night owls- nights and days

[SeekingSimplicity]

My dh is a vampire, sleeps all day, stays up all night. If dh gets this job, he may have to switch his nights and days.

 

He had to be at his test at 9 this morning. Midnight last night he was wide awake, I told him he better go on to bed. He said would, then I went back to bed myself. This morning, he got up at 7:30, laid his head on my should, looked pitiful. Told me he didn't go to sleep till 3.

 

He's been a night owl his whole life. How do you switch to days when you've always stayed awake at night?

[knit247]

I am having a very difficult time with this as well - especially since moving to Germany. All I do know is that when I was using my SAD light (I have the goLITE BLU) regularly back in Nov/Dec. I was able to get up much earlier and was able to fall asleep no later than 11:00 PM. Maybe this would help your DH?

[JoyfulMama]

My dh has worked nights for many years, and is having a hard time doing it now. His body is fighting him.

I think it is hard for everyone to have a routine that is in conflict with their natural rhythms. Yet so many people do have to do just that.

:grouphug:

[SeekingSimplicity]

I am having a very difficult time with this as well - especially since moving to Germany. All I do know is that when I was using my SAD light (I have the goLITE BLU) regularly back in Nov/Dec. I was able to get up much earlier and was able to fall asleep no later than 11:00 PM. Maybe this would help your DH?

 

 

That looks interesting. Are they worth the price?

[Giraffe]

DH is a night owl. Still can't shake it, even after years and years of life in the working world. I don't know how to help your DH - I still can't get my own DH straightened out. I think he was also up until about 3am last night/this morning. :confused:

:grouphug:

[sbgrace]

I was up at 3 am too. If a person has a true different body rhythm (think Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder) I think it's always going to be a fight to function well in the morning. It can be done though depending on the severity.

 

My suggestion is purchase some extended release melatonin. He should try taking it about 1/2 hour before his target sleep and then laying in the dark within the next 10 minutes or so. If that doesn't work he may need to time it like they do for Delayed Sleep Phase disorder but that will take longer to get to a decent hour. I'm not sure exactly how that timing is done but I imagine it can be found online. He may (probably will) need to slowly move his target sleep time up to the real time he would like to fall asleep.

 

 

This has worked for me. The difficult and discouraging part is how easy it is to fall back to the way my body really wants to function. One week-end night I follow my body preferences will throw me back to a mess.

 

I'm going to add something else. They sell blue light blocking glasses and products. There is a lot of evidence for blocking blue light having a beneficial effect on night workers and many conditions. Blue wave length suppresses melatonin function--some are likely much more sensitive than others. I've wondered if this type of thing might be helpful with those with severe night owl tendencies biologically but I don't know. I've not tried it myself due to expense and because, for me, melatonin is helpful. Adding--Huh...I did a search and found this--very interesting. I think it shows it may be a treatment. http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0201-waking_up_teens.htm

 

Here is a company that sells products for blocking blue light. They have money back guarantees. I've never tried it because melatonin does help me but the link I posted above makes me want to try to do this myself. Worth looking into. I know the company has some information on the science behind it on the site too.

Edited February 18, 2011 by sbgrace

[Susan C.]

I have to stay up late because everyone else in the house does.... homeschooled high schooler and college student with later classes and dh is a night owl.

 

When I need to back my hours up, I make myself get up early. Go easy on the caffeine. Make yourself stay up. You will be tired. Then make yourself get up early again the next morning. Repeat. It does work (for me anyway).

 

If I have to be to something early, I just have to go to bed late and get up with half a night's sleep. Nothing else works!

[fairfarmhand]

I have to stay up late because everyone else in the house does.... homeschooled high schooler and college student with later classes and dh is a night owl.

 

When I need to back my hours up, I make myself get up early. Go easy on the caffeine. Make yourself stay up. You will be tired. Then make yourself get up early again the next morning. Repeat. It does work (for me anyway).

 

If I have to be to something early, I just have to go to bed late and get up with half a night's sleep. Nothing else works!

 

 

my night owl dh did this. It took about 4 years for it to "feel right".

[knit247]

That looks interesting. Are they worth the price?

 

IMO they are worth the price for regulating the sleep/wake cycles. I felt much better physically when I was using it. I stopped during Christmas when we had company for 10 days & our schoolroom (where I use the light) became a bedroom for my parents! I just didn't start back up afterwards. Actually I started back yesterday and hope to get my sleep/wake cycles moved back a few hours within a week or so.

 

But - I bought the light to help improve the depression, and I don't see that it has done a lot of good in that regard. So for me it it not necessarily worth it??? I am going to buy one of the 10,000 Lux white lights for next winter & see if that helps more.

 

G/L to your DH!