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Are you getting plenty of sleep, yet have great difficulty getting up in the morning and do not really feel awake for most of the day? You may be a night owl who is ‘desynchronized.’
We all have a natural circadian rhythm which dictates our daily schedule for sleeping and waking. Many night owls are attuned to this natural rhythm and, through experience, have found that they cannot maintain well-being along with being at work early in the morning. Many others, however, unaware that they are naturally night owls, try to maintain an early bird schedule and as a result, become desynchronized.
Are you a night owl out of synch?
Do you -
* Have difficulty waking in the morning?
* Feel tired when you wake?
* Sleep a sufficient number of hours yet feel tired all day?
* Nap after work because you are so tired?
* Start to feel awake later in the evening?
* Force yourself to go to bed early in an effort to wake up early?
* Have difficulty getting to sleep when you go to bed early?
* ‘Crash’ or sleep much later than usual on the weekend?
* Feel depressed?
* Often have headaches? Appetite problems?
If you answered ‘yes’ to most of these statements, and all other sleep disorders and physical and emotional conditions have been ruled out, then you may be a desynchronized night owl. The simplest and most enduring solution is to change both your work and sleep schedule. Though you may think this is impossible, you may be surprised to find that there is more flexibility and openness to such a solution than you may have thought possible. Consider offering to work later and frame this as a business advantage. Or partner with other employees who would be happy to work earlier if you covered the later portion of their schedule.
What if you have school? I’m pretty sure that my Junior High won’t be willing to adjust their hours for me.
I’ve been sifting through your blog since it’s currently 4 A.M. where I’m at and I can’t get to sleep. I’m 14 years old and I keep asking my mother to take me to the doctor to see if I may have insomnia(or, after reading your blog, Delayed Sleeping Phase) but she refuses to believe me and thinks that I am just lazy. I often stay up past 12 and am forced to get up early in the morning for school, and it has really negatively affected my grades and physical and emotional health. How can I find a solution?
Your doctor may not be able to help. Try to find a sleep centre or sleep disorder centre in your community. They should have someone or at least some information that could help you. You may also wish to get the book “Snooze or Lose!” by Helene Emsellem. It’s available on Amazon and is targetted for yound people like yourself and their parents. It will help your mother understand what is happening to you and will give you tips on how to cope. One thing that is very important is to try to keep a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights. If you can be more consistent with your bedtime, even if it is midnight or 12:30, you will get more sleep, but it will still be difficult to wake up for school if it is very early. Another option is to advance your schedule with the use of melatonin or light therapy. Someone at a sleep centre would need to help you with this. But get the book first and share it with your mother and teachers. It will help them understand that you’re not just lazy.