Run Game Practice

How to fix your sleep schedule

6 min read

The usual advice for a sleep schedule that has drifted late is to pick one wake time and keep it every day, including weekends, then let bedtime follow. The CDC and the NHS both list consistent bed and wake times among their tips, along with limiting caffeine, alcohol and screens before bed. This is general information, not medical advice, and if you've struggled for months, see a doctor.

How much sleep you're aiming for

The CDC says adults aged 18 to 60 need 7 or more hours of sleep a day. For 61 to 64 it's 7 to 9, and for 65 and older, 7 to 8. A 2015 joint statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, written by a panel of 15 experts, says the same thing for 18 to 60: 7 or more hours on a regular basis. The NHS gives 7 to 9 hours for adults. Needs differ between people, so treat these as a range, not a target to hit to the minute.

Step 1: choose a wake time first

Bedtime is hard to control. You can lie in bed and not fall asleep. Wake time you can control with an alarm. So fix that first.

If your current wake time is 11 a.m. and you need to be up at 7, you can move it in steps, say 30 to 45 minutes earlier every few days, or just switch and accept a rough week. Both are used. Which is easier depends on your schedule and how you cope with a short night or two.

Step 2: build the evening around it

You aren't trying to fall asleep on command. You're trying to remove what keeps you awake.

Caffeine

The CDC says to skip caffeine in the afternoon or evening. The NHS insomnia page is more specific: avoid tea and coffee for 6 hours before bed. If you go to bed at 11 p.m., that means no coffee after 5 p.m., and many people choose an earlier cutoff. If you want to know how much it matters to you, try a week with a hard cutoff and see. There's more on the topic in caffeine and nerves.

Alcohol and food

The CDC says to avoid large meals and alcohol close to bedtime. The NHS insomnia page says to avoid alcohol and smoking for 6 hours before bed. If you go out on weekends, drinking and dating covers pacing yourself.

Screens

The CDC says to put electronics away at least 30 minutes before bed. The NHS says to try not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, and explains that blue light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep. The two differ, so start with 30 minutes and move toward an hour if you still lie awake. Charging your phone across the room makes this far easier than willpower does.

Exercise

The CDC lists regular exercise among its tips. The NHS says to exercise during the day, but not within 4 hours of bedtime. A beginner workout plan three days a week, done before dinner, fits both.

The bedroom

The CDC says to keep it quiet, relaxing and cool. The NHS says quiet, dark and cool, and suggests earplugs, closed curtains or an eye mask if they help. Turn clocks away so you aren't checking the time.

Step 3: a wind-down

The NHS insomnia page says to relax for at least 1 hour before bed. That doesn't need to be elaborate. Low lights, a shower, a book, music, or tidying tomorrow's bag all count. Pick something with no decisions and no feeds.

If you can't fall asleep

Lying there frustrated usually makes it worse. The NHS says not to force sleep: if you're still awake after around 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, such as reading or quiet music, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Keep the lights low while you do.

What the first two weeks feel like

Expect the early wake time to feel bad for the first few days: tired mid-afternoon, awake at midnight. Weekends are the test, so keep your wake time within an hour or so of the weekday one. That's a rough pattern, not research. If nothing has shifted after two weeks of honest effort, that's useful information, and it's the point to talk to someone.

When to see a doctor

The CDC says to talk to your healthcare provider if you regularly have problems sleeping, or if you notice signs of a sleep disorder. Its examples of poor sleep quality are trouble falling asleep, waking repeatedly, and feeling tired even after enough sleep. Insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy and sleep apnea are common sleep disorders it names.

The NHS says to see a GP if changing your habits hasn't helped, if you've had trouble sleeping for months, or if it makes daily life hard to cope with. It describes insomnia lasting under 3 months as short-term and 3 months or more as long-term. A GP may offer cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for sleep. The NHS also says GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills, because they can have serious side effects and lead to dependence.

If you're thinking about a sleep aid from a pharmacy, check with a pharmacist or doctor first. The NHS says pharmacy sleep aids may help for 1 to 2 weeks but shouldn't be taken longer.

Why it matters when you're meeting people

A tired person has less to give in conversation, and a steady schedule makes it easier to plan your week, your workouts and your nights out. There's more on that in sleep and social energy, which covers what two small lab studies found. For fitting a fixed wake time into the rest of your week, see habits and time management and a short morning routine.

What to do next

  1. Choose a wake time you can keep seven days a week, and set two alarms for it tonight.
  2. Work out a rough bedtime 7.5 to 8 hours earlier and put a reminder on your phone 1 hour before it.
  3. Set a caffeine cutoff: no later than about 6 hours before bed, per the NHS, earlier if you want.
  4. Charge your phone across the room and stop screens 30 minutes before bed, moving to 60 if you need to.
  5. If you're awake after about 20 minutes, get up, do something quiet in low light, and go back when sleepy.
  6. Keep a short sleep diary for two weeks: bedtime, wake time, naps, caffeine and alcohol. If it's not improving, bring it to a doctor.

If you track your nights out in Run Game, session notes are a handy place to jot down how you slept and how the night went, so you can see the pattern over a month.

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