I am the ultimate night owl ,I regularly stay up until two in the morning just pottering about on the computer or watching some TV. The thing is I then have to be up at seven with the kids, to look after them and bring them to school ,but I,m running on auto pilot and I dont really wake up until about noon . I have always been this way but only since the children have arrived has it become inconvenient. My wife is the complete opposite in bed by ten and bright as a button first thing in the morning.
Do you think its possible to change from a night person to a morning person?and HOW ???
and just going to bed early does not work, as I dont fall asleep until late!!
RORY
Do you think its possible to change your biorhythms?
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rorybbellows
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djm
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I am normally awake by 5:30 a.m. I can easily stay up all night, but getting back to the 5:30 routine is a bit of a challenge. What I find works is to really scramble my schedule up so that I am hardly in bed for more than three or four hours for a couple of days running. You want to talk about being a zombie? Then I go to bed at midnight or so and the alarm has me up at 5:30 and I'm back on track again. But it takes that couple of days of really mixing the body's schedule up that does the trick for me.
djm
djm
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A-Musing
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RORY...
On a less circadian note, you might consider your personal need for Time To Yourself. And, if your need for same is considerable, the quiet hours of the late evening and early morning are generally ideal. I found this situation to be true during large portions of my life. (And paid some prices, natch...)
Of course, being true to yourself in this way can put you at odds with your "world," where you can get out of rhythm. Finding balance is a long term affair.
Life! Endlessly fascinating! Good luck!
On a less circadian note, you might consider your personal need for Time To Yourself. And, if your need for same is considerable, the quiet hours of the late evening and early morning are generally ideal. I found this situation to be true during large portions of my life. (And paid some prices, natch...)
Of course, being true to yourself in this way can put you at odds with your "world," where you can get out of rhythm. Finding balance is a long term affair.
Life! Endlessly fascinating! Good luck!
You-Me-Them-Us-IT. Anything Else?
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I'm sure it is possible. Humans are remarkably adaptable. Whether you like it or not, or want to or not, may be another matter. How important is this to you and your family? How much discomfort are you willing to endure to make the change?
For any habit, a period of 21 consecutive days is good start towards changing or breaking the old ways. It takes approximately that long for the new brain pathways to develop.
More physical exercise or physical labor, earlier in the day, will make most folks ready to sleep a lot earlier. Some folks use modest motivational techniques, such as small rewards for the desired behaviors and small punishments for unwanted behaviors. You mentioned computer and TV as late night lures. Pack them up and put them away, if need be.
For any habit, a period of 21 consecutive days is good start towards changing or breaking the old ways. It takes approximately that long for the new brain pathways to develop.
More physical exercise or physical labor, earlier in the day, will make most folks ready to sleep a lot earlier. Some folks use modest motivational techniques, such as small rewards for the desired behaviors and small punishments for unwanted behaviors. You mentioned computer and TV as late night lures. Pack them up and put them away, if need be.
Yes, you can change your clock.
There was a recent study showing that sleeping late in the morning, even by an hour or so, as we tend to do on weekends, has a marked effect on your sleep-wake cycle. Study participants who slept late ended up being "tired" in the morning, especially on the first day of their work week. Getting to bed up to a few hours later at night didn't have as much effect. Staying up more than that did have an effect, but sleeping late in the mornings had the worst effect. The authors recommended always getting up at the same time, no matter what day.
I recall this was an Australian study. You can probably find it if you search a bit.
Having had the delayed-sleep thing myself, triggered by being on call or by working night shift, I sympathize with you. Night time is wonderful for accomplishing all those things you'd like to do. However, if you are out of kilter with your wife and you're motivated to do something about it . . . I think you can. Once you get your time re-set, you have to keep up with it. You CANNOT stay up hours later or sleep late, or the whole thing gets out of whack again.
I like djm's method. I bet it will work really well. This is the variant I use. This is the easiest way I've found to do it, but djm's method might be easier for you.
As I'm sure you've noticed, simply going to bed earlier isn't helpful, as you won't be able to sleep. It's no good if you lie awake, then oversleep in the morning.
Instead of that, stay awake all that night and all the next day. Do not nap. You should be really tired when you go to bed at the "right time" the next night. Get up at the "right time" the following morning. Stay awake without napping until that night, then go to bed at the "right time." Once you're settled in a good pattern, you can nap a bit at mid-day if you're tired.
If you do this a few days, you should be ok. Just be warned that you'll blow it if you fall off the wagon. Sleeping late just ONE morning, even an hour, will push your "sleep time" much, much later. You won't be able to sleep, etc., and then you'll sleep late again, and then . . .
If you find that you are not tired at bedtime, more exercise during the day might cure it.
Another way I've seen recommended, and tried, is to stay awake one hour later every night, and get up one hour later every morning, until you've cycled around the clock and reached the "right time" for going to bed and getting up. This might work for you, but it takes forever and is very disruptive.
