How do I break the chain?

Question

Since the break, I've been going to bed at 7 or 8 A.M. and sleep until sun goes down. I've done this before, but I usually come back to normal time range after a week. Now, it has been nearly two weeks. I tried to stay up 24hours to get back, but I get knocked out when my watch hits 12p.m. I tried to go to bed at 12a.m., but it was no use, my eyes were open and my mind was running around. Any suggestion? Right now, it is 3:21a.m. and I don't feel tire at all.

Good question. My question is how to go back to normal hours. Like wake up at 7 a.m. and sleep before 1a.m. or so. I am unemployed and I'm about to get a part time job and this will not help if I don't get it fixed soon.

Hevenlli, I'm sorry to tell you that I don't have a mom. So, I don't think I can be a mama's boy and this is my last break until I graduate from college. I don't think there's anything wrong with getting some support from my dad at my age, which you wouldn't know. Also, stop using run-on sentences!! I can barely understand you.

Answer 1

Techniques you've probably already tried but are still worth trying again.

See a Doctor
Take a Warm Bath
Get a Massage
Listen to Music
Drink Warm Milk
Drink Herb Tea
Eat a Bedtime Snack
Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco
Sleep in a Well-Ventilated Room
Sleep on a Good Firm Bed
Sleep on Your Back
Get Some Physical Exercise During the Day
Keep Regular Bedtime Hours
If You Can't Sleep, Get Up until you are tired.
Don't Sleep In
Get Up Earlier in the Morning
Keep Your Bed a Place for Sleep,
leave the pc and tv in the other room
Avoid Naps
Avoid Illuminated Bedroom Clocks


Of course there's the standard technique that everyone knows (although it never worked for me)
Counting Sheep


Some techniques you probably haven't seen before

Sleep With Your Head Facing North
Don't Watch TV or Read Before Going to Bed
Progressive Relaxation
Deep Breathing (in through nose out through mouth)
Visualize Something Peaceful
Visualize Something Boring
Imagine It's Time to Get Up
Sex—Alone or with Others
Backwards Counting / Mental Computer
Earplugs
Secure Place
Bedtime Routine
Hot Water Bottle



What works for me is :


Progressive Relaxation

This exercise is most effective when you tape record the instructions in advance, preferably in your own voice. This way you don't have to concentrate on remembering the instructions. Also adding some peacful music to the background of the tape can help you to relax further.

You tape record them, with a short pause after each sentence to allow yourself time to actually do the sensing and relaxing.

Lie on your back, close your eyes, and begin to listen to the tape.

Feel your feet. Feel the weight of your feet. Feel your feet relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your lower legs. Feel the weight of your lower legs. Feel your lower legs relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your knees. Feel the weight of your knees. Feel your knees relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your upper legs. Feel the weight of your upper legs. Feel your upper legs relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your hands. Feel the weight of your hands. Feel your hands relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your lower arms. Feel the weight of your lower arms. Feel your lower arms relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your elbows. Feel the weight of your elbows. Feel your elbows relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your upper arms. Feel the weight of your upper arms. Feel your upper arms relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your buttocks. Feel the weight of your buttocks. Feel your buttocks relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your back. Feel the weight of your back. Feel your back relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your pelvic and belly area. Feel the weight of your pelvic and belly area. Feel your pelvic and belly area relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your chest. Feel the weight of your chest. Feel your chest relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your shoulders. Feel the weight of your shoulders. Feel your shoulders relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your neck, both front and back. Feel the weight of your neck. Feel your neck relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your skull. Feel the weight of your skull. Feel your skull relax and sink into the bed.

Feel your mouth. Feel any tension in your mouth. Feel your mouth relax and any tension slide off into the bed.

Feel your eyes. Feel any tension in your eyes. Feel your eyes relax and any tension slide off into the bed.

Feel your entire face. Feel any tension in your face. Feel your face relax and let any tension slide off into the bed.

Mentally scan your body. If you find any place that's still tense, relax it and let it sink into the bed.

or



Deep Breathing

One of the main reasons many of us are tense is our breathing. Most people breathe very shallowly, using only the top part of their lungs. Deep Breathing allows us to use our entire lungs, providing more oxygen to our bodies, and energizing and rejuvenating every organ and cell in our bodies. It is probably the most effective and beneficial method of relaxation seen.

Lie on your back.

Slowly relax your body, starting with your feet and moving through every part of your body until you have reached -- and relaxed -- your face and scalp.

Do a quick check to see if you've missed any place. If so, relax it.

Slowly begin to inhale, first filling your lower belly, then your stomach area, and then your chest and the top of your lungs almost up to your shoulders. Hold for a second or two, then begin to exhale. Empty the very bottom of your lungs first, then the middle, then finally the top.

Continue this breathing for 4 or 5 minutes. Don't force your breathing; it's not a contest to see how much air you can take in. Just do it in a relaxed, peaceful manner.

After a while, imagine that you are resting on a warm, gentle ocean. The sun is shining peacefully on your body. Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale, and that you slowly descend as you exhale.

