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Post by Orange on Sept 15, 2012 17:30:08 GMT -5
To maintain a healthy sleeping schedule, what is more important - the hours you get, or the time you go to bed?
Case in point, my sleeping schedule has been pretty wrecked lately, and I'm trying to get it back on track the best I can - but after reading more about the Circadian Rhythm, I'm starting to wonder if the time you go to bed is more important than the actual hours you get. Because, you can get 8 hours of sleep, but if you're going to bed at 4 and waking up at Noon, you're not going to feel as good had you went to bed at Midnight and got up at 8.
So, can anybody help me out here? I hate when my sleeping schedule is screwed up - I feel like a damn zombie and want to get it and keep it under control best I can.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2012 18:23:14 GMT -5
For me it's hours. Given I need to be available at odd times for work [one day working with someone over Skype at 2am, one day having a 6 hour block from 8am - 2pm] and I like to be up mega early for runs. Add insomnia into the mix and it's a bit of a pain.
If I can manage to get 3 hours of sleep a day I'm fine in general, but you have a damned good point on your mood not being as positive if you're not waking up with the dawn. Not sure if that's just an indicator of SAD or just a general rule about it being cool to wake up to the first light/warmth of the day.
EDIT: If I really can't sleep but need rest I tend to do a lot of breathing exercises/stretches and lay down in the dark with a fairly soft CD on very quiet. Visualising yourself asleep helps a lot, even if you don't manage to drift off you may daydream and you'll wake up feeling a bit refreshed after an hour or two.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Sept 15, 2012 18:28:18 GMT -5
I'm kind of worried about it because I'm back in school and I have to wake up a lot earlier than I'm used to. I also go to bed earlier. it wouldn't be so bad but I keep waking up early (like an hour or 2) and not being able to go back to sleep, even if I'm tired (and I always am) and then I'm tired the rest of the day. any thoughts, guys?
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Post by Red Impact on Sept 15, 2012 18:42:49 GMT -5
The hours are more important. The time you naturally wake up and go to bed aren't really that important and can change as you develop a new cycle, but you still need the hours more. In other words, you will adapt to waking up after noon if your food and sleep schedule dictate it. That's why people can work night shifts afterall.
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Post by Pervy Stone Cold on Sept 15, 2012 18:47:42 GMT -5
A brain expert guy I saw speaking on PBS said that 8 hours of sleep daily (emphasizing the length) was one of the most effective ways to prevent mental disorders like Alzheimer disease.
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Post by Orange on Sept 15, 2012 21:35:59 GMT -5
I'm kind of worried about it because I'm back in school and I have to wake up a lot earlier than I'm used to. I also go to bed earlier. it wouldn't be so bad but I keep waking up early (like an hour or 2) and not being able to go back to sleep, even if I'm tired (and I always am) and then I'm tired the rest of the day. any thoughts, guys? Well, as frustrating as it may be, I think you're smart in not going back to bed. I think that falling asleep with that little time left before you're supposed to get up, will force your body in, and then out, of another sleep cycle. A couple questions, though - do you have the TV on when you go to bed? Also, what do you do an hour or so before you go to bed? Because I've read that you shouldn't be on the computer an hour before you go to bed (if you can help it, you know), and that going to bed with the TV on can wake you up. Of course, I have to sleep with the TV on - if I don't I basically lay there all caught up inside my head and I end up keeping myself awake. |
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Sept 16, 2012 7:47:20 GMT -5
I don't sleep with the TV on. I do tend to go on the computer before bed though.
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Post by Orange on Sept 16, 2012 8:53:40 GMT -5
I don't sleep with the TV on. I do tend to go on the computer before bed though. Alright. Maybe try reading a half hour or so before you go to bed. I did last night, and I actually slept pretty good. Your mileage may vary of course, but perhaps it'll help your brain shut down faster and let you get a better night's sleep. |
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