How to get to bed on time

[gilad]

I am very bad at keeping a sane and regular bedtime.

For example last night I went to sleep at 4am. I had to get up for work at 7am.

so naturally Im exhausted and feel like deaths shadow.

But yes, enough about that.

Any ideas on how to get to bed at a reasonable hour?

[0range]

Valium?

[thalberg]

Make a list of everything you need to have finished in order for your day to be complete.  Get all those things done by 8pm. 

At this time, put on really comfortable clothes and turn off all your brightest lights.  Dimmer light is better at this time of day to help you relax.

Also stop eating at 7 or 8 --this sends your body the message the day is over. 

Give yourself a few hours to relax after 8.  But don't do anything addicitive--TV, internet, etc or you will stay up all night.  Non-addictive things is what you want.  I recommend light cleaning, light reading, journaling, planning tomorrow's activities, or even a walk outside perhaps.

[pianolearner]

Make a list of everything you need to have finished in order for your day to be complete.  Get all those things done by 8pm. 

At this time, put on really comfortable clothes and turn off all your brightest lights.  Dimmer light is better at this time of day to help you relax.

Also stop eating at 7 or 8 --this sends your body the message the day is over. 

Give yourself a few hours to relax after 8.  But don't do anything addicitive--TV, internet, etc or you will stay up all night.  Non-addictive things is what you want.  I recommend light cleaning, light reading, journaling, planning tomorrow's activities, or even a walk outside perhaps.

Excellent post and spot on. Vigorous excercise a few hours before 'bed time' helps. Also, stay away from coffee. Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours! (This means it takes your body 6 hours to get rid of 1/2 the caffeine in a cup of coffee)

[thalberg]

Excellent post and spot on. Vigorous excercise a few hours before 'bed time' helps. Also, stay away from coffee. Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours! (This means it takes your body 6 hours to get rid of 1/2 the caffeine in a cup of coffee)

Thanks   I have sleeping problems myself so I've spent time thinking about the issue.


Half life of 6 hours?  So does that mean 12 hours later your body has only gotten rid of 3/4 of the caffeine, and 18 hours later your body has gotten rid of 7/8?

I keep trying to convince people that caffeine I drank at 10am can keep me up till 2am......no one believes me but for me it's true.  I avoid it like the plague 24/7.

[pianolearner]

Thanks   I have sleeping problems myself so I've spent time thinking about the issue.


Half life of 6 hours?  So does that mean 12 hours later your body has only gotten rid of 3/4 of the caffeine, and 18 hours later your body has gotten rid of 7/8?

I keep trying to convince people that caffeine I drank at 10am can keep me up till 2am......no one believes me but for me it's true.  I avoid it like the plague 24/7.

Yes, as a rough guide, each 6 hours is 1/2 the caffeine.

I had trouble sleeping, thinking that the cup of coffee I was drinking at 8pm wouldn't affect me. I stopped after reading about the half-life. Now, the last cup of coffee for me is around 10.30am. I have cut down on the amount as well.

[thalberg]

Very enlightening.  Thank you!

[zheer]

Any ideas on how to get to bed at a reasonable hour?

  1       Well i promise you doing exercise like early in the morning jogging or gym will help you sleep better at night.
   2      Eating food late at night may also help,something hot and a hot chocolate. Dont forget room temprature must be warm, silence also helps.
   3      If you have a wife or you are living with a laddy friend, do what most couples do just before going to sleep,it will help a lot to slow you down and send you to sleep.If you are single ,read a book.
   4      Obviously you know Alcahol can also send you to sleep,but do you really wont to drink every night.The altenative is sleeping tablets.
   5       Believe it or not listining to a very deep voice helps with sleep,the radio is an idea, switch to a serious chanel,something political, the sound of their voice could do the trick.

   this is funny coz with me its about cutting the hours of sleep, really sleeping too much will shorten your life.

[gilad]

Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

Some serious tips here. Thalberg, very well put in deed. Im going to go with your advice. Very smart. Zheers 1 - 3 as well. Skipping the meal though.
Pitty I'll be reading a book tonight though:P AGain!

[maul]

Sleep is overrated mang. Waste of time.