Continue this relaxing breathing as long as you wish (hopefully until you fall asleep).

or


Quiet Ears

This technique is an ancient Eastern meditation as well as a great way to fall asleep.


Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked, and your palms cupping the back of your head. Get as relaxed as possible (This position make take a little while to get used to).

Place your thumbs in your ears so that you are pressing the outer flap of your ear and blocking the entrance to the ear canal.

Lie quietly and listen for a high-pitched sound that you will gradually hear inside your head.

Lie there for 10 to 15 minutes and concentrate on that sound. Then put your arms to your sides and go to sleep. (Don't worry about all the stories of people who have ringing in their ears. This is different -- and natural.)

or




Visualize Something Peaceful

Just lie there with your eyes closed and imagine you're in your very favorite, most peaceful place. It may be on a sunny beach, swinging in a hammock in the mountains or your back yard, or all alone in a cave in the Himalayas.

Wherever it is, imagine you are there. You can see your surroundings, hear the peaceful sounds, smell the fragrance of the flowers, and feel the warmth of the sun or whatever sensations are there. Just relax and enjoy it -- and drift off to sleep.

Once you've found a place that's especially peaceful and effective, you'll find that the more you use it, the more you can count on it to help you relax and get to sleep. Its comfort and familiarity will make it more and more effective.


Good luck and rest well

Answer 2

O.k., you said break, so I presume you mean break from college?

And when you were going there, if that is what it is, did you party hearty? That'll do it! Change you're schedule like that.

Weell, if ya don't having anything to pressing to do in the mean time, is just staying on that schedule a totally bad thing?

Don't mean the whole thing. Just part of that schedule, if that is what ya can call it! Cause it still is a schedule. Just because it's upside down from the usual norm doesn't mean it's not.

How long to you have before the break is over? Cause the amount of time you have can make a difference.

Start by moving it back just one hour, say a week and see how that goes.

Don't get uptight about it, though. Cause' it can still be fun to be up late hours, too. Try to see the positive in everything, there might be a reason. Maybe you'll meet somebody at an alnight Dunkin' Donut, or bar, who knows?

Get lots of exercise, enough to tire you out but not exhaust you, and not to close to bedtime. That will get rid of the excess energy you are using on the run on thoughts. It is a very natural sedative. Enjoy the sunshine every minute you are out in it! It's probably like a brand new sight to you!

Don't try to solve any problems in bed! The bedroom is not a study. Or a psychologist's office, not that one is needed. Talk to a friend, or right problems down on paper to solve them instead.

When it's bedtime, lights out! Or very low lighting if ya get up. Read with just a reading lamp, not something real exciting you can't wait to read the end of!

Take a warm shower, or warm bath before bed. That relaxs muscles, that'll do it.

Answer 3

Seems like you feel the same way I feel when I travel. Jet Lagged... For that I do this: Take some sleeping pills before you go to bed (at a normal time, say 9 pm)

This is a quick fix until your sleeping pattern is normalized because of your need to start a part time job.

If you wake up earlier on the first try, say you took your sleeping pills at 9 pm and woke up at 3 am, that's still better than what you have been experiencing lately. Try to regulate it by taking one more sleeping pill than the usual dosage for another 2 hours.

During the day, of course, try to tire out your body. Play sports, read books, cook, have sex or other activities that will mentally and physically drain your energy. Your body will eventually get the hint and cooperate, eventually.

Answer 4

I have the exact same problem for many years now. There is nothing I did or you can do to change it. I've suffered too much due to this sleep cycle problem. Most people work during the daytime and if you don't do as the Romans do, your work and duties are hindered. I hope when you get a job and start going to work then you'll find a cure. Because you can't sleep at work and when you do 7 or 8 hours of work and then you come back home, you'll be tired and get to sleep at the right time. It's all about motivation. Motivation to stay awake when you are feeling really sleepy like at 12 in the noon. I can understand from first hand experience how hard it is to control yourself from going to sleep around this time. But you have to do it for your employment. And then when you go to the bed after staying awake all day, hopefully you'll sleep well at night.

Answer 5

Drink Herb Tea
Eat a Bedtime Snack
Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco
Sleep in a Well-Ventilated Room
Sleep on a Good Firm Bed
Sleep on Your Back
Get Some Physical Exercise During the Day
Keep Regular Bedtime Hours
If You Can't Sleep, Get Up until you are tired.
Don't Sleep In
Get Up Earlier in the Morning
Keep Your Bed a Place for Sleep,
leave the pc and tv in the other room

Answer 6

I understand your situation perfectly since I've experienced it several times myself. I strongly believe you have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome like me so it becomes a recurring phenomenon for the rest of our lives. Have you heard of chronotherapy? It takes advantage of DSPS to reset a normal schedule.

Go to bed later, like at 10 am and SLEEP IN.
The next day, go to bed at noon or 1 pm, sleep in as late as you can.
The following day, go to bed at 3 pm.

