Has anyone here to change their sleep schedule completely? If so, how?

Honestly, you're just talking about doing the change once. I personally wouldn't ease into it, I'd just stay up a day and go to sleep at my new "normal" bed time with an alarm to wake up at my new normal wake up time. I would do it as soon as possible, there will be a rough day or two after while your body resets, but stick to your new wake up and bed times. Have a strict cut off time for caffeine too... I have one or two cups of coffee a day when I'm at work, but I don't drink caffeine within six hours of bed time.

FWIW, I have a similar schedule to @kodiakisland except that my work week is ten or more weeks on followed by ten or more weeks off. The watch schedule was rough when I first got started. I spent a lot of time on the 12-4, so I was on watch from midnight to 4am, off til 8am, overtime from 8am to noon, then watch from noon to 4pm. I had one day "off" a week were I just did an eight hour day and would catch up on sleep. I'm the chief now, so I'm basically on call 24/7 when I'm on the ship which is a whole different set of issues.

 

Yeah I frequently get thrown on night shifts for work, it helps to have a few days notice so you can gradually move back your schedule. The faster you make the change the worse it will feel.

 

I hear this suggestion a lot, and feel like I should be able to do it, but I think around noon the next day I will be like a zombie. And then I worry that it will just completely screw up the sleep schedule, but I might give this a try.

Also, I don't know how you guys do crazy shifts like that, switching from morning to night.

 

Well it would be once, but most likely I would stay on the schedule for good, or at least for a while. Luckily I wouldn't be rotating between morning and night shift.

 

Ah yes, you will experience zombie mode eventually.

 

The best thing to help with that is to keep yourself busy but doing things that aren't dangerous, such as things that require driving or going places if you can avoid it. But cleaning, lawn mowing, etc are great physical and mental distractions

 

You will have one serious case of jet lag. Eventually you will adjust. Hopefully this is a permanent change, switching back between schedules is not healthy.

 

That's pretty cool that they gave you guys a lesson in sleep, but I'm sure it's necessary with the crazy schedules you get. From my googling, it seems like this is the way most people recommend, just gradually doing an hour or two each night. I'm just unsure if that will work after 15 years of the same schedule.

I know, that's why I don't know how a lot of the members and here are able to do that, especially military people. I have been wanting to become more of a morning person for years, so if this can stay permanent I will be happy with it.

 

I worked the graveyard shift in college and it was fun, interesting and not for the faint at heart. My "typical" schedule was a bit chaotic and I has stints that were 25-30 hrs with no sleep.

I did a lot of caffeine, something I've given up. It only helps you stay awake but doesn't add clarity to your thoughts. At 30+ hours with no sleep you start getting a little loopy and seeing gremlins.

With that said.
1. Establish a schedule. Try to sleep even when you're not tired. Don't get frustrated if you don't fall a sleep. Close your eyes, clear your mind and focus on your breathing - i.e. mediate.
2. Don't use caffeine as a crutch. Some coffee, Jolt, Monster, what ever when you wake up is OK, but don't consume any after lunch. It's an 8 hour 1/2 life. So if you consume 100 mg at noon, there is still 50 mg in your system at midnight. I had a gram a day of caffeine back then and looking back it was a bad idea.
3. Keep your schedule on your days off if you can.
4. You can preload your schedule before hand, by starting to go to bed a little earlier everyday. I do this when I have to go back east for conferences. I will be getting up at 0500 here. Then when I go back east it's only an hour difference.
5. If you need a power nap at school, go to your car, find a shady tree or something. Try to limit the time and frequency of this because it doesn't help you sleep later - See #1 Establish a schedule and stick to it.

Best of luck with your studies!

 

I'm usually up by 5am, if I go to sleep before 12am is usually good. Used to work rotating shifts and that would mess me up bad. As soon as I got used to the schedule it would have to change. But the main thing is tire yourself out a few hrs before you need to sleep. Usually if you work out anywhere between 7-9. You'll be tired enough to sleep

 

I’ve found a couple things that help:

Drinking lots of water

A completely ‘non-stimulating’ sleeping area that’s a little on the chilly side… totally quiet, totally dark - not even the LED from a clock or charger.

No electronics (TV, computer, phone, etc.) 4hrs before bed - groceries ‘chores’ 1:00, exercise 1:00, 1:00 cook/eat, 0:30 prep for tomorrow, 0:30 shower, sleep.

 

Have you always woken up at 5:00? And it's 5 hours enough sleep for you? I feel like that's all I get now anyway so that shouldn't be too much of a change

 

Yeah it feels like enough most of the time. On the weekends I’ll wake up around 7-8 but during the week I’m usually pretty good. Not tired until around 8

 

Just stay up all night. Force yourself to stay awake the next day until your new bedtime. Set the alarm and go. In about four days your mind will adjust.

 

Zma with 5-htp

 

I vote for an all nighter. I went from late night maintenance shifts going to bed at 3-5AM nightly, back to normal person hours for school by using the all nighter method. Assuming you have weekends off, stay up through friday night and go to sleep an hour or two before your new target bed time. It can be hard staying up that long, but I find I usually get a second wind by 10AM and I'm good to go for the rest of the day, as if my body knows it's not getting any sleep so it just resets. That being said though, as soon as I close my eyes I'm out for good. As others have said, do non-detail oriented activities that keep you stimulated all day. Play video games, do chores, or I'll even waste a few hours in an excel spreadsheet putting together a pipe dream build for the truck, whatever keeps you engaged.

For the days after though, if you can spare the extra time, go to bed an hour or two before you want to actually go to sleep. I know it takes me forever to actually fall asleep because my brain just won't turn off. I picked up reading for the first time in probably 10 years, and it puts my brain on autopilot so I'm usually ready to actually fall asleep when I want to. Also for the weekends, don't stay up any later than usual by an hour or two or else you're just going to undo your progress. As for bodily functions, unfortunately that just takes time. Good luck, I hope some of our suggestions can help you out.

 

Honestly, this thread is much better than google. I think I will try just staying up, I just hope one or 2 nights will do the trick. Thank you.

 

I'm doing it right now, I just added 4 hours to my wake up time, it's a gradual thing. I've been forcing my self to stay up later. I have to do it in steps, but I'm getting there.

 

Homeboy knows how to do it. I've done the same but I work both nights/days and switch every two weeks so it's a little more involved.

GL with it, just don't nap!!! Napping screws it all up.

 

Are you going from night shift to morning shift?