My sleep cycle is messed up!

[Laurie]

Some of you may know I work 3rd shift. My problem lately is I'm only getting about 5 hours of sleep during the day and then I'm sleeping again before coming into work and I don't like that. I get home at 8:30 am everyday and I always read a book before going to sleep (yes I can read a book in an hour). So I've been sleeping from 9:30 til 2:30 everyday. I try to fall asleep again after waking at 2:30 but it's not working. So then I get up and do housework or run errands. But what's been happening is by 7:30--8:00pm I get tired and fall asleep on the couch before going into work at 10:30pm
Does anyone have any suggestions on a sleep remedy that's natural?

I really don't want to sleep before coming into work because I'm missing out on time with my son and my chinnies! Not to mention I have to watch all my tv shows the next day because I'm sleeping through them for crying out loud!

 

[Jeanette]

A white noise generator is always helpful.
Perhaps you're waking up due to an increase of traffic or jets going by at that particular time and don't even know it.

A white noise generator will cut all of those sounds out so that you can sleep through them! I've tried one and they work quite well!!

 

[Chinniechantel]

Laurie, I have the same problem as you! I am so messed up on sleep and would rather not take drugs to fix it. I use a fan for the noise, but still no luck.

 

[gella]

Do you read in bed? I've found (and heard) if you keep all activities other than sleeping out of you bed use then your body/brain equates it more with sleep and less with 'i've gotta surf internet/read/watch tv/etc'. That might help if you are having trouble staying asleep cause your mind is going. Don't have any good recommendations for natural sleep aids - maybe some kinds of tea?

 

[eroomlorac]

Laurie, I do the same thing and I don't like it, either. I do have a thunderstorm cd and a running stream cd that helps. But I wake up EVERY DAY at 1:30 or so and I'm up until about 3:00 every afternoon. Very irritating. Also, I've found ear plugs help alot to block out even noises you don't think are bothering you. Except then I'm afraid I won't hear my alarm. But I do sleep like a rock when I have ear plugs in. I just have to be sure my son is there to wake me up.

 

[Laurie]

My problem is I can't sleep with noise of any kind. I can't do a fan, listen to the radio or do white noise. I'm wide awake after 5 hours of sleep, but then being up for about 4-5 hours then I'm sleepy again. I don't want to take sleeping pills but I think I shouldn't separate my sleep cycle. I'm think I'm going to have call on Nancy's wisdom of natural remedies.

And Carol I AM going to need ear plugs for the chin show in October! But at least I have you to wake me up my dear friend!

 

[tskoffina]

My mother had a problem sleeping through the night, would sleep 5 hours or so and be up. She also slept on the couch... (but denied it, of course you don't snore mom). We started waking her when she fell asleep in the evening so she lost the hours on the couch, and after a while she stopped. Maybe if you didn't get the extra sleep, drank extra coffee or soda to stay up your body would decide it needs the extra sleep. Also there's a tea, Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime, that helps me sometimes.
http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/detail.html/herbal-teas/sleepytime
Good luck.

 

[Sasha]

Sounds like me Laurie. Whenever school begins my sleeping schedule is alll messed up. I just try to catch up on sleep on the weekends. During the weekdays I go to bed at 3am (I cannot fall asleep earlier, no matter how hard I try) and then I'm up at 6am for class.. so when I get home I take an hour-two hour nap.. and then wake up and do homework/watch TV for the rest of the night. Come the weekend, I'm so bloody exhausted, I sleep for like 12 hours in one day! It's insane.
Ive been addicted to sleeping pills before so I don't do that anymore..
Then when it's exam time, I get even less sleep. Like right now, I'm functioning on 2 hours.... had to write a 50% midterm and everything. I'm not really sure how I keep my eyes open.

I hope you can find a remedy that works well for you. I heard on Oprah the best thing is getting into a routine. Because once you do, your body gets used to it right... well, our bodies are obviously used to lack of sleep!

They also said if you can't fall asleep not to just lie there, to do something. But not anything really stimulating that will keep you up more - so like watch TV or read a BORING book (is there such thing, Laurie??).. lol

And I'm like you too in that I'm a severely light sleeper, which is worse because once you do fall asleep - something (like the chins) wakes you up and then you struggle to fall asleep again!

Maybe if we had some Mick St. John (the non-furry kind) lovin' we would be able to sleep better at night?? Just a thought.

 

[pinkdaisy]

I would have to suggest calmomile tea and a darkening blind for your room! The body wants to sleep when its dark and get up when its light, so if its bright in your room at 2:30, even though you should still be sleeping, you'll wake up because your circadian rhythm is saying its time to get up.

 

[macygray]

Same here, Sasha. When we are off school, even only for about a week my sleep gets all messed up too. What I do is go out and run along with Lola rather than watch her run to tire myself out. I detest laying in bed wide awake knowing you need to get up at 6.30AM!! Ick!

 

[eroomlorac]

And Carol I AM going to need ear plugs for the chin show in October! But at least I have you to wake me up my dear friend!

Oh, yeah? How do I know you aren't going to kill me in my sleep? I'll bring the ear plugs, you bring the barf bags.