3 replies to this topic

[Tygo]

What's the best way to restore the circadian rhythm? I suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome (probably, not diagnosed by a professional) and therefore I have extreme difficulty waking up in the morning and I find it very hard to sleep at night. I also have severe daytime sleepiness. I am what people call a 'night owl'. I've read on wiki that it's a lifelong condition, but I refuse to believe that. Any supplements that might help? Any other ideas?

[VampIyer]

What's the best way to restore the circadian rhythm? I suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome (probably, not diagnosed by a professional) and therefore I have extreme difficulty waking up in the morning and I find it very hard to sleep at night. I also have severe daytime sleepiness. I am what people call a 'night owl'. I've read on wiki that it's a lifelong condition, but I refuse to believe that. Any supplements that might help? Any other ideas?

I had a complete lack of sleep cycle for a while (not just delayed onset), and I still do if I don't take some sleep meds. (I had to go the norepinephrine inhibiting route because the GABA drugs did not work). It's getting better slowly. I've had more sleep in the past 3 months than I've had in the prior 9 months. Anyway:

You could try to force it with sleep meds and/or a nighttime supplement stack before you WANT to sleep (not just when you feel the med stack might work). + AND:

You could also try to force exposure to bright sunlight in the morning at the time you WANT to be up (light supposedly has a big role). Increase your exposure to sunlight during the day (just force it if possible) for a while.

Then: try to avoid sources of light at bed time. This means get off the computer an hour before you WANT to go to bed, avoid the brighter lights in your house for even longer, and use a night-light in the bathroom... Take precautions so you won't be tempted to turn on the lights.

Now then... if none of that works... I don't know... You might have a deeper health issue like I do... who knows...

Edited by VampIyer, 02 January 2010 - 08:39 PM.

[tunt01]

imo:

- you have to get on as tight a routine as possible. eat at the same time every day. work out at the same time every day. circadian rhythm is about the body being in sync w/ what it expects to have to deal with. keep it in sync by having a routine lifestyle.
- make sure you have a diet that supports the pineal gland (releases melatonin).
- do not eat anything 4 hrs before bed time. if u go to bed at 10 pm, eat by 6ish.
- eat a lighter dinner and heavier breakfast/lunch.
- turn down all the lights 2 hrs before bedtime.
- take a bath or cool the room temperature an hour or two b4 bed. lowering your body's temperature is part of sleeping.

you can try light therapy... waking up w/ the sun and oging to bed at a reasonable hour is possible. but u need a light clock or a lot of windows/light. imo


typically if you are off by like 3-4 hrs (going to bed at 2 AM but targeting 10 PM), you should try to gradually move forward, by going to bed ~ 1 AM, then 12 AM, etc. over time.

[carwashguy]

What's the best way to restore the circadian rhythm? I suffer from delayed sleep phase syndrome (probably, not diagnosed by a professional) and therefore I have extreme difficulty waking up in the morning and I find it very hard to sleep at night. I also have severe daytime sleepiness. I am what people call a 'night owl'. I've read on wiki that it's a lifelong condition, but I refuse to believe that. Any supplements that might help? Any other ideas?

I'm happy to say I've found a solution that works for me. It's a three parter. Part one is optional, but part two and three are essential to success.

1. Melatonin supplement 30 minutes before bed. These make me want to go to sleep. It kills the "I'm wired right now and don't feel like sleeping" feeling. 5mg is overkill. 2-3mg work fine. This is only a short term solution, but it helps when starting out if you combine it with the other two methods. I've found I can't correct my rhythm solely by using this method.

2. Light therapy. After two weeks of using this every morning, my rhythm is set, and it no longer sucks to wake up early. I use one that emits a special blue light. Apparently NASA uses this to get their astronauts adjusted for flights. Although expensive, this method really works--but only if you stick to it. You'll also need to wake up at the same time every day (yes, even off days!). It can really suck waking up and looking at a light for fifteen minutes the first few times, but that's what it takes.

3. Sleep more. This was my moment of enlightenment and changed my life forever. You know how some people can get by with 6 to 7 hours of sleep and feel great and have energy? Yeah, that's not me. I used to sleep 7 to 8 hours a night, and my life sucked. I had no energy at all and was mostly depressed. Then I tried adding 30 minutes so I was sleeping 8.5 hours a night: didn't work. Then I tried 9: still no. But after 9.5 hours of sleep, I feel awesome all day. Fact is, you're going to be very unmotivated to fix your circadian rhythm unless you're getting enough sleep in the first place. Go to sleep earlier (not wake up later!) 30 minutes at a time and see how you feel the next day.

Lastly, quality of sleep is important. Ideally, you shouldn't wake up at all during the night and you shouldn't snore. I did both, but I found ways to fix these problems. For example, for snoring I do nasal irrigation every morning and I try to encourage sleeping on my side by using a high-grade memory foam mattress and pillow. As for waking up in the middle of the night, I turn down the temperature and cover myself with a sheet (not blanket) during the summer, use a white noise machine (my Marsona 1288A is fantastic), and don't drink any liquids three hours before bedtime. I also use the aXbo Sleep Phase Alarm Clock. As you can see, I've put a lot of money (and time for researching) into this, but I consider investing in oneself to be the best investment one can make.

Good luck!

Edit: I forgot about caffeine. If you're on it already, then strike it from your diet and you'll no longer be wired when it's time to go to sleep. Cold turkey is the only way that works for me; it's quick and easy (tapering is too complicated and fails for me). If you absolutely must have it, consume it no less than 6 hours before bedtime.

Edited by carwashguy, 07 January 2010 - 05:20 PM.