[ada]

Try this:

Wake up at 4.30 am. Practise piano till 5.30. Wash the dishes from the night before, chuck on a load of washing, make lunch for kids. Have a shower. Get to the office at 7am. Go out on a few jobs, attend some meetings, file a few stories to deadline. Go for a 30 minute run at lunch. Leave office at 5.30 pm. Pick kids up from after school care. Get them fed and washed and into bed by 8.30 pm. Do other domestic stuff that needs doing. Have a couple of glasses of wine and smoke a joint. Do another hour or so of work from home or snatch some time on the piano with headphones if you can still keep your eyes open. Wake up and do it all over again, day after relentless day, chucking in an evening function, party or drinks now and then.

I guarantee you will not have trouble falling asleep.

[ahinton]

Try this:

Wake up at 4.30 am. Practise piano till 5.30. Wash the dishes from the night before, chuck on a load of washing, make lunch for kids. Have a shower. Get to the office at 7am. Go out on a few jobs, attend some meetings, file a few stories to deadline. Go for a 30 minute run at lunch. Leave office at 5.30 pm. Pick kids up from after school care. Get them fed and washed and into bed by 8.30 pm. Do other domestic stuff that needs doing. Have a couple of glasses of wine and smoke a joint. Do another hour or so of work from home or snatch some time on the piano with headphones if you can still keep your eyes open. Wake up and do it all over again, day after relentless day, chucking in an evening function, party or drinks now and then.

I guarantee you will not have trouble falling asleep.

Ada, I wouldn't try that if you - or anyone else - paid me! I appreciate what you write, of course and I see you point, naturally, but...

Here's my take on that. I'm really pleased that you've now figured a way to fit in some piano practice! I use the dishwasher to save having to do the 5.30 a.m. manual dishwashing routine that you mention. I only do the washing once a week, usually at the weekends (depending on where I am and what I'm doing). I've solved the next one by not having any kids. My office is at home, so I don't have to drive anywhere, park, etc. I'm not physically fit enough to do a run at lunchtime (but then I'm barely physically fit enough to have lunch, either, when I'm working). Kids ditto. Some wine, yes. A joint, no (I value my stomach and certain other parts of my anatomy too much, knwoing that they would all rebel against that together at least as violently as they would if I injected some beer or Guinness into them). And I can't really play the piano any more anyway...

Good to hear from ya, anyway!

Best,

Alistair

[ada]

Ada, I wouldn't try that if you - or anyone else - paid me! I appreciate what you write, of course and I see you point, naturally, but...

I use the dishwasher to save having to do the 5.30 a.m. manual dishwashing routine that you mention.

aha, to clarify. Certain things will not go in the dishwasher such as wine glasses and pots containing the remnants of last night's spag bol. Contrary to your perceptions we are actually acquainted with the modern wonder of dishwashers downunder 

Oh and I was exaggerating. Some days when I am feeling particularly lazy I sleep in till 5.30 am.

[elspeth]

Or how about this for no trouble sleeping... get up at 6.45. Dress, have breakfast, do the 45-min commute into town. Go swimming then walk to the office. Get in the office around 10am. Take a theoretical hour for lunch, or not if it's too busy. Spend the theoretical hour in one of the function rooms getting some piano practice done (perks of the job, I do at least get to play a good grand piano), unless someone works out which room you're in and rings you there instead of at your office. Work in the office until about 5, then start the preparations to put on the evening's show. Run the show, letting the customers out usually 10pm-10.30pm. Stay late to run the post-show corporate events... hope to get away by 11.30, unless it's Friday or Saturday in opera season in which case it may be 2am or later by the time you've packed up the function room, cashed the bar tills up and let the caterers out. Taxi home. Sleep...

[gilad]

ada, you're a machine. That is quite a busy day. I thought i was busy when I was studying part time while working. I honestly never had any free time, I was playing sports, smoking no dope, but drinking some millers. I actually found alcohol really disturbs my sleep.

But big up to ya down under for your tremendous gift in time management. That is rare talent, and I have little doubt you are one of the few that have mastered it. I for one have not. I go by J.I.T or just in time.

I have all the lights off here and im gearing up for bed:P

[ada]

But big up to ya down under for your tremendous gift in time management. That is rare talent, and I have little doubt you are one of the few that have mastered it. I for one have not. I go by J.I.T or just in time.

