Does anyone know how to fix sleep cycles?

Eglarest
Eglarest Posts: 5 Member
edited September 2021 in Motivation and Support
For the past two weeks, I've been struggling with my sleeping patterns. I stay up all night, and sleep during the day. I tried fasting, as it's said to fix sleeping issues. It didn't help. I tried different teas. I tried staying up all day, and go to bed at night (it fixes it for the day, but I go back to where I started). I don't know what to do. I'm thinking about taking sleeping pills, but I'm worried to develop tolerance to them, or depending on them too much. Any thoughts?
P.s. I work from homes, so I don't have a specific structure for my day.

Replies

  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    You might try melatonin, turning off all devices including tvs and headphones a good hour before you want to sleep, reading something somewhat dense so you need to concentrate (Hofstatler's Godel, Escher, Bach? Moriarty's When the Uncertainty Principle Goes to Eleven? Russian History? Ancient Chinese Engineering?)
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    Have you googled “reset sleep” or “reset circadian rhythm”? There are a number of strategies. I’ve worked at this for several years and seem to be making progress. There is no instant fix but good sleep hygiene can work over time.
  • Eglarest
    Eglarest Posts: 5 Member
    88olds wrote: »
    Have you googled “reset sleep” or “reset circadian rhythm”? There are a number of strategies. I’ve worked at this for several years and seem to be making progress. There is no instant fix but good sleep hygiene can work over time.

    I haven't. I didn't know what to search exactly. My key words were pretty generic (How to fix insomnia?/why I can't sleep at night?/what can help me sleep? things like that), and the answers I got was pretty generic as well. I will use these key words, and see if anything could help. Thank you!
  • Eglarest
    Eglarest Posts: 5 Member
    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    You might try melatonin, turning off all devices including tvs and headphones a good hour before you want to sleep, reading something somewhat dense so you need to concentrate (Hofstatler's Godel, Escher, Bach? Moriarty's When the Uncertainty Principle Goes to Eleven? Russian History? Ancient Chinese Engineering?)

    I do have a few complicated books, so I will try them.
    I have never heard of Melatonin. I will look it up. Thank you!
  • harri1790
    harri1790 Posts: 30 Member
    Melatonin melatonin melatonin and establishing a routine. Don’t bother with Zquil or Benadryl - those use diphenhydramine and can create a morning “hangover”.
  • lartishs
    lartishs Posts: 29 Member
    Sleep hygiene techniques work if done consistently
  • Antiopelle
    Antiopelle Posts: 1,184 Member
    edited September 2021
    I had severe insomnia for almost a year, during which I was also moving which meant I didn't have access to my old GP and the new GP didn't know me well enough to prescribe sleeping pills (which I'm grateful for).

    A good sleep hygiene was recommended: go to sleep each day at the same hour, get out of bed at the same hour, structure !!!, refrain of using screens in the evening, go to sleep at least 3 hours after dinner, get a solid bedtime routine like reading or yoga or deep breathing. Make sure the room you sleep in is quiet and dark without any diversion. No coffee in the afternoon and no alcohol.

    After trying and KEEPING this routine up for a few months , I still really needed something to get me out of the negative cycle.

    What I did was to get a OTC of Difenhydraminehydrochloride on a Friday evening, knowing I could sleep it off the next day . I slept for 12 hours straight (I did have a stuffy head for the whole morning). Then I did the same on Saturday evening, and I had 8 hours of sleep. Sunday evening, I went to bed without any pills and I slept more or less ok. It was the start of a solid sleep again.

    I did try every other remedy like melatonin and herbal teas, but that didn't help me one bit.
    If anything, I would say a solid structure and regularity in your day is crucial to have a good nights' sleep.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,557 Member
    lartishs wrote: »
    Sleep hygiene techniques work if done consistently

    Not always. Worth trying early on, though.
  • HabitRabbit
    HabitRabbit Posts: 25 Member
    I had sleep problems last winter (averaged 5 hours a night for weeks, 6 hrs was a decent night). For me the solution was to exercise more/sit less. I felt so terrible though (headachy) that I had trouble exercising. A long walk was all I could manage. I tried to get the walk in during the sunniest part of the day (ideally in the morning). I’m currently getting 8 hours a night on average. It’s wonderful. I have to be in bed longer than 8 hours though because I still wake up in the night for periods of time. I listen to a podcast with a sleep timer during those periods.

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