Really struggling with waking up / getting up

[xjay1337]

So, as above... help?

I have 2 phones (one mine, one work).

Both have alarms set for 7, 7:15, 7:30 and 7:45. There's also a secondary alarm for 8:45 when I'm working from home (I start at 9).

Despite this, and having my blinds adjusted so the natural light can enter my room, I find it incredibly difficult to wake up and then actually get up without going back to sleep.

This morning I had planned to be in the office but I ended up waking up (consciously, I must have woken up subconsciously prior to turn off my alarms or they say "missed alarm") at 8:07 - To get to the office on time means leaving by 8!

I'm fed up with it frankly. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice?

[Richyvrlimited]

what time do you go to bed / sleep?

[johnwilliams77]

Go to sleep earlier

[xjay1337]

Then I struggle to actually get to sleep.

Richyvrlimited said:

what time do you go to bed / sleep?

Get into bed around 10:30/10:45.
Usually watch an episode or two of a TV show to relax, then I whack on Top Gear and fall asleep to that (I have always had to have the TV on to fall asleep, it's on a timer so usually turns off about 15-20 minutes after I've entered the land of nod).

I would say I am asleep by 1am at the latest. I've always been a night owl and this isn't anything new to me.

The issue is I naturally struggle to fall asleep much earlier than this, so any attempts to fall asleep at say 11, just stress me out

[roboxm3]

Put your alarm at the other side of the room!

[Hoofy]

Just get into bed at 11pm and don't do anything. The boredom will have you asleep if you need it.

Do you check your phones in the middle of the night? If yes, then stop it. It isn't important.

Edit:
Just saw this.

Edited by Hoofy on Monday 11th January 10:52

[xjay1337]

roboxm3 said:

Put your alarm at the other side of the room!

I could do that but I worry that it would not wake me up!

Hoofy said:

Just get into bed at 11pm and don't do anything. The boredom will have you asleep if you need it.

Do you check your phones in the middle of the night? If yes, then stop it. It isn't important.

Haha, I wish, it really doesn't, I just end up tossing and turning!
I try not to check my phone. I make a point of not checking my phone when I've decided I'm going to sleep.

[Ste1987]

On the plus side; the fact you may struggle to get to sleep is a sign of intelligence...

[mcrdave]

Get one of these, I was sceptical but they've really helped me gently wake up on these dark mornings, slowly lights up with a warm sunny light. I don't even use my alarm anymore.

http://www.bodykind.com/product/1357-Lumie-Bodyclo...

[Quickmoose]

I don't think you need the TV on to get you to sleep, that sounds like a habit you've built reliance and belief in... TV screens or phone screens are counter productive. Try switching the TV off half hour before you want to be asleep and then read an actual book.

If putting the alarm on the side of the room makes you worry....try putting it closer, but still out of arms reach....and/or leave the secondary alarm closer...

[dmitsi]

I found it very easy to turn off my alarm and go back to sleep. I downloaded alarm clock xtreme which lets me set snooze length and amount of snoozes before I have to answer a maths question to turn the alarm off. I have it set to a reasonable difficulty otherwise I'd be back to sleep. I'm now allowed three 5 min snoozes before the maths forces me to wake up.

[Squirrelofwoe]

xjay1337 said:

roboxm3 said:

Put your alarm at the other side of the room!

I could do that but I worry that it would not wake me up!

Hoofy said:

Just get into bed at 11pm and don't do anything. The boredom will have you asleep if you need it.

Then get a louder alarm! A loud alarm that requires you to get out of bed to switch off will do the trick.

Do you check your phones in the middle of the night? If yes, then stop it. It isn't important.

Haha, I wish, it really doesn't, I just end up tossing and turning!
I try not to check my phone. I make a point of not checking my phone when I've decided I'm going to sleep.

That's a very good point too. I've read numerous times that using devices with screens (phones/TVs/computers etc) shortly before going to bed will impact the ability of your brain to 'wind down' to the point of going to sleep. It's often suggested to read a book if you really must 'do something' to fall asleep, rather something with an electronic screen- so turn the TV off at least 30 mins or so before going to bed.

