Advice on readjusting my sleeping patterns (Monday "jetlag")

[Sparkle1984]

I've pretty much cracked most of the other aspects of my anxiety, but I still have problems with my sleeping patterns. The problem isn't actually getting to sleep - once I'm in bed, I usually get to sleep fairly quickly. The problem is more about motivating myself to go to bed at a reasonable time, particularly at weekends.

During the working week I try to go to bed by about 11pm and get up at 7.30am. However, sometimes I don't manage to get to bed and fall asleep until nearly midnight. On Friday night I'm tempted to stay up later as I know I don't have to go to work the next day. So then on Saturday morning, I get tempted to lay in bed until 11am in order to catch up on sleep that I lost during the week. Then on Saturday night, I don't feel like going to bed until almost 2am as I just don't feel tired, so then on Sunday morning I don't get up until 11am either.

Sunday night is the worst time as I know I have to go to work the next day, but as my sleeping patterns are totally out of kilter I often don't manage to get to sleep until after 1am, so by the time I have to wake up on Monday morning I've only had about 6 hours sleep. Then I feel awful all day Monday. It feels as if I've been jetlagged. Although I know this is self-inflicted, this sleeping pattern has become ingrained over many years and I'm finding it really hard to break it. If anything, it has got worse over the years - I seem to go to bed later and later at the weekend.

I was actually supposed to go out this evening, but I've stayed in as I just can't face going out when I feel so lethargic. The reason I find it hard to go to bed early at the weekends is because there are so many distractions - for example I'll stay up on the internet, play games or watch TV until about 1am and I find it hard to pull myself away from it. I tend to feel better in the evenings than I do in the mornings - I think I'm somewhat a "night owl" in this respect.

However, I'm getting fed up with my Mondays being ruined like this and I also don't like the way I miss the mornings at weekends, so I'd like to try and break this cycle. What is the best way of solving this? Would it be best if I try and go to bed at 11pm and get up at 7.30am all the time (including at weekends)?

[NoPoet]

I've got exactly the same problem as you; my "sleep hygeine" is appalling.

Remind yourself how shocking you feel after a poor night's sleep. Going to bed too late will knacker you for the next day regardless of how long you sleep. Do try getting up at regular times on your days off so you don't oversleep.

Get more comfortable bedsheets and pillows and listen to relaxing music. Chuck your crappy iPhone away if you unfortunately own one of the over-priced, unreliable chunks of turd and get a HTC with Beats Audio since that's the phone of a true warrior. Get some decent earphones (you can get genuinely good in-ear ones for £20) and listen to gentle, mellow, relaxing tunes you used to love when you were longer.

Think pleasant thoughts about going to bed; build up those positive associations.

[Sparkle1984]

Thanks for your advice. I think my main problem is trying to drag myself away from the internet at nighttime. Even now, I'm still feeling the effects of the lack of sleep I had on Sunday night. It's really caught up with me now and I felt pretty rough today. It's the worst I've felt in terms of lack of sleep for several months. I'll definitely try to keep my sleep patterns in check this coming weekend. I already listen to some relaxing MP3s before I go to sleep, in fact they help me get to sleep, so I'll carry on doing that.

[Edie]

I also have a massive problem with this exact thing. I end up going to bed later and later until I end up getting very little sleep. Being tired is a massive trigger for my depression and anxiety, so I'd really like to get on top of it, but I don't seem to be able to.

It sounds like trying to maintain the same routine could work well for you. Maybe allow yourself a bit of a lie on at weekends, but not so much it interferes with your sleep the following night. Maybe just an extra hour.

Would it help to set alarms on your phone or computer, or would you just ignore them like I do? Maybe if your alarm was in another room, then you would have to drag yourself away from the TV/computer to turn it off, might be easier to stay away then.

I'll be interested to see what suggestions you get, as they could well help me too. I'm not chucking my beloved iPhone away though :D

[Sparkle1984]

Edie, I like your idea about setting an alarm to get yourself away from your computer/TV.

I've been managing quite well with my sleep this weekend. On Friday night I made sure I went to bed well before midnight. I had a good motive for doing so, as I went to the cinema on Saturday morning, so I knew I would have to be up at a reasonable time. My Mum was going to go to the cinema on her own, but I said that I would go with her. The film started at 10.20am - in the past I would normally have still been in bed asleep at that time at the weekend!

Last night I got to bed at midnight, which was a little later than I'd hoped, but it's still much better than staying up until 2am! I woke up at 8.30am, same as yesterday.

I'm so glad that my sleeping patterns are starting to re-adjust - the days seem longer and I don't get that horrible lethargic feeling during the day. I feel like I'm getting more things done during the day and that I can enjoy myself more. :)I'm hoping I'll be able to get to sleep by about 11pm tonight so I won't get the horrible jetlag feeling tomorrow morning!