I'm one of those people who totally LOVES sleep. I tend to need eight hours to be able to function. For about a year I had this perfect sleep schedule. I would be asleep by 11 and be awake by 7. It was perfect; I was pretty much wide awake every day. When summer came, I did a similar thing, sleeping by 11 and waking up at 5 for sports, then sleeping during the day. Needless to say, my circadian rhythm was on point.
At some point during the summer, though, I got into a pattern where I was going to sleep at 2 AM and waking up at 11 or later! Not only is that super annoying because the whole day disappears, but I find that no matter how late I sleep I can't feel awake in the mornings if I go to bed super late.
After spending a decent number of days drinking hot chocolate and diet coke to stay awake (if you read my last article you get this), things got real, and I realized that I should probably fix my sleep schedule. Let me tell you, it's not easy.
It takes a lot of willpower.
Chances are you will start trying to change your pattern by going to sleep earlier even if you've just slept in late. This means you're probably not tired at 11 PM because you just woke six hours ago! So, you have to put down your phone, stop watching slime vids on Insta (aka the world's most difficult challenge besides fixing your sleep schedule) and actually do nothing. I think that's the hardest part, especially if you're not exhausted. Sometimes you actively have to do nothing, which is kind of a juxtaposition in itself. It's super weird to be laying in your bed while staring at the ceiling, as you try to get your brain to stop thinking.
As people, we spend most of our days thinking hard in school and at work and suddenly, every night, we have to turn it all off like a light switch.
Of course, that one night kind of sucks because you end up going to bed late and getting up early. The next night, though, is where it's at. You crawl into your bed and you're so genuinely happy to be there. Your brain has been craving rest all day and you can finally have it.
This is the beginning of getting back on track. Sure, that one night and maybe a few after it is pretty rough, but once you switch you feel amazing. So, if you're feeling discouraged about switching your sleep schedule because of that one night, know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, or should I say a nice, comfy bed.
