How do you reset your body clock?

[Hopsta]

For the past 2 weeks i've been waking up about around 5:15 - 5:30 everyday including weekends.

There is nothing set to go on/off at that time so it must be physcological. Going through quite a stressfull time with being made redundant earlier this year and looking for work, but still i need to get my sleep sorted soon!

I've tried to vary the times i've gone to bed but still not able to break that internal clock. Had a 'One a night Nytol' last night but to no avail.

Any sensible suggestions appreciated

I'm off to get a

[scooby_simon]

More exercise, but not too late in the evening!!!!

Less caffine!

[CarMad]

And go to sleep when your tired not at a set time, your body will soon sort itself out. If you don't feel tired I wouldn't worry about it to be honest.

[330dcoupe]

I was going through similar problems this time last year. There is a quick, but (very) unhealthy solution to this problem - that's to exercise for at least 1 hour, late in the evening, eat later and go to bed later. Like i said, i wouldn't recommend it, but it would work. Tiredness is never always a good enough reason for your body to be able to sleep - being tired and having a full stomach, normally, is.

Alternatively, you can do what I did. Wake up for around 9; have a good, healthy breakfast and lunch for 2ish; go for a run for 20-25min - around 4ish; eat your last meal by 7:30 and then just relax before going to bed. It wont work straight away, and may take a good week to kick in, but it did the trick for me.

I also wouldn't recommend you take any sleeping tablets - because once your working again, it's hard to get them out of your system.

[bazza_g]

for quick body clock resetting I reccomend plenty of alcohol when trying to sleep and then plenty of caffine first thing in the morning of your particular timezone. Its a system I've perfected after years of short transatlantic trips

[Hopsta]

Well I gave in and tried the Nytol way with no luck whatsoever, waking up round 2 and then agian at 5:30!

I'll give the alcohol trick a good bashing tomorrow night over a catch up with a few mates

[Drinks]

In order to get a good night’s sleep, there are some simple measures that you can take to help:

Set a specific time for getting up and going to sleep each day. Stick to these times, seven days a week, even if you feel you haven’t had enough sleep. This will gradually train your body to sleep at night.

• Only ever go to bed when you are feeling tired and sleepy.
  
• Try to create a bedtime routine, such as a warm bath and warm milky drink every night. These activities will then be associated with sleep and will cause drowsiness.
  
• Do not take a nap during the day.
  
• If the early morning sunlight or bright street lamps affect you sleeping, use thick blinds, curtains or wear an eye mask to create a dark environment.
  
• If noise is a problem, wear ear plugs.
  
• Do not use the bedroom for anything other than sleeping or sex. Don’t watch television, make phone calls, eat, or work while you are in bed.
  
• Rather than worrying about things while you are trying to get to sleep, write a list of your worries and any ideas you have to solve them; then forget about it until the morning.
  
• Avoid or limit tea, coffee, chocolate, and cold remedies containing caffeine.
  
• Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as these are also stimulants. Alcohol may make you sleepy at first but will wake you up when the effects have worn off.
  
• Don’t eat a big meal or spicy foods just before bedtime. A small snack that contains tryptophan (a natural sleep-promoting amino acid) may help, such as turkey, banana and fish. A warm drink of milk before bedtime may help too.
  
• Keeping fit will generally help you to have a good night’s sleep. Take daily exercise at least 4 hours before you are planning to go to bed as this will give your body temperature a chance to cool down.
  
• Make sure you have a comfortable mattress, a pillow you like, and adequate bed covers for the time of year e.g. quilt for winter.
  
• If it takes longer than 20 or 30 minutes to get to sleep, do not lie in bed becoming anxious about sleeping. Instead, get up and go to another room for a short period and do something else such as reading or watching television, then try again.
  
• Don’t watch the clock as this will only make you anxious e.g. ‘it’s 2.30 – I’ve got to be up at 6.30.’
  

Try these methods for at least 3 – 4 weeks so that you break your usual sleep patterns.

Be aware that you may feel tired during this period so you must take extra care when you are driving or operating machinery etc.

When you are asleep for the majority of the time you are in bed, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier, but make sure you get up at the same time.