feel completely zonked when I wake up and don't feel right for the day.

Try it and see.

I did, and I think you're right, by golly! Kinda flowed into waking up this morning with the curtains open a bit all night.

rubadub

workaccount wrote: »

I actually lit a candle last night in the room an hour before I went to bed. It was winter berry. Lovely smell. It thought it might help me to relax and doze off easier. I'm sure that may have stuffed up the room a little.

The candle will burn up the oxygen in the room. You will be left with excess carbon dioxide, this could well make you drowsy BUT once asleep you are not getting enough oxygen and could wake up groggy.

You might think of putting some plants in the room to produce more oxygen and "clean the air". Or leave the window open a tad as mentioned.

My problem is I wake up like clockwork 7.30, but then I do it at weekends too, even if I have been up till all hours. In which case I sometimes will take sleeping tablets and stick in ear plugs to try and get a decent kip. I have some ZMA on the way which I hope will help getting off to sleep better. Have to get some plants too.

Jimmy Bottlehead

rubadub wrote: »

My problem is I wake up like clockwork 7.30, but then I do it at weekends too, even if I have been up till all hours. In which case I sometimes will take sleeping tablets and stick in ear plugs to try and get a decent kip.

Don't do a Heath on us now!

workaccount

rubadub wrote: »

The candle will burn up the oxygen in the room. You will be left with excess carbon dioxide, this could well make you drowsy BUT once asleep you are not getting enough oxygen and could wake up groggy.

You might think of putting some plants in the room to produce more oxygen and "clean the air". Or leave the window open a tad as mentioned.

My problem is I wake up like clockwork 7.30, but then I do it at weekends too, even if I have been up till all hours. In which case I sometimes will take sleeping tablets and stick in ear plugs to try and get a decent kip. I have some ZMA on the way which I hope will help getting off to sleep better. Have to get some plants too.

Maybe plants are'nt the best idea for night-time.
http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/plant2.html

walt0r

My sleep cycle is all over the shop at the moment as well right now. I reckon its because I was drinking a lot of sauce over the weekend. I started running a lot in the last few nights and it's making me "overtired" when I try to sleep and I end up staring at the ceiling as well for a couple of hours. I reckon the earlier in the day you train the better with regards getting to sleep. I'm going to start running in the early morning. I used to do it before and had energy for the day and slept like a baby at night...

rubadub

workaccount wrote: »

Maybe plants are'nt the best idea for night-time.
http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/plant2.html

You are right! now I search and there are a few saying no planst, or have them in the room and take out at night, a lot of hassle.

I had heard it advised before, but I might well have been reading about people growing "special" herbs where the light is on 24/7, and then might be left on at night after a few months, i.e. has light at night, dark in the day since light will give out heat and it would be too hot at night.

some links here http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=437186

The plants do filter the air in a way though. And I wonder if the oxygen generated during the day is enough offsets the oxygen used by the plant at night.-i.e. if you have a plant in the room 24/7 will there be more oxygen in the room overall.