Your sleeping schedule is all related to your circadian rhythm. However, this cyclical nature of the problem is key to understanding how it can often be exceedingly difficult to amend a sleeping schedule that is out of whack. Quite simply, it is a vicious circle.
For whatever reason, you are obliged to stay up late. With no commitments the next day (say, it is Saturday morning), you sleep in and rise late. After that, you are not quite tired enough to get to bed at your usual, sensible time. You stay up late again, and after a few days a new sleeping schedule is established, after which getting up for work becomes a nightmare.
That, at any rate, is how it goes for a normal, healthy person. For those with sleep disorders, the problem can become much worse. Even though you might be very tired, you could find yourself simply unable to drift off until a truly ungodly hour, which only reinforces a suboptimal sleep schedule.
When you find yourself in this situation, there is only one goal – to fix your sleeping schedule. Nevertheless, depending on what’s causing the problem, it can either be a matter of simply going to bed at the right time and making sure you’re tired, or first dealing with an insomnia problem. Beyond this though, getting sleep at night can be made even more difficult if you suffer from anything else that might keep you awake for more obvious reasons – chronic pain, anxiety, and so on.
Understanding the Circadian Rhythm
Your brain has an internal clock which regulates sleep as well as everything else your body does. The sleep-wake cycle is a part of this, and it takes cues from routines and your environment. It is also sensitive to light and, unsurprisingly, will make you sleepy when it is dark out.
Today, things such as smartphones and laptop screens have ensured that we are exposed to pretty strong light in the nighttime. This has been bad for sleep generally, and it has led to multiple sleep scheduling problems and many a circadian rhythm set out of whack. The first, and most important tip therefore might be to cut out smartphone and laptop use at night.
Further Tips
So, it is important to ensure your lighting arrangements are conducive to a good sleep. But there are many other things that could be working against you. Here follows some tips for overcoming them:
Set Times
First of all, you need to know when you should go to bed and when to get up. Ensure at least eight hours of sleep, consider your daytime commitments, and then make this your goal.
Eat Regularly
There is much debate over nutrition and sleep. But what can be agreed upon is that regular mealtimes will reinforce a regular circadian rhythm. Set times from breakfast, lunch, and dinner but do in such a way as to ensure hunger isn’t keeping you awake at night.
Avoid Caffeine from the Late Afternoon
This is something of a no brainer. You should avoid caffeine for a minimum of six hours before you plan to sleep. Late afternoon is a good cut-off point.
Try CBD
Yammy CBD, a company specializing in CBD products like premium CBD gummies and premium CBD oil, say that CBD is especially useful for sleep problems. Not only can it help promote sleep in and of itself, but it can alleviate chronic pain and anxiety as well, both of which could be preventing you nodding off.
Ultimately, you owe it to yourself to sort out your sleeping schedule. Long term problems await if it is not corrected in time.