getting back into a regular sleep schedule

[carpeliam]

For the past few days, I've had a sleep schedule that's wildly out of control, where I go to bed in the morning and wake up in the evening. I'd like to get back to something more reasonable, like sleeping between midnight and 8am. How do I get it back on track? Do I go to bed at midnight tonight, and just stay in bed until I eventually fall asleep? Or do I set my alarm for 8am and get up no matter how much sleep I've had? Should I take a sleeping aid? Any tips? I've read Steve's articles on sleeping, and they're great, but I'm not sure how to start when my schedule's so far out of control already. Thanks for the advice!

[Vanilla]

Do you have a job? What kind of schedule do you have that allows you to sleep whenever you want?

[carpeliam]

Originally Posted by Vanilla

Do you have a job? What kind of schedule do you have that allows you to sleep whenever you want?

i do, and they're not thrilled about it. i'm the only person working on my project right now, so it hasn't been much of an issue lately as long as i'm getting work done, but it will be an issue soon soon.

[Vanilla]

have you thought about going to a doctor? i'm asking this because without knowing WHY you're not able to fall asleep...it's hard to give you advice on what to do. there are a lot of factors that you're leaving out. for example, has there been a recent drastic change in your life? do you hate your job? are you recovering from an illness? are you currently ill? etc.

[carpeliam]

i have thought about it, and it's not a bad idea. there haven't been any recent drastic changes, i don't hate my job, i'm not recovering from an illness- i'm fine. i just sometimes let my sleep schedule get out of control, and have a hard time getting it back under control. at least for the moment, i'm looking for a short term solution (or at least something more short term than scheduling a doctor's appointment). it's not a bad idea, though, it's something i've been thinking about.

[Scott Bird]

carpeliam, treat it the same as you'd treat jetlag. Sleep at your usual time one day (morning -> evening), then try to stay awake until the following evening and go to bed at a 'normal' time. You might crash by 4pm or so, but you should be able to stick to near-normal times from then on. Set an alarm to make sure you get up at whatever seems a reasonable time in the morning (say, 7am).

[David Hausladen]

I was about to suggest the method that Scott Bird just gave. Alternately, if you think your work will hold out for long enough, you could move your bedtime forward or backward by one hour every day until you get to the sleep schedule you want.

[Scipio]

I am resetting my sleep schedule again, which I occasionally have to do. This time, I had a cough that kept me up late for a few nights. I always do the same thing: take melatonin and diphenhydramine--the old school antihistamine that makes you drowsy as heck--before bed. This is not dangerous or unhealthy, infact, getting some good sleep should probably be among your top health priorities. This technique always works for me.