Useful Sleeping Tips?

[Flavius]

Do you guys have any general/helpful tips on getting a good night's sleep? Lately my normal sleep patterns have been out of whack due to staying up late during vacation, and it's made my mornings a little bit sluggish to start out with (I've been falling asleep three hours later than my usual time).

I considered taking melatonin supplements to help fall asleep quicker during the night, but I figured a more natural approach would probably help me out better.

Thanks!

[VidelCoolGirl]

Do you guys have any general/helpful tips on getting a good night's sleep? Lately my normal sleep patterns have been out of whack due to staying up late during vacation, and it's made my mornings a little bit sluggish to start out with (I've been falling asleep three hours later than my usual time).

I considered taking melatonin supplements to help fall asleep quicker during the night, but I figured a more natural approach would probably help me out better.

Thanks!

Force yourself to wake up early. Around 8am or so. That way, you should be tired around 9 or so with a busy day. Thats what I usually do when I have to get it back on track.

[sailornyanko]

Along with waking up real early, you should take a 30 minute nap the first week or so to really restart yourself.

[Haro!]

That stuff doesn't work on me. I sleep at 3 and wake up at 7 and even if I don't have to stay up I can't fall asleep before 3. This all started one week when I was helping a girl study, and I never recovered. Sigh I'm going to have major bags and wrinkles. Or maybe I have them already.

[Holy Knight]

I went through neurology and brain material to map out how I sleep, so this may be a bit technical.

Sleep pattern is divided into roughly five periods of sleep, going from shallow to REM sleep (deep sleep), each of which can be anywhere from 60 minutes to 120 minutes long, depending on the individual, with the median being 90 minutes. For example, mine is about 87 minutes long, so five of those give me 7h 30 mins. of sleep.

Now, for this to take effect, you have to take into account that you need 40 minutes to go to sleep (unless you are sleep depraved, which can then make it drop to 20 or even 10 minutes. That's a danger sign, though), so you end up sleeping 8h10m. I.e. go to sleep at 10:20 p.m. you get up the next morning at 6:30 a.m.

If you want a good night's sleep, do not wake up and go about your day in-between cycles (shallow stage). You can easily get woken at that stage (loud sounds, full blader, etc.), but you need a full cycle or else you'll feel sleepy for the rest of the day. If you ever do get woken up in REM sleep, don't make a habit out of it as that can produce a harmful molecule that can affect heart performance (unverified, don't have my books with me) and greatly reduces performance during the course of the day.

Naping regularly is also excellent. A 15 to 30 minute nap a day can possibly exstend your lifetime by quite a few years, improves performance and makes you livelier for the rest of the day. General naping times are around 2 to 3 pm., but differ between individuals.

I also strongly advise against getting up or going to sleep anywhere between 4 and 6 a.m. as that is the part of day where the human body has the lowest day-cycle shift. However, I forget the reasons given for this since I don't have my books with me.

Keep in mind that all this is taken from memory and is not verified. Feel free to do your own research. Personaly, I researched sleep patterns in order to minimalise sleep time since I have a distaste for anything that takes up so much time our lives.

Feel free to ask questions, too.

[Gibb]

No matter what time I go to bed, I find that I get the best sleep between 5 am and 8 am. I changed my schedule around at work so I could work from 9 am to 6 pm, and I think I'm a lot better off than I was previously.

[Flavius]

Force myself to wake up early? Man that's going to really make me feel groggy... but I'll definitely try it. :)

Holy Night: Thanks for the input you gave me. I heard about REM and the stages of sleep before, but I never really thought about the "mechanics" of it. I also didn't know napping in the afternoons helped extend longevity. This is probably something I should do on the side!

I do have one question though: Does the amount of sunlight you take in during the day affect your sleep cycle in any way?

[Old Ape Face]

Force yourself to wake up early. Around 8am or so. That way, you should be tired around 9 or so with a busy day. Thats what I usually do when I have to get it back on track.

Um I would not recommend doing this. especially if you've only had about 4 hours of sleep since then. I've done this before, and I almost fell asleep driving home from school at 7:00. if you where to do this, do it on the weekend or some time when you're not busy during the day or planning to drive far later in the evening.

also I didn't take my medication, which on a normal day I would be rather tired without it. the medication keeps my body awake, but sometimes i think My mind is trying to fall asleep, and I just can't focus. (which explains why I act like i'm high all the time and my grammar sucks)

[Flavius]

Um I would not recommend doing this. especially if you've only had about 4 hours of sleep since then. I've done this before, and I almost fell asleep driving home from school at 7:00. if you where to do this, do it on the weekend or some time when you're not busy during the day or planning to drive far later in the evening.
Thankfully I have a few more vacation days left for this to not be a problem.

[Holy Knight]

You shouldn't have to force yourself to wake up. If you follow how sleep works, you should be able to get up at any time of the you want. As I said, it could reduce your performance. It also induces the feeling of being hit by a truck (at least, in the wording of the author).

