Your opinions - how can I improve my sleep pattern?

tommy21

Just thought some of the more experienced sleep-deprived might be able to shed some light on this (a long one sorry!), probably not the worst problem you've heard on here so thanks for reading.

The poor quality of sleep I have been getting is really interfering in my life. This is a problem that has been going on for years and I'm sick of it. My concentration and productivity is suffering as a result.

Essentially the problem is that I cannot seem to switch off until very late at night - e.g 1-3am and then as a knock-on effect I am exhausted when I have to wake up early or else wake up untired but quite late (e.g. 10.30-11.30), losing valuable time in the day. I am a postgrad student/working a few days a week in my professional area so my flexible schedule probably doesn't help me much either.

Let me make a distinction here, it is usually not that I am lying awake unable to sleep (though I go through periods of this), but more so that I seem to "wake-up" around 9 or 10pm and find it incredibly difficult to switch off and make myself get into bed. That might sound ridiculous but its true. Instead I am finishing off tasks from the day or watching something on my laptop or doing work on the laptop. I am aware that artifical light keeps you awake but yet this is something I constantly do, its like I know I'm not giving myself the best chance for sleep and continuing anyway, almost on auto pilot. I have tried reading in bed and seem to devour chapters before feeling tired (generally when the clock hits 1.30 or 2 am). In the mornings and early afternoon however, it seems to take me ages to get going.

On a related note, when I do get to sleep, I wake every night without fail at least once (and sometimes twice) to use the bathroom. Of late I've reduced my liquid intake well in advance of bed but I always wake up once. From my reading I know this is disturbing my deep sleep and is part of the reason I wake up tired sometimes. Yet I had this investigated before and it is not a kidney infection or anything ominous apparently. I've tried "holding it" (if too much info, sorry :P) but I can't sleep unless I go.

I've tried various remedies - deep sleep music/hypnosis on my ipod, proper sleeping tablets to "reset" my pattern over one week which did not suit me and caused me to hallucinate on one occasion, aromatherapy (lavender), and I currently take night time Kalms (a natural sleeping tablet with valerian and hops etc.) which helped at the start but whose effect seems to have worn off.

I was a fan of playing Xbox quite late at night sometimes, but I have now stopped this altogether about 3-4 weeks ago. However, all it has done is cause me to switch to working on something else. I used to drink tea and coffee by the gallon, I quit it completely a month ago but have seen no improvement. About a month ago I started taking a multivitamin and cod liver oil to see if its a deficiency but no real improvement (though my skin has improved:) )

What would you advise me do? Is it a case of getting up every morning at say 8 no matter what time the night before or occasion? Once a week I have a late night out/in drinking, which I also know can disturb deep sleep (alcohol). Should I be cutting out alcohol and/or getting up at 8 in this case? I did come across something called "delayed sleep phase syndrome" (more here: http://dspsinfo.tripod.com/ if interested) that sounds similar to me but just wondering if anyone can offer some insight or maybe think of something i haven't, and tell me straight up whether they think its just poor discipline on my part or this deep sleep syndrome (keeping in mind that I know you all are not doctors). I have a thesis to do and trying to live a normal 9-5 schedule seems impossible at the moment!

Many thanks for reading my spiel!

silverharp

How do you spend your evening? are you watching TV late into the night? are you able to fit in any sports or exercise in the evening?

cafecolour

You might have "delayed sleep phase syndrome" or you might just be stuck on a late schedule. I have dsps, and left to my own devices, I'll literally sleep like 30 minutes later every day. Ie naturally, in the course of a month/month in a half my sleep schedule will rotate in a circle - if I'm sleeping 2 - 10, a week later I'll be sleeping like 6 am - 4 pm and then a week later like 12 pm to 8 pm.

My only way to shift my sleep schedule is either the 'chronotherapy' bit mentioned on that site, or just purely staying up one day straight (even a little nap will through it completely off). Then I have to aggressively maintain it.

Get a morning routine. I found this site helpful, esp. the bit about the alarm clock:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/

After practice, I'm out of bed with the alarm clock. Then I immediately do 60 jumping jacks (even b4 going to the bathroom). Then (after the bathroom etc.) I stretch and do 2 sets, 15 each of squats - press ups - sit ups. I've been doing it a for a while, and still hate it every morning, but it gets the blood flowing.

Going out drinking can easily throw me off. I have essentially get up at the same time (at '8' as you say) after the night out, even if it's painful, and then go to bed a lot earlier that eve to catch up on sleep. I can't go out 2 days in a row or my sleep schedule is gone.

Also, definitely, definitely avoid the laptop as well at night. It's the worst for keeping you awake - both in interaction and brightness of the screen. Schedule a reminder or automatic shut down on it at 11 or something, and when it pops up, automatically get off.

I can read, but only non-narrative non-fiction - anything too engaging keeps the brain up. I find the best thing to do for me is like household chores (ie tidying, laundry, etc.) or making to do lists.

law_lady

This thread is so relevant to me. You seem to be very similar to my situation. Even now, its after midnight and here I am on the net instead of trying to sleep. I find that I don't seem to be able to get any work done until about 2pm or later in the day. Often my most productive hours are after 6pm. Then I watch tv on the net or try to read. I'm doing a postgrad too, and then after that I'm going to be in a professional job where I will have to be up from at least 7am so I really need to cop on. There is a slight possibility that I may suffer from the condition mentioned above, but mostly I think its lack of discipline. And I'm sure the laptop doesn't help but its a tough habit to break. I'm feeling pretty lonely and down about life in general these days, and for some reason I feel I can't go to sleep without something on in the background, like an old episode of a sitcom. I know this is in my head and also that if I got into a regular sleep pattern I might not feel so down but its tough to break the cycle.

I agree that sleeping tablets are not the way to go, I also had weird hallucinations a few times and felt more groggy the next day. Does anyone know of any other more natural remedies? I know that the Afternoon Show did a segment on natural cures for insomnia last week, maybe one of those might work?

I know I haven't helped the OP with their problem at all, sorry, but I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. Maybe what's needed is some good discipline. No laptop after a certain time, lights off at a certain time, say midnight so as not to be too ambitious, and even if you're not tired just turn off the light and lie down. Eventually maybe it will work for you. I also find that exercise does make me slightly more tired and that alcohol messes with your sleep for a couple of days so avoid it if you can. All great advice that others have given me and that I really should be following myself. Hope you have better discipline than me. Best of luck with the thesis, I feel your pain!