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[Baffler]

So lately I've been having trouble falling asleep. What tends to happen is that I'll hardly sleep a wink one night, an hour tops, then the next day the fatigue catches up to me and I'm out like a stone. I wake up and it's 1400 on those days (or at least I do if my alarm clock isn't a factor.) This is really screwing with my performance in my early morning class, and making waking up a pain no matter what time it's at. So bay12, how can I normalize my sleep schedule?

I generally go to bed between 2300 and 0000 local time, sometimes a little later but much later, and have to get up at 0800 and 1100 on weekdays, alternating by day.

[nenjin]

I think the questions to ask first would be: what are you doing in the hours before you to go to sleep?

I generally need "chill out time" before I go to sleep. It's especially true when it comes to playing games. I try to cut myself off from playing anything well before bed time so my brain isn't fresh off of vidya games when I try to sleep. It's guaranteed to make getting to sleep take longer. So I don't really do anything electronic. No TV, no tablet or phone or constant forum browsing. I try to read for about 30 minutes to an our before bed, which does wonders for getting your brain ready to sleep. (Unless it's a book you're super into.) Getting anxious because you can't get to sleep is another thing that can extend the time it takes to get to sleep.

And then there's what you're eating or drinking. I try not to drink any caffeine after like 9pm on the week days. I'm not overly sensitive to caffeine, as I drink a shitload of coffee on a daily basis, but as I've gotten older and I have real responsibilities, I've tried to establish a pattern so I'm not dead on my feet in the morning. Sugar is another thing that will keep you up, but I likes my late night dessert so I don't necessarily avoid it before bed. But you might be more sensitive these things.

If you're physically anxious for whatever reason, you could try working out a bit an hour or two before you want to go to bed. Exhaustion can help you get to sleep, but working out can also get you amped up and make it harder to sleep, so you don't want to work out too much or too soon
before you want to get to bed.

What I do when I really need to get back on schedule is....sleep deprivation. Struggle through that crash period by whatever means necessary, and tough it out to around an early bed time. (I generally try to get to sleep by 1am, so when I'm doing this technique I try to shoot for a 9 or 10pm bed time, to give myself a few extra hours of sleep.) It's not for everyone though, I'm only used to it because I pull a lot of bender gaming weekends, so sleep dep is kinda like a hobby to me

Generally when I for real can't sleep though, it's because something is off. Either I'm troubled or distracted or unhappy or something. So consider a lot of different sources for why you can't drift off. My first guess would be though: too much time in front of the PC and not enough time actually getting ready to go to bed. Like I said, turn off all your electronics, turn off the lights except a lamp, get a book and get comfortable. Usually does the trick for me.

[LordBucket]

having trouble falling asleep

how can I normalize my sleep schedule?

There are multiple possible causes, multiple possible solutions, and different people's bodies react differently. It might require some experimentation to find out what applies to you. However, I suggest:

 * Go to GNC. Some some sub-lingual melatonin tablets. Be sure to get the sub-lingual ones that you dissolve under your tongue, as they enter your bloodstream more quickly than the swallowed tablets. Try 1mg about 15 minutes before you want to fall asleep. If that's insufficient, try 2 or 3 mg. More than 3 is unlikely to necessary. 1 might be enough. Note that melatonin is naturally produced by your body and is unlikely to hurt you. I've personally taken full gram doses, but it just doesn't make any difference taking that much compared to less.
 * Darken your bedroom. No nightlights. Pay close attention to your curtains. Some curtains are designed to allow a great deal of light to pass above and below them. Light interferes with your body's ability to sleep, and, for example, if you have a streetlight outside your window and inadequate curtains, that can make sleeping difficult.
 * Remove electronic devices from your bedroom. No blinking lights, no quiet hum of your server in the corner. Turn off your cellphone. Don't keep a wifi router in your bedroom. Check on the wall on the other side of your bed and make sure there are no electronics there either. Some people are sensitive to electromagnetic fields, and this can interfere with sleep. Others will religiously insist that the human body is incapable of picking up on these things. Ignore those people. Maybe this is, or maybe this isn't an issue for you personally. Try it and find out.
 * Experiment with eating or not eating, and being active or not active before bed. This is something that some people react very differently to. Food puts some people to sleep. Others, food makes them energetic and want to be active. Or hot. A 15 minute walk before bed might help you to sleep, or might get your blood flowing so you want to be awake. Experiment. Note that if eating helps you sleep, you'll probably want to eat relatively soon before sleeping, but if eating keeps you awake, you might need to not eat for several hours before trying to sleep.