Do you see where this leads up to? Lengthen your day by 2 or 3 hour increments each day (never exceed 3 hours per day or it will mess you up). It's very easy and can be done in a week. Avoid caffeine 8 hours before intended sleep time and DO NOT set an alarm clock until a normal schedule has been established.

Trust me this works. I always use this.

All the other answers are wrong and I'll briefly explain why.

1. Sleeping pills or caffeine - these mess you up even more and confuse your system. Use them only to help you maintain a normal pattern, not to establish it.

2. Getting up earlier and earlier. The human body is not designed to do this. It would take you several weeks to adjust this way. Adjusting forward (later and later) is easier to do.

3. Staying up all day till the next night. This violates the 3 hour maximum I mentioned. The body cannot deal with more than 3 hour forward adjustments a day.

Answer 7

There is natural clock in our body which keeps regular times.In an experiment to verify this a volunteer was kept in a fully dark dungeon deep below the earth. He was given all facilities for a normal living except sunlight and a watch or a clock. His movements were studies from above the ground with sensonrs. When the experiment was over it was found that the man felt hundry at his usual hour on the earth and sleepy similarly at his usual bed-time. What has happned in your case is that you have violently disturb this body clock which is now used to the new timings set by you for it.You can certainly bring it back of rails for which however you will have to form a strict schedule.Keep up your efforts of observing the night sleeping hours even if you cannot sleep.If you feel sleep at odd time do take a nap but only a nap. Even a little nap is adequate to refresh you until the next period of getting tired sets in. Repeat the same schedule trying to extend the time between to sleeps. Slowly but surely the body clock would come back to its natural tunes and you will have a sound sleep at night and wake up refreshed in the morning. Next time, unless it is absolutely necessay(attending night shows is not a necessity nor keeping late hours for studying)to adhere to the time schedule. If necessary you can shorten your total sleeping hours but never try to oversleep. Letjary is not resting.

Answer 8

Well... This is probably the most common problem in the average person night. And it probably has no set answer but as a psychologist i would recomend you to see a doctor but then again not everyone has the time. If you dont have the time well here are some steps that you can use:

1. Run/Jog around your block for 15+ min (this will drain your energy which will help you fall asleep....)
2. You actually dont want to feel too relaxed before you try to go to bed because your bidy wont fall asleep but make sure when you do go to bed you are in a quiet place that is relaxing.
3. Honey and milk is a great relaxing and sleeping method used and proven to help people sleep.
4. When you go to bed make sure your bed is done. this makes you confterble.
5. there must be no distractions
6. Think about life, work, tommorow and anything that will keep your mind going... (15 mins only)
7. This is the most important step. Make sure you stick with the same sleeping hours everyday or this method will not help
8. There has to be no light
9. Do all things that are energy drainers
10. Do not get up no matter what. If you do, you have fell into the trap and will not fall asleep soon

This should help as it has helped many of my customers/clients but if it doesnt help please see a docor as soon as possible as you may need medication or treatment. If you are under a lot of stress please see a doctor as this may be your problem and will effect you through out your life if not consulted to a docter.

Answer 9

Well, what helps for me is that i'm always on my feet. Lately, I haven't been falling asleep until 2 A.M, but what helps is to wake up at an early hour such as 7 A.M and stay awake all day until around 9 P.M and then hit the pillows and my body will instantly shut down and then turn back on at 7 A.M the next day.

But in order to keep your self awake you must be up and moving all day. You cannot sit down and watch tv, or read a book. That will put you to sleep. Try cleaning your house or going out for a jog. Drink lots of coffee too.

Good luck & happy holidays. ♥

Answer 10

Well, if you've already tried everything without over-the-counter drugs, it's time for over-the-counter drugs.
Let yourself sleep however you feel the need for a couple of days, then get up from sleeping, do a long hard work-out, take some kind of OTC sleep-aid (sominex or whatever), take a hot shower, and lie down to sleep, but don't force it, just rest, read (not stuff you're really interested in, stuff you find boring or tiring), doze, watch TV (don't play video games, you're trying to rest or go to sleep), etc for 8 hours.
Then get up, use some kind of OTC wakefulness aid (no-doze or whatever), take a cold shower, and stay up, play video games, study and go for a walk, come back and if you're feeling sleepy take another cold shower, etc. Make sure that you stay up for at least 15 hours.
Then repeat.
And repeat again.
Three days should reset your system and 'diurnal cycle', so try it without the OTC aids.

If that doesn't work, I would go to the nearest state psychiatrical facility, explain what has been going on, and say that you want to have a 'Lithium Level', which is a test of how much your system responds to Lithium Carbonate, and thus finds out if this 'sleeping 12 hours a day when you don't want to' is a symptom of Manic-Depression (or Bipolarity).

Answer 11

Sleep With Your Head Facing North
Don't Watch TV or Read Before Going to Bed
Progressive Relaxation
Deep Breathing (in through nose out through mouth)
Visualize Something Peaceful
Visualize Something Boring
Imagine It's Time to Get Up