Also lighting colour/intensity can have an impact of your ability to get to sleep. Do a Google search for it, but I'm sure it's suggested that 'blue' lighting in the hour or so before bed is the most conducive to getting your brain ready for sleep, whilst vibrant reds etc are to be avoided (I might have that the wrong way around though!).

Much of getting to sleep is also habit, if you are in the pattern of only falling asleep at 1am with the TV on then it will be difficult to break this. But that is only because they are the conditions you've gradually imposed upon yourself. It's like a self fulfilling prophecy, where you say you can only go to sleep at 1 am with the TV on and so you continue to do so- but the longer you carry on like that the more true it becomes!

So my advice would be to look up the studies done on lighting/temperature with regard to sleep, and also impose a strict no-electronic device for a while before bed. If you want to occupy yourself for a while once in bed read a book. I also find listening to music in headphones is a sure fire way to get me to sleep but obviously that can sometimes be a pain.

Oh and for the morning get a louder alarm placed out of reach of your bed!

I used to suffer quite a bit with that but these days since doing the above I rarely have any issue falling asleep and normally wake up a few minutes before my alarm most mornings. I don't have a set 'bed-time' either- just go to bed when I feel tired.

[okgo]

xjay1337 said:

Get into bed around 10:30/10:45.
Usually watch an episode or two of a TV show to relax, then I whack on Top Gear and fall asleep to that (I have always had to have the TV on to fall asleep, it's on a timer so usually turns off about 15-20 minutes after I've entered the land of nod).

I would say I am asleep by 1am at the latest. I've always been a night owl and this isn't anything new to me.

The issue is I naturally struggle to fall asleep much earlier than this, so any attempts to fall asleep at say 11, just stress me out

You're not a night owl, its fairly simple, you're doing everything wrong and not getting enough sleep either.

[johnwilliams77]

You may laugh but I do believe that some people are naturally 'morning people' or 'night types'

[okgo]

johnwilliams77 said:

You may laugh but I do believe that some people are naturally 'morning people' or 'night types'

Quite possibly, but how anyone thinks watching 2 hours of TV then leaving the TV on before going to sleep at 1am is the route to success regarding waking up at a sensible hour I do not know.

[Squirrelofwoe]

johnwilliams77 said:

You may laugh but I do believe that some people are naturally 'morning people' or 'night types'

Without a doubt, I think that's pretty well accepted these days.

However I believe it's the OP's actions that are conducive to keeping his brain awake and delaying sleep, rather than a predisposition towards the tendencies shown by 'night owls'.

[fido]

Turn the TV off and browse PH instead before you go to bed - this will remedy your sleep problem!

[Shaoxter]

dmitsi said:

I found it very easy to turn off my alarm and go back to sleep. I downloaded alarm clock xtreme which lets me set snooze length and amount of snoozes before I have to answer a maths question to turn the alarm off. I have it set to a reasonable difficulty otherwise I'd be back to sleep. I'm now allowed three 5 min snoozes before the maths forces me to wake up.

I have the same, worked at the start but now I just keep snoozing the 30-40 mins I did before. But I have a degree in maths so maybe the maths questions are too easy

[Hoofy]

xjay1337 said:

Haha, I wish, it really doesn't, I just end up tossing and turning!
I try not to check my phone. I make a point of not checking my phone when I've decided I'm going to sleep.

Try not to? Put your phone in another room.

Use a hifi system as an alarm. Put it on some loud radio station.

I'm naturally a night person, too, but if I need to get up at 7 then I turn off lights at 11.30pm to avoid feeling awful the next day.

Otherwise, I can stay up to 2am but will want to wake up at 10am.

[GT03ROB]

Try getting up at 6am, you'll have no problems getting to sleep earlier then .

Try also putting a bit more rigour into your waking time, you seem all over the place with a range of 1 1/2hrs. Watching TV til late is also a bad idea really does keep your brain active for too long stopping you sleeping.