I have never worked at night but recently took a job that requires these hours. I have always been a morning person. Now I get to bed about 1AM and still wake up between 3:30 - 5AM. I have tried going back to sleep but can't. I am always exhaused now. I am 67 but not sure if I can continue very long this way.

There is a multitude of info on the web about turning night people into day but nothing for day people into night. Can this be done? If so, how?

asked 07 Mar '10, 13:04

A.%20Mosso's gravatar image

A. Mosso
212

Sure, easy, just get bitten by a vampire. Hee hee. uh oh, Bill is taking back the computer.....

(31 Aug '13, 07:10) No Brainer

Smartass, Anne, but I wonder how many other people thought the same thing?

(31 Aug '13, 07:12) Dollar Bill
showing 0 of 2 show 2 more comments

I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be possible.

I used to be a morning/day person for years then, after a trip to an extremely opposite timezone, I suddenly developed into a night person (usually all night) for a long time.

Over the past few months, I have been engaged on a project that has required me to become a morning/day person again though I think I am really more of a 24-hour-person in reality, because I switch to night mode at the weekends :)

I've found that I don't sleep until I am actually tired, whatever time of the day or night it is (assuming it is convenient), and make extensive use of 20 minute powernaps as quick recharges.

To me, it doesn't seem so much about whether you are a day person or a night person but about what habits you have developed in regard to your sleeping patterns.

So I guess this question (or others) on developing habits might be of use to you. You could probably think of your day person approach as the bad habit and your night person requirements as the good habit.

Another thing to consider are your existing beliefs about how hard it is to switch between being a day or night person. I didn't think it was possible to switch until I worked with someone for a few years who worked all day and then stayed up virtually all night too doing other kinds of work. Since he was my boss at the time, he expected me to try to do the same :)

I guess my beliefs about sleep shifted a lot after watching how that person did it. My own day/night switch happened a year or two after that.

So I guess any answers on belief change might also help you.

link

answered 07 Mar '10, 15:02

Stingray's gravatar image

Stingray
93.7k22139372

edited 07 Mar '10, 15:17

when I am real tired and have been up too late I tell myself when I get to bed that I will have a great nights sleep and wake well rested I convince myself of this as a fall asleep.(I read /heard this somewhere,not my idea)and it works real well for me. and before I learned this and worked nights 9pm -7am a can of beer was a great nightcap ;) peace

link

answered 07 Mar '10, 20:41

ursixx's gravatar image

ursixx
22.0k11445

The only trouble with the can of beer is that you wake up and have to go to the bathroom later! LOL

(08 Mar '10, 03:45) LeeAnn 1

So does a warm glass of milk ;)

(08 Mar '10, 07:53) ursixx

The principles of changing from being a night person to a day person are the same as the opposite...gradual change, and not expecting to feel a complete change overnight. I worked in the security field most of my adult life and changed shifts many times. It's really possible to adapt, and fall into a nice routine again after some time. Lack of sleep really won't kill you, although I know it doesn't feel too nice. There are lots of relaxing herbal teas or tablets out there, which are all natural and may help you stay asleep and get into a rhythm again.

link

answered 08 Mar '10, 03:50

LeeAnn%201's gravatar image

LeeAnn 1
17.0k1519

You worked security too, same here with me.

(08 Mar '10, 08:25) Wade Casaldi
1

Two Astarians, working security, and later using the same website! Awesome....

(08 Mar '10, 14:42) LeeAnn 1

I have to do this times when I have to get up early I am usually a night person but to switch to day for me I stay awake all night then right through morning afternoon into evening which time I am exhausted and fall to sleep at around 10 pm and sleep the whole night through. the next morning I wake up.

To do this back again I have to again stay awake but this time right through the morning hours so when I am usually tired around ten I continue to stay up until the sun starts coming up then I am exhausted again and fall asleep until evening.

Both of those will keep you on that time until you decide to switch again, it does take a whole day before to get used to it for the day you need to be on.

link

answered 08 Mar '10, 08:23

Wade%20Casaldi's gravatar image

Wade Casaldi
36.9k429107

When I cross time zones and my body thinks it is time to sleep by the hours of the previous time zone I have found that if I make myself get up before sunrise, then I go outside and allow the beams of the rising sun to shine on me (I think the forehead/third eye/pineal gland) becomes activated and attuned to the new time zone.

This resets my internal clock and I very easily get past jet lag.

link

answered 01 Sep '13, 08:29

Dollar%20Bill's gravatar image

Dollar Bill
12.0k34113

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