[nenjin]

A note about eating before bed: for some, it can be the cause of wicked indigestion. But if you are going to eat and drink, you might try to shoot for stuff that can help you get to sleep. Chamomile Tea, Turkey, ect...

[LordBucket]

A note about eating before bed: for some, it can be the cause of wicked indigestion. But if you are going to eat and drink, you might try to shoot for stuff that can help you get to sleep. Chamomile Tea, Turkey, ect...

Yeah, good example of how people's bodies react differently to things. Turkey is supposed to put you to sleep because of the trytophan in it. Personally, turkey makes my body want to be active. Thanksgiving dinner becomes "let's go skating, guys! I'm wired!"

[Baffler]

I should've mentioned I live in a dorm room, so I can't exactly remove my laptop and other such things from my bedroom (it also means poorly enforced quiet hours and a freshman roommate not used to freedom.) It's not where I can see it in bed though so that probably isn't a problem. I'll definitely try turning off electronics earlier, as it stands I've got maybe 20 minutes buffer between starting to get ready for bed and actually going to bed. I'm very sensitive to caffeine and avoid coffee and caffeinated soda entirely, though I generally have a cup of Earl Gray or Irish Breakfast after classes are over (1300-1400.) Probably too early to have an effect, but if hot soup and early shutoff don't have an effect I'll try having those earlier in the day.

If the pattern holds, this'll be a sleepless night. I'll see what happens, I suppose.

[nenjin]

Did your sleep troubles start with moving into your dorm room, or getting a room mate?

[Baffler]

Nah, this has been a problem for like two weeks. I've been here for months already, and was in the same building last year without major problems.

[Levi]

A few things that help me.

- Ear Plugs.  Its ridiculous how well they work, its well worth buying some if you live in a dorm.
- Reading before going to bed.  Even if its only for a few mins, I find it helps.
- Empty bladder.   After reading, I go to the washroom before going to bed.  If I have trouble falling asleep in about an hour, I'll usually go to the washroom again just in case.
- Thinking about a boring problem.  Sometimes when going to sleep I try to think of ways I can make more money than I do now.  It often puts me right out. 
- If all else fails, I think about boobs.  Because if I'm not going to fall asleep, I might as well be laying there thinking about something I like.   

[Helmaroc]

It looks like most of what I would suggest has already been covered. I don't think I've ever had true clinical insomnia, but I have had my share of sleepless nights (or worse, waking up every hour or two nights). What nenjin said about fighting through the deprivation until you can crash at a reasonable hour may help. Working out at any point in the day can help, I think. If you can think of ways to increase your physical activity during the day in any way (maybe taking the stairs, riding a bike etc) that may help, with the goal being you are exhausted when you try to sleep. Also this probably isn't ideal and should only be used occasionally, but I have found that OTC sleep aids containing diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl, but also sold generic as 'night time sleep aid') have worked well for me when I've been completely unable to sleep. If your issue is temporary or you just need help readjusting your schedule, this type of product might come in handy. It isn't 'habit-forming', but that doesn't mean you can't 'get in the habit' of using it, if that makes sense. As with most drugs you will develop a tolerance and it will cease to work at the recommended doses after repeated nightly use, so again I would only recommend it for occasional or temporary use.

[nenjin]

Yeah, when I'm really, really desperate, I'll turn to Nyquil as a sleep aid. But only for a night or two, relying on chemical supplements to get basic sleep is a bad habit to fall in to. Luckily I haven't had that problem since getting a regular morning job. I'd sleep 10 to 12 hours a day if I could, so I'm always feeling like I'm getting less sleep than I want.

[Baffler]

Well, it seems having some small thing that's hot to eat/drink does the trick, as does shutting down the PC a little earlier. Gonna lock this thread now, thanks guys.