So dead tired but can't get into good routine

@Lorden (348)
South Africa
July 14, 2012 2:45pm CST
For the past week, I have been in a horrid routine. It all started when two nights in a row, I only got to go to bed at about 1:30 am. Of course, I like to aim for 9pm so that I can be in bed by 10pm and get up again at 6am. However, since those nights I've gone to bed only at 1:30 am, I find that it doesn't help to even try going to bed at 11, 10, and let's not even talk about 9pm. I'll get into the bed and not sleep until 1:30am. Is there any simple advice you have to just get back into a healthy sleeping routine? I've been so dead tired these past 3 days or so because I'm just not sleeping enough. Not to mention I'm more emotional and avoid people because of this feeling of being drained.
5 responses
@cearn25 (3456)
• Philippines
19 Jul 12
I also experienced that before for a hundred of times. It is not easy when you force yourself to sleep even if your body is not ready yet but your mind says to sleep. I don't know what I did now because when I get to my bed, I slept right away which is a very good news. I guess it is because I have a lot of work during the day and I end up so late making myself very tired. You may want to follow my experience. Make yourself busy during daylight then just rest between 9 am to 6 am only then it will be a habit.
@cearn25 (3456)
• Philippines
21 Jul 12
Good luck to you my friend. I know you will get through this. I am positive about it. Have a good day.
@Lorden (348)
• South Africa
19 Jul 12
I'm trying my best, but sometimes some things can't be done any other time. Like good TV shows. When do I ever get time to watch something that's inspiring? It's not always TV fortunately; sometimes it's something more meaningful like work that I kept doing until the early morning hours. I am better now though; I can get to sleep just after 12am. With a little more practise I'm going to bring myself back to 9pm.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
14 Jul 12
A combination of things may help. It's been shown that the light from computers and TVs make the brain think that it's daylight. It has to do with the blue spectrum and not the strength of the light. So, to combat that, turn off the TV and computer at least a couple of hours before you go to bed. With light still in mind, keep your lighting low after sunset to allow a natural response to the night. Try drinking a couple of cups of chamomile tea an hour or so before you go to bed, but don't drink or eat anything else and don't snack just before bedtime. A warm bath will help relax you, so add that to the routine. Do whatever you can to relax your mind. When you go to bed, concentrate on breathing. Breathe deeply and slowly, hold it for a count of five, then breathe out slowly. Count to five and breathe in again and so on. Make sure you breathe deeply so your tummy moves in and out with it. This stimulates the vagus nerve, I think it's called, and that makes your body relax. Go to bed at the same time every night and stay there even if you don't fall asleep right away. You will soon get back on track. I have trouble sleeping once in awhile. It used to be every night, but it's not so bad now.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
15 Jul 12
I've read that 30 minutes isn't enough to "turn our brains off" after watching TV. I don't know how early 6 or 7 PM is to you, but often people who eat too early will snack before bedtime because they get hungry. Watching TV and snacking seem to go together.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
14 Jul 12
peavey it is said that we should go to bed say 30 minutes after watching TV or working on computer. but it is not practised nowadays. I think in USA people take dinner early night itself so that when they go to bed their stomach will not be full.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
19 Jul 12
start going to bed at a certain time and getting up at a certain time every day. eventually your body will get used to the idea.
@wongchoiyee (7413)
• Malaysia
14 Jul 12
Dear Lorden. Ravisivan is correct, remove that worry from our head and heart will start to feel tired and wants to get sleep sooner than you can imagine. Sleepless nights I have encountered before are the same, I have problems with my jobs and the stress keeps me awake. Later, I changed my job and having a good time with my work not long time ago, then I get sleep every night till the morning. I am happy that I made a change. You can too.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
14 Jul 12
wrongchoiyee: worry kills. worry prevents sleep. you know simple thing. one night laptop cell phone charger bulb was missing. luckily i got the duplicate of that. I got the first one the next day. Now my small worry is i am not able to place the two DVDs liked by my grandson. but this will not affect my sleep. good day.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Jul 12
our friend says it is due to tv programs watched by him. he is right. we must be very selective in watching tv programs.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
14 Jul 12
lorden what is the problem haunting your mind that prevents you from getting sleep? remove that worry? then you will get sleep.It depends on your age -- if you are in 20s the problem must be getting a job or getting married. if it is 50s then worry about children. yes. we have worried from the beginning till the end.
@Lorden (348)
• South Africa
19 Jul 12
Thank goodness it's none of that! I'm not worried about a thing :) I hope to never worry because that's no way to live. I can't even remember how this started this time; sometimes it's something as simple as TV shows that are just too darn intriguing that I keep watching, and before I know it it's 1am. Sometimes it is work that I was immersed in and had to keep working while the inspiration or the opportunity was there. Sometimes, pathetic as may be, it's this gosh darn internet :) So much to discover, while sometimes so boring. Those are usually the things that keep me up too late. And I find it extremely difficult to get back into a routine of going to bed at 9pm. It's almost a losing battle. Even now I am not back into that routine, and I'm still tired and drained.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Jul 12
Lorden: young man you appear very good. yes. these tV shows are good and bad. sometimes some reality shows we think that all those things happen to us also. we start worrying about it. a man works as a driver for the car owned by a friend of mine. He said he cut the cable tV connection because his mother and his wife fight frequently if TV channels are seen by them. His mother use to fight with her daughter in law imagining various things--in Tamil TV channels you have serials wherein women fight with one another, plotting against the other.