I do have one question though: Does the amount of sunlight you take in during the day affect your sleep cycle in any way?

To accurately respond to this, I'd need to dig a bit, but I can say that sunlight does affect sleep. Darkness makes the body produce melatonin, which induces sleep. Light creates cortical arrousal (wakefulness) and stimulates the body towards energy.

In a way, yes, the amount of time subject to sunlight does affect mood, hence where the "winters blues" comes from. That is, a feeling of being "down", of lacking energy, etc.

However, if it affects the sleep cycle, over an extended period of time, is another thing. Being subject to light does change the internal body clock (highly useful if you're planing on going overseas to avoid jetlag), but that's an immediate effect. A long term effect is something I'll have to look up, although I do recall reading up about in certain passages. I'll get back to it.

[animeotaku99]

Liquer+100mg of sleeping pills= sleep time

[Anime Junkie]

To reset my sleep pattern I use a 24 hour burn out you stay up all day and night Its best to do when you have the next day off youll drop like a rock and the other way is 1 Excedrin PM FTW.....= nap time/...

[Ikari Warrior]

Liquer+100mg of sleeping pills= sleep time

For a non-alcoholic solution, I find two aspirin and a short glass of milk will knock me out in about 15-20 mins. From there, it's a deep sleep.

[DazzleKitty]

NyQuil is your best bet. I use it all the time. Be careful you don't get addicted or immune to it. I'm at the point where I need to take a double-dosage for it to work.

[Anime Junkie]

NyQuil is your best bet. I use it all the time. Be careful you don't get addicted or immune to it. I'm at the point where I need to take a double-dosage for it to work.

Not to safe DazzleKitty useing a double-dosage.....tisk tisk

[Fobb]

Sleeping on your left side will give you an uncomfortable, and probably nightmare filled night. Sleep on the right side to sleep peacefully.

[LOSTyears]

Try being more active during your wake hours. There could be many other factors for the cause of your sleep deprivation but through my expierence the more energy I expend through the day the better sleep I've gotten. Wouldn't really suggest sedatives just my personal opinion, your call.

I work late shifts so by the time I get home in the morning I'm conked out anyway ^_^ Lucky me.

[Bernard_Monsha]

A 5th of fine Scotch before bed means a good nights sleep but you wake up with your face buried in an ant nest.

[GreatNekoKoneko]

... a hearty shag is all you really need. at least, you go to bed with a smile on your face - or not.

[Fobb]

Taking a shower before you go to sleep also helps a lot.

[Rain]

Useful tip: Go to sleep only when you are tired enough to sleep.

[tenshi_a]

Don't eat any food after 6:30pm, or about 4-5 hours before you intend to go to sleep.

I'm not sure whether it's digestion, or too much energy, or whatever, but I find that I can't sleep solidly if I've eaten too late at night.

[Old Ape Face]

Actually eating contently helps you sleep, don't gorge yourself. I find eating helps me sleep, it makes me drowsy a bit. Especially if you haven't eaten anything all day, It's very difficult to sleep if you're starving.

Also warm milk works too,

[Jon]

Well, you could be the type of person that may need to be "calmed" when going to sleep. Personally I find sleeping with a box fan to be soothing, while others see it as an annoyance. Maybe you could find something that is soothing to you, like popping in a rainstorm soundtrack or something.

[Flavius]

Well, it seems that the "wake myself up early" method failed this morning. I heard the alarm, but went right back to sleep. -_-;

But in taking the non-alcoholic approach here, there are definitely some good ideas posted here that I'll also consider. Thanks again everyone.

Try being more active during your wake hours. There could be many other factors for the cause of your sleep deprivation but through my expierence the more energy I expend through the day the better sleep I've gotten.
I think this is probably one of the causes and something to examine. Last week I've been pretty lax with exercising or just getting out of the house to do other errands. I tend to stay consistent with my sleep during the days I go to school (though with the same 5-6 hour a day sleep average).

To accurately respond to this, I'd need to dig a bit, but I can say that sunlight does affect sleep. Darkness makes the body produce melatonin, which induces sleep. Light creates cortical arrousal (wakefulness) and stimulates the body towards energy.

In a way, yes, the amount of time subject to sunlight does affect mood, hence where the "winters blues" comes from. That is, a feeling of being "down", of lacking energy, etc.
Yeah, I kind of thought so. I read somewhere about a scientist who did a sleep experiment by locking herself in a "cave" with no access to any natural light. As the experiment went on for months, her sleep cycle was so altered that she thought 2 months had gone by (when in fact it was about 3-4 months).

Now is temperature also a factor in sleep? Somebody suggested taking a bath before bedtime, and I'm wondering if drowsiness has anything to do with body temperature.

[Nano]

Excedrin and The Shining ftw.
I have no tips, my sleep sucks. Is it true about sleeping on your left side gives you nightmares?
Holy Knight, so what would you do to avoid jetlag then?
I think you should try a medical sleep website, they should know more about it than us.
Sleep tight and all that..