How can I get used to waking up early and going to bed earlier?

Question

I have had a schedule change which requires me to wake up much earlier than I had before. I'm a night person and it's REALLY hard for me to go to bed early, plus I don't get home until 5:00, so by the time I eat, and work out, and do homework... I have no time to relax if I go to bed early. Is there anyway I can just try to get used to going to bed early and getting up earlier? I'm SO tired all the time and have no time for naps.

Answer 1

Best way I think is to not sleep for a night. The following day you will be tired, but you can goto bed when you want to, and keep that sleep cycle.

Answer 2

Excellent question. I have the same dilemma. I recently started working the day shift instead of nights. I have a terrible time falling asleep early. What I have found that works is taking a sleeping pill (Lunesta is what I take prescribed by my doctor) a couple of hours before I go to bed. If I take it several nights in a row though it does not work anymore. It might help you get into a routine. Some people are just not "morning people". . . . .that is just the way God made us. I have also read in articles about insomnia that it is better to work out in the morning before you go to work because it energizes you than to do so before you go to sleep (for the same reason). It sounds like you are a really health conscious person and would not want to take in a lot (if any) caffeine, but I have read that eating an apple will give you the same energy that drinking two cups of coffee and you don't get the negative side affects that you would get from caffeine. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

On his website, Dr. Andrew Weil recommends 1mg of Melatonin under the tongue to counteract jet lag.

He may be on to something. Although Melatonin is an over-the counter drug, it really does work. Melatonin and Serotonin regulate the sleeping/waking cycle, respectively. Unlike Serotonin, Melatonin can cross the blood-brain barrier so you can take it directly.

(Serotonin cannot be taken directly; you must take precursors like Prozac which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once inside the brain, they cause more Serotonin to be produced)

The idea is that when you want to go to sleep earlier, tuck a 1mg tab under your tongue and go to bed. You might want to experiment with it over the weekend.

I take Melatonin by swallowing it all at once, but in much smaller doses of 300 micrograms. I can't do 1mg all at once - it causes intense dreams.

How you take it depends on what works for you.

Remember I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Talk to your doctor before taking even over the counter drugs like Melatonin for sleep. Who knows, he my prescribe something better.

Whatever, here's the link to Dr. Weil's article:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA176940

Good luck,
BIg Al Mintaka