Is my sleeping routine unsafe?

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BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,678
11,019
136
Kids...when I was 17, I was humping a pack and rifle around in Vietnam and surviving on whatever sleep I could get...when I could get it.
Boot camp wasn't much better for sleep either...usually about 6 hours...IF we were lucky...then back at it full throttle...

In my "adult life" I haven't slept much more...Most of my career, I got by on about 5 hours sleep/night, with a nap on my occasional days off.
 

CatchPhrase

Senior member
Jan 3, 2008
517
0
0
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Kids...when I was 17, I was humping a pack and rifle around in Vietnam and surviving on whatever sleep I could get...when I could get it.
Boot camp wasn't much better for sleep either...usually about 6 hours...IF we were lucky...then back at it full throttle...

In my "adult life" I haven't slept much more...Most of my career, I got by on about 5 hours sleep/night, with a nap on my occasional days off.

But if you are physically training then why don't they give you more sleep.
Muscles grow when you sleep right.
 

waffleironhead

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
6,917
429
136
Op. Sleep when you want and stay up when you want to. What it all boils down to is choice. You are choosing to stay up as late as you are and then sleeping as long as you want. The only way to get around this is to schedule some responsiblilty into your schedule. Get a job where you need to be there at 8 am and you sure as heck are going to go to bed early enough to get your 10 hours of sleep. Right now you have a strange schedule because you have no enforceable reason to not be that way.
 

irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,568
3
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Originally posted by: waffleironhead
Op. Sleep when you want and stay up when you want to. What it all boils down to is choice. You are choosing to stay up as late as you are and then sleeping as long as you want. The only way to get around this is to schedule some responsiblilty into your schedule. Get a job where you need to be there at 8 am and you sure as heck are going to go to bed early enough to get your 10 hours of sleep. Right now you have a strange schedule because you have no enforceable reason to not be that way.

This will help. And don't screw it up once you get on it. I'm in my second week of Spring semester, and I just missed a 9:30 class because I stayed up till 4am (talking to people/movies/halo LAN) and crazily slept in over the weakened. I think my eyes opened for a very painful microsecond at 8:15 this morning, then I went back to sleep (I tried to roll it back Sunday night. Pushed it back to 1 PM lol, and that was still only 6 hours).

It sucks, and I don't know anyone in the class yet. That's 4 pages of notes I've got to get. :(

Not doing that again...

*Continues kicking self*
 

meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,558
7
81
that's sorta messed up i guess.

your life as it is now allows you the "flexible" sleep schedule that you have.

get back to us when you are done school, working, maybe married, maybe kids... you will be forced to conform to regular sleep periods and won't have time to post on AT whining about it. k?
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I had been living the teen/college sleep cycle for the past 3-4 years. Starting this semester, I've been waking up at 9am every day of the week. Now it doesn't matter what time I go to bed, my body wakes up at 9am with no problem. I'm awake for longer, I'm never rushed to get to class, I feel better rested, etc. Things are great.
 

mordantmonkey

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2004
3,075
5
0
meh, i sleep from 1-5am on the weekdays with a 1 hour nap sometime between 4 and 7pm. Some weeks it will be 2-6 depending on my work schedule. On the weekends i have no schedule and just sleep whenever, sometimes staying up until 5 or 6am and sleeping until 12 or 1pm. haven't gone crazy yet, i think...
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,682
119
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Originally posted by: rivan
Force yourself to stay awake for an extra cycle (skip ONE normal sleep cycle) - don't drink any caffeine or other stimulants (this includes any high-sugar drinks). Go to bed the next time you see 9 PM on your clock, set your alarm for 7 AM. Get up, period. Stay up until 9 PM - again, don't drink any caffeine or other stimulants. Rinse and repeat for a week.

I used to work third shift; this is the fastest, reliable way to get back to a day schedule. You'll be falling over tired when you skip that sleep cycle, but after a week of sticking to a solid bedtime and waking time, you'll be in good shape.

On the off chance this doesn't work for you, see a doctor.

couldn't say it better
 

redly

Golden Member
Nov 15, 2004
1,159
0
0
I maintained erratic sleep behaviors throughout adolescence and up until my late 20's. All I can say is, when you get to the working world, I hope you find a job that caters to your patterns
 

xeemzor

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2005
2,599
1
71
Originally posted by: RossMAN
I miss being 17, I could function on 3-4 hours sleep.

That was pretty much all of High School for me. I'd go to bed around 2-3 and wake up around 7. Still managed to get a 3.6 unweighted GPA without trying too hard ;)
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,794
266
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Originally posted by: xeemzor
Originally posted by: RossMAN
I miss being 17, I could function on 3-4 hours sleep.

That was pretty much all of High School for me. I'd go to bed around 2-3 and wake up around 7. Still managed to get a 3.6 unweighted GPA without trying too hard ;)

Now I'm in my mid 30's, going crazy and I can't function without at least 6 hours sleep.
 

xeemzor

Platinum Member
Mar 27, 2005
2,599
1
71
Originally posted by: RossMAN
Originally posted by: xeemzor
Originally posted by: RossMAN
I miss being 17, I could function on 3-4 hours sleep.

That was pretty much all of High School for me. I'd go to bed around 2-3 and wake up around 7. Still managed to get a 3.6 unweighted GPA without trying too hard ;)

Now I'm in my mid 30's, going crazy and I can't function without at least 6 hours sleep.

It's getting that way for me now in college :( I did one semester of 5-6 hours of sleep a night, and it almost killed me. Now I try to get around 7 or so. I usually make up most of the lost sleep on the weekends and days that I don't have class/have late classes.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,235
117
116
Unsafe? No, unless you are planning on operating heavy machinery.

Unhealthy? Yeah, probably, but you are young enough to get away with it for now.

Eventually you will settle into a somewhat normal routine depending on what profession you choose.

KT
 
Nov 7, 2000
16,404
3
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the routine is not unsafe, the problem would be when you are obligated to do something at a time that doesn't mesh with your messed up schedule and you have to do it while tired.

the only thing keeping you from a regular sleep schedule is will power. if it bothers you, change it. read rivens post
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
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Depends. How tall are you now and how tall do you want to be?

I slept at 2-3am and woke up at 1-3pm on weekends when I was... forever, especially during my teenage years. On weekdays, I slept at 12am to 2am and woke up at 8am for school on weekdays. I now stand at 5'4". No doubt SOME of it's genetic, but I also screwed myself in the nutrition area. Couple that with sleep deprivation, and you have me.

If I could go back, I'd probably kick my ass and make myself have a more regular sleep schedule.
 

imported_Baloo

Golden Member
Feb 2, 2006
1,782
0
0
Originally posted by: Rockinacoustic
Originally posted by: CatchPhrase
I am 17 years old and I sleep at 6am on weekends. I wake up at around 6pm the next day. The day after that is the same but add 2 hours.
I have no set time to sleep on weekdays so I'll come home from school exhausted and sleep at 4:30pm then wake up at 3am to do hw. I would stay up sometimes 20- 22 hours on end. Right now it is 7:42 am and I am still up. My body gets tired but my mind is awake so it is hard to sleep.
I have grown to hate the daylight because as soon as I see it I feel like I messed up again.
Will I grow out of this? I don't have control of many things in my life so maybe I psychologically rebel by having a nonconformist sleep routine? I heard that people with an eating disorder have similar motives.

So you sleep for 24 hours? :confused:


Damn! I missed that.
6 AM Saturday to 6PM Sunday is 36 hours.