Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I'm going to start a new job in about 3 weeks and I think I will need to get up around 5 or 6am. Right now, i have a twofold problem- I am a night owl and get a second wind around 10 (and find it difficult to go to sleep early) and for the next few weeks i am going to have to wake up at different times.

My dog is diabetic and needs insulin shots every 12 hours. Right now she gets a shot around 530am, and then I get back to sleep at 630 and sleep til 9 (which I know is not great) . I need to shift that to 2 am for when I move and she will get her medicine on my moms shift. That means I have to go back about 30 mins a day and then stay at 2am. Then soon after Ill be shifting back to 5 am.

So, i am going from waking up at 5 to 2 then back to 5 while being a night owl who normally prefers to stay up until 2am.

Any ideas how to make this bearable so that I am not fried when I start work? Already taking magnesium and using sleep mask and earplugs. Not a fan of 4hb 20 minute polyphasic sleep method.

flag	asked Jan 25 2012 at 11:32 Laura 243●1●12

	To clarify, I think what I am looking for is: Any other supplements or other sleep aids to consider Should I just go with the time changes, or radically move my sleep time away from the hours of 2-5? Naps - helpful or make the problem worse? – Laura Jan 26 2012 at 6:51
	A full REM sleep cycle is usually around 90 minutes or so. If you decide to try out biphasic sleep (two sleep periods a day), plan around multiples of 90 minutes (ex. 3 hours + 4-1/2 hours). More information on here searching for "biphasic" or "bimodal" and at Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmented_sleep – cerement Jan 26 2012 at 8:08
	Thanks - biphasic might work well - polyphasic with the 20 minute sleeping just seems obnoxious and unsustainable. I tried it once and it was extremely un-restful – Laura Jan 26 2012 at 17:15

Moonablaze · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-26 07:49:19Z UTC

Melatonin has been shown to be very effective in reseting circadian rhythms for shift workers and travelers. Try 1 mg sublingual 20 minutes before you SHOULD go to bed for your new schedule. Get ready for bed and get comfy. If you don't feel sleepy after 20-30 minutes, take another mg. (no more than 3mg the first night, you can work up to 5 if that's what it turns out you need. for me, 1mg is plenty)

You may also want to "invest" in a cheap pair ($5-10) of yellow or orange tinted safety goggles to wear in the evening hours leading up to bedtime. This can help block out the blue light that makes it hard to fall asleep. installing f.lux on your computer has a similar, but more limited effect.

and good on you for loving and caring for your sick doggie.

Marcy · Answer 2 · 2012-04-27 18:50:31Z UTC

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Try taking your dog off grains!

answered Apr 27 2012 at 18:50

Marcy
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anand srivastava · Answer 3 · 2012-01-25 12:38:32Z UTC

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Check out Seth's blog. He says that taking 5000IU VitD helps fix the circadian rhythm. It will help in better sleep. I have just started so can't confirm, but others have got good results.

answered Jan 25 2012 at 12:38

anand srivastava
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	Thanks, it occurred to me that my vitamin d might also be low and I started supplementing with that today. Seth who? – Laura Jan 26 2012 at 6:45
	Seth Roberts. blog.sethroberts.net One thing I missed in the comment. You want to take the VitD first thing in the morning. It helps set the circadian rhythm. As it tells the body that it is morning now. You will start feeling sleepy earlier and will be able to get up in time with a good nights sleep. – anand srivastava Feb 1 2012 at 4:57

Anthony · Answer 4 · 2012-04-28 00:04:47Z UTC

There was a recent study that showed you could reset your sleep cycle by fasting for 12-16 hours:

http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-naturally-reset-your-sleep-cycle-overnight

"Simply stop eating during the 12-16 hour period before you want to be awake. Once you start eating again, your internal clock will be reset as though it is the start of a new day. Your body will consider the time you break your fast as your new 'morning.'"

(edit: just realized this was an old question that somehow showed up on the main page. Oh well.)

James · Answer 5 · 