There was a recent study showing that sleeping late in the morning, even by an hour or so, as we tend to do on weekends, has a marked effect on your sleep-wake cycle. Study participants who slept late ended up being "tired" in the morning, especially on the first day of their work week. Getting to bed up to a few hours later at night didn't have as much effect. Staying up more than that did have an effect, but sleeping late in the mornings had the worst effect. The authors recommended always getting up at the same time, no matter what day.
I recall this was an Australian study. You can probably find it if you search a bit.
Having had the delayed-sleep thing myself, triggered by being on call or by working night shift, I sympathize with you. Night time is wonderful for accomplishing all those things you'd like to do. However, if you are out of kilter with your wife and you're motivated to do something about it . . . I think you can. Once you get your time re-set, you have to keep up with it. You CANNOT stay up hours later or sleep late, or the whole thing gets out of whack again.
I like djm's method. I bet it will work really well. This is the variant I use. This is the easiest way I've found to do it, but djm's method might be easier for you.
As I'm sure you've noticed, simply going to bed earlier isn't helpful, as you won't be able to sleep. It's no good if you lie awake, then oversleep in the morning.
Instead of that, stay awake all that night and all the next day. Do not nap. You should be really tired when you go to bed at the "right time" the next night. Get up at the "right time" the following morning. Stay awake without napping until that night, then go to bed at the "right time." Once you're settled in a good pattern, you can nap a bit at mid-day if you're tired.
If you do this a few days, you should be ok. Just be warned that you'll blow it if you fall off the wagon. Sleeping late just ONE morning, even an hour, will push your "sleep time" much, much later. You won't be able to sleep, etc., and then you'll sleep late again, and then . . .
If you find that you are not tired at bedtime, more exercise during the day might cure it.
Another way I've seen recommended, and tried, is to stay awake one hour later every night, and get up one hour later every morning, until you've cycled around the clock and reached the "right time" for going to bed and getting up. This might work for you, but it takes forever and is very disruptive.
Last edited by Lambchop on Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cotelette d'Agneau
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anniemcu
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Oh... I hope so... I deeply, deeply hope so... I've been off my 'normal' (cough) rhythms lately, and I sure hope to get back to a semi-reasonable pattern again sometime soon.
anniemcu
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KatieBell
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I think it is possible to adjust and find a peaceable balance, but it seems there is a deep-seated comfort zone when each person is truly in his or her best element.
I have always been a night person. Both my parents were. Some might say that was nurture. Explain that chipper sibling who was getting up as I was going to bed, then. The one who would go to sleep at 8 PM no matter what was going on around us. There is nothing logical or nurtured about that.
To this day, I can tell what time it is based on mine or my little one's sleepiness. I can go without looking at a clock all day or night and can peg 2 in the afternoon and 2 in the morning within about 10-15 minutes.
But I have found myself in the same position as you. Sleeping until 10 isn't a possibility at this stage of my life. I look forward to the day I can be just like my Nana and cuss out anyone who dared to call me for less than an emergency before 10 AM because I was up all night reading. But it will be a while before I get there. So I do the best I can.
I've found that I have to do as the others have mentioned. Strict schedule. It doesn't matter how late I go to sleep, I have to get up at the same time. There's no point in going to bed if you won't sleep, so I don't try. Instead, I make a point of forcing myself to get up and not nap. 3 days of that and I'm sleepy by midnight. One short nap and I'm good to go until 4 AM.
Exercise in the morning doesn't seem to affect my sleepiness that night. Exercise in the evening tends to give me a second wind and keep me up. But exercise during the low point of the day when I want nothing more than to sleep... that's exhausting. And it sticks with me until bed.
I absolutely can't pick up a book once the house is quiet and I'm going to be distraction-free unless I know I can finish it before I want to be in bed. Otherwise I'll stay up to finish it. I can't do TV, either. Determine to turn it off after just this last program and then get caught on some old Bonanza re-run and I'm there for another hour or two before I realize how much time has passed. Certain Internet activities, like watching game show re-reruns on YouTube, are also off-limits because of the limitless supply. No whammies, no whammies, no whammies... STOP!
I like to take the time to write. It has a natural ending point. I look up things that interested me that day, prepare for the next day, and overall try to keep things boring. And the biggest thing I have to do is allow myself to go to bed when I'm tired. I find that I keep myself up and get a second wind when I could have easily gone to sleep hours before. No reason, just habit.
As long as I get up at the same time each day, I feel and function like a normal person. (The second and third days being the worst.) But the writing just isn't the same at 1 in the afternoon as it is at 1 in the morning, so I build in breaks to allow myself the joy that only comes during the still, dark hours. I can only do it if I've been on a strict schedule for a while. Friday night I can stay up to 2, Saturday sleep 8 hours until 10, and Sunday get up in the morning (tired) on time, and be OK by Monday to get back to the schedule. I can't do it every week, but it is a compromise I'm happy with.
I hope you find one you and your wife can be happy with as well!
I have always been a night person. Both my parents were. Some might say that was nurture. Explain that chipper sibling who was getting up as I was going to bed, then. The one who would go to sleep at 8 PM no matter what was going on around us. There is nothing logical or nurtured about that.
