Your ability to go to sleep depends on everything you did earlier in the day. If you do more work, more physical activity, and more things you have been putting off, you will have an easier time sleeping. Avoiding caffeine may also help, as does waking up at a consistent time. I found it helps to play a podcast I don't care about at a lowish volume as it gives me something to do on my phone that's compatible with falling asleep. You also need to go to bed early enough, but if you structure your day to tire yourself out, it is a lot more straightforward to do this.
this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2024
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The conventional wisdom is no caffeine after 4 but the half life is 4ish hours I remember reading somewhere. It's better to hard stop caffeine consumption before 2pm.
I think blue light also conflicts with your body's natural sleep priming so yeah cutting screentime before bed is a win or at the very least use the night mode or orange filter on your phone after sundown.
If your schedule is really bad, an acute solution is to hard reset by full commiting to going to bed at your new desired bedtime. Don't nap or anything that day if you can, and if your desired bedtime is too early you can try taking some melatonin. Don't use melatonin regularly though.
That's how I wrangle my sleep schedule back to a better baseline when it starts to drift towards later nights and waking up exhausted.
Learn meditation and deep relaxation?
Learning how to shut down your brain and body is ridiculously useful.
Something like https://youtu.be/rvaqPPjtxng, with a guide that makes you comfortable. Eventually you figure out the process and become able to shutdown by yourself.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
What is the exact problem you are trying to solve?
Like do you have to get up at a certain time and find yourself staying up too late so getting little sleep? Or is it something else, like you can get up kind of whenever but the sleep isn't refreshing?
I have to wake up at 6 am so I can do chores so i don't have to them in the afternoon. Why? Because I usually game in the afternoon so I might as well do them early.
Sounds like a reasonable plan and since you want a stricter schedule that makes it a bit easier. I've got a few more questions:
- What is your caffeine intake in a given day? And when is the latest you consume it?
- Do you work out regularly? If so what and how often?
- How's your diet?
- Other than the phone after 9 anything else you typically do around bed time?
I'm assuming you are looking to be asleep by 10 or 11 to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I'm on a similar schedule. Usually I'll quit gaming at 8 pm on Sundays to be sure I am winding down by 10ish. I also try to only have coffee in the mornings most days as it'll stick with you later than most people think.
- A cup of coffee. Latest is at 1 pm
- No but I do go outside at 3:45
- Not good. MOstly canned food with the occasionally veggies
- Not much
- Might be worth having your last a bit earlier. I've found that a cup at noon makes a difference for me falling asleep so most days I stick to just the one at 6ish when I wake up
- If possible throw in some exercising, it'll help with tiring you out even if it isn't super intense. Plus it is good for overall health
- Again here, if possible get a bit better options in. Canned food isn't inherently bad but it can be overly salty at times. I get that there could be economic reasons that make this one harder to accomplish so do what you can but don't overburden yourself
- That's good, means you don't likely have to change much there. It could help to set a routine to make stopping with the phone easier. Like adding a 30 min reading session before bed or some meditation, or yoga if that is your thing. Essentially some routine to train yourself and your body that it is time to sleep
All this might sound like a lot but you don't have to be perfect on day one and have to find a thing that works for you
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My exercise is mostly walking and running around
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Poverty
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I do have pen and paper. Mostly for remembering things.
For the exercise if you can add a bit more it could help with getting tired when you want to sleep.
Yea like I said I understand the diet one might not be possible to change much with that.
I suppose pen and paper could be part of a winding down routine. Maybe spend a bit of time before bed writing down anything on your to do list or on your mind. It might help with falling asleep easier
I suppose pen and paper could be part of a winding down routine.
It is enjoyable. Especially revisiting old notes
The bad way? Alcohol.
The good way? Meditation.
My way? Counting gulags in my sleep.