set an alarm clock for 7 or 8 am and no matter what time you got to sleep get up whenit goes off, stay awake all day no matter how tired you get, do not eat anythin or drink sweet stuff after around 6pm and nothing other than a hot milky drink after 9pm, have a hot bath around 9pm , then go to bed, no tv, no computer no music, a book is ok for a little while but switch your light off at 10pm at the latest , close your eyes and keep them closed even if you can't sleep, you will soon get into the routine of falling asleep at 10pm if you follow this.
make sure your bedroom is dark, as summer nights are lighter than winter ones it can mess up sleeping patterns because light tells the brain it is daytime well into the evening.
try making plans for the next morning e.g think about what you need to achieve or where you need to go the next day, plan this out with your eyes closed after you turn out the light, knowing you have to get up to do something at 8 or 9 am often spurs your internal clock to kick in and wake you up in time.
if there is someone else in the house try getting them to open your curtains at 7am, the daylight should kick your internal clock into action.
sleeping pills can be a good way to get back into a routine, but only use them as a last resort. they do not help me to get to sleep though, only help me to stay asleep for a guaranteed 7 hours flat, they do give the deep sleep that i miss from waking up so much, it could be you are not going into deep sleep so need longer to feel refreshed.
Last edited by yellowted; Jul 10, 2011 at 07:42 AM.
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