To this day, I can tell what time it is based on mine or my little one's sleepiness. I can go without looking at a clock all day or night and can peg 2 in the afternoon and 2 in the morning within about 10-15 minutes.
But I have found myself in the same position as you. Sleeping until 10 isn't a possibility at this stage of my life. I look forward to the day I can be just like my Nana and cuss out anyone who dared to call me for less than an emergency before 10 AM because I was up all night reading. But it will be a while before I get there. So I do the best I can.
I've found that I have to do as the others have mentioned. Strict schedule. It doesn't matter how late I go to sleep, I have to get up at the same time. There's no point in going to bed if you won't sleep, so I don't try. Instead, I make a point of forcing myself to get up and not nap. 3 days of that and I'm sleepy by midnight. One short nap and I'm good to go until 4 AM.
Exercise in the morning doesn't seem to affect my sleepiness that night. Exercise in the evening tends to give me a second wind and keep me up. But exercise during the low point of the day when I want nothing more than to sleep... that's exhausting. And it sticks with me until bed.
I absolutely can't pick up a book once the house is quiet and I'm going to be distraction-free unless I know I can finish it before I want to be in bed. Otherwise I'll stay up to finish it. I can't do TV, either. Determine to turn it off after just this last program and then get caught on some old Bonanza re-run and I'm there for another hour or two before I realize how much time has passed. Certain Internet activities, like watching game show re-reruns on YouTube, are also off-limits because of the limitless supply. No whammies, no whammies, no whammies... STOP!
I like to take the time to write. It has a natural ending point. I look up things that interested me that day, prepare for the next day, and overall try to keep things boring. And the biggest thing I have to do is allow myself to go to bed when I'm tired. I find that I keep myself up and get a second wind when I could have easily gone to sleep hours before. No reason, just habit.
As long as I get up at the same time each day, I feel and function like a normal person. (The second and third days being the worst.) But the writing just isn't the same at 1 in the afternoon as it is at 1 in the morning, so I build in breaks to allow myself the joy that only comes during the still, dark hours. I can only do it if I've been on a strict schedule for a while. Friday night I can stay up to 2, Saturday sleep 8 hours until 10, and Sunday get up in the morning (tired) on time, and be OK by Monday to get back to the schedule. I can't do it every week, but it is a compromise I'm happy with.
I hope you find one you and your wife can be happy with as well!
To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions. -Keen
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Flogging Jason
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KatieBell
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Isn't there some line about not mixing liquor and beer? 
I've never had to resort to alcohol or pills. I can't imagine the feeling the next day would be all that great. Somewhat defeats the point of it all.
It is completely doable in a non-intoxicated/inebriated/medicated fashion should you so desire.
Speaking of which, I'd better hit the hay stack!
I've never had to resort to alcohol or pills. I can't imagine the feeling the next day would be all that great. Somewhat defeats the point of it all.
It is completely doable in a non-intoxicated/inebriated/medicated fashion should you so desire.
Speaking of which, I'd better hit the hay stack!
To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions. -Keen
FWIW, medical wisdom is that booze, while it
may put you to sleep, tends to produce early
waking, like at 3AM. So it's discouraged by
sleep specialists.
benedryl helps, tranquilizers like Xanax help,
but probably the latter isn't too smart, either,
at least not regularly.
Basically fatigue plus relaxation equals sleep.
My problem has been early waking, but now
that I'm retired it doesn't much matter.
may put you to sleep, tends to produce early
waking, like at 3AM. So it's discouraged by
sleep specialists.
benedryl helps, tranquilizers like Xanax help,
but probably the latter isn't too smart, either,
at least not regularly.
Basically fatigue plus relaxation equals sleep.
My problem has been early waking, but now
that I'm retired it doesn't much matter.
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missy
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my "body" wake up time is 7:30am EDT.
Unfortunately, as you can tell from the time stamp on this post, I have to get up at 5 to get ready to go to work, and get Noah ready for the bus.
I've been trying for 30+ years to get my body "use" to getting up at 5 and it still hasn't happened. I've tried all the things above.
If left on my own, I sleep until 7:30am EDT. I'm usually somewhat awake (at least I'm not in a deep sleep) before the alarm goes off at 5, but I'm not "happy".
Unfortunately, as you can tell from the time stamp on this post, I have to get up at 5 to get ready to go to work, and get Noah ready for the bus.
I've been trying for 30+ years to get my body "use" to getting up at 5 and it still hasn't happened. I've tried all the things above.
If left on my own, I sleep until 7:30am EDT. I'm usually somewhat awake (at least I'm not in a deep sleep) before the alarm goes off at 5, but I'm not "happy".
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Wine.
One red wine glass makes me able to go to sleep. Otherwise I'll be up till all hours of the night/morning. It does not make me "comatose" like an OTC sleeping pill does and leave me feeling sluggish in the a.m.
One red wine glass makes me able to go to sleep. Otherwise I'll be up till all hours of the night/morning. It does not make me "comatose" like an OTC sleeping pill does and leave me feeling sluggish in the a.m.
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For size, honesty, and intent."
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