🛌👌 How I (mostly) fixed my sleep schedule
I used to go to bed very late (~4am) and whenever I tried to change my schedule to a more sane time I'd fail. After talking to a physician (altho initially for other reasons) I've found an approach that works for me…
⛔️ Here's what DIDN'T work to adjust my sleep schedule and wake up earlier:
🛌❌ Go to bed early. Not tired, leads to insomnia
⏰❌ Wake up early with alarm. Didn't change time when I'd fall asleep
⏭❌ Skip nights to fix cycle. Can't fix your bio-clock in one day
✅ Here's what DID work for me:
1️⃣ Create the right conditions for sleeping earlier
2️⃣ Ensure a good night's sleep
3️⃣ Create the right conditions for waking up
Yes I know this is overly abstract and obvious 😅 Going into details below…
1️⃣ Before 💤
☕️ No late caffeine (for me max 2 cups a day, last before 5pm)
🥗 No late dinner/snacks
🧠 No active brain stuff few hours before bed (for me no work after dinner, which is hard but doable)
👨💻 No bright screen 2 hrs before bed (TV at distance still ok for me)
💡 No bright lights. Especially lights that are high (e.g. ceiling) or cold tone (e.g. white/blue)
💪 No intense exercise before sleep
🚶♂️ Brief walk to calm down my mind if still active (no podcast/audiobook)
🛁 Nice bath to calm down my mind if still active
💊 Melatonin to help get into new schedule (I took it for 1-2 weeks)
Do your own research on this. AFAIK it's harmless as long as you build off gradually and don't suddenly stop taking it.
Research suggests you need a very small quantity and more isn't better.
2️⃣ During 💤
🌚 Dark room (but with curtains open, see next tweet why)
❄️ Cold room
🎭 Comfortable sleeping mask
⏳ Enough sleep (7-9 hours for me depending on exercise)
(I already got this covered pretty well)
3️⃣ Waking up
☀️ Use sunlight to wake me up (take off mask)
⏰ Alarm only as back-up (if you consistently wake up because alarm, then you might need more sleep so set it to later time)
🚶♂️Go outside early in day and get early sunlight (helps set biological clock)
📅 Try to keep somewhat consistent schedule also during weekends
🎯 Results?
🩺 Feel healthier waking up earlier (I think some science around this about getting plenty of early daylight)
👍 My productivity shifted from nights to midday
👌 Generally more practical (e.g. hotel breakfast closes at 10.30am)
👎 Downsides?
👥 Harder to socialize with other night owls. Be aware of peer pressure pulling you back into old habits.
😢 I do sometimes miss the late-night hacking vibe
I think that's about it. It's pretty straight forward. Just need to have some discipline in the evenings/nights and your body will start adjusting naturally.
I intentionally didn't include the reasons to shift to a more regular sleeping schedule or say that waking up earlier is better.
You should do whatever works for you. We're all different.
I will say however, that I used to rationalize my sleep schedule with reasons like being a night owl or having a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
But those are easy outs.
Looking back at it, the reality is that looking at bright screens all night, eating late, and stimulating my brain was what really keeping me awake for much longer than my body naturally would.
If you struggle with your sleep schedule. Give changing it a try.