I have all the lights off here and im gearing up for bed:P

hahah I just don't have a life  Elspeth is pretty busy too, it's a girl thing...

sweet dreams possum!

[gilad]

I can honestly say Im fascinated at the interesting lives you fellow PStreeters live. You dont really imagine each person here engaging in any other activity except for typing:P. Well I havent anyway.

[thalbergmad]

it's a girl thing...

It is indeed, but if you women spent less time on personal phone calls and less time tarting yourself up in the bathroom, you would have a lot more free time.

That is why most men do not have such hectic schedules.

Thal

[elspeth]

hahah I just don't have a life

I am glad it's not just me!

[pianistimo]

Thal - I beg to differ.  Women and men probably spend equal bathroom time doing different things.

[thalbergmad]

It's just that men leave more crap. 

You leave crap all over this forum, so i do not accept what you say.

[ahinton]

aha, to clarify. Certain things will not go in the dishwasher such as wine glasses and pots

I know that; I never put glasses or silver cutlery (not that I've much of the latter!) into the dishwasher either.

Contrary to your perceptions we are actually acquainted with the modern wonder of dishwashers downunder 

I never said that! Of course you have them down there! And they're not modern, either; the German company Miele, for example, has been manufacturing domestic dishwashers since the 1920s...

Oh and I was exaggerating. Some days when I am feeling particularly lazy I sleep in till 5.30 am.

Well, now, don't get too relaxed down there, will ya?!

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Thal - I beg to differ.  Women and men probably spend equal bathroom time.  It's just that men leave more crap.  Women leave the bathroom smelling fresh and clean.  Test my theory.  Go in a bathroom after a woman's been in it.  It's smells as good or better than it was before.  Go in a bathroom after a man's been in it.  What does it smell like now.  Do they ever think of a spritz of deoderizer or something?  Some kind of world takeover plot.

You're an unwarranted pessimist. I always leave my bathroom clean and tidy; it'd drive me crazy if I didn't. If you truly believe what you seem to do on this one, you're living with the wrong man.

Best,

Alistair

[pianistimo]

Well, Alistair - you always do seem to have some valid points.  OK not ALL men.  But, hey - sometimes Thal jumps to conclusions about women, too.  Just wondering how he'd take it if he got it right back.

[gilad]

I did pretty well last night. I turned off all the lights so the house was dark, I read in bed till about 1 and got into bed at about 12.

A huge success! I have not gotten to bed before 1 in around a month.

Ill keep trying to improve on it.

[zheer]

A huge success! I have not gotten to bed before 1 in around a month.

Ill keep trying to improve on it.

  Well done gilad, now go to bed,sweet dreams   

[gilad]

lol. im outta here.

[pianochick93]

It is indeed, but if you women spent less time on personal phone calls and less time tarting yourself up in the bathroom, you would have a lot more free time.

That is why most men do not have such hectic schedules.

Thal

I beg to differ. I hardly ever make phone calls, and I certainly don't 'tart myself up' in the bathroom...

I just have a busy life, though a lot of time is spent on forums.

[thalbergmad]

I beg to differ. I hardly ever make phone calls, and I certainly don't 'tart myself up' in the bathroom...

You will do in years to come, all women do.

Some of course need a lot more tarting up than others.

Now go and do your homework.

Thal

[pianochick93]

And some don't believe that they need tarting up to survive the day.

I could quite easily get out of bed, have a quick shower, and throw on some old clothes and leave the house. Yes I do care for my appearance, but I don't and probably never will take ages in the bathroom applying makeup.

I don't have any homework

[thalbergmad]

I don't have any homework

Well, you should have.

[pianochick93]

No I shouldn't, it's last week of school, and reports are all finished.

[goldentone]

Well, now, Gilad, have you applied any of this sleep-insuring wisdom yet?  

[gilad]

I have yes. The most effective piece of advice was to turn off, or down all the lights. I'm pretty sure it helps you get tired. So after about 10 I switch all the lights off.
Of course eliminating coffee is great idea. Reading is good. Light music a distraction if there is noise outside is good too. Not doing anything to mentally stimulating is also good, thalbergs post is a winner. I often stay up late because im planning to get this or that done. So yes, get it done while the night is young, you really dont have forever( : You tend to sleep better when you're on top of your game.

[zheer]

  Read a book on the law of tort,that will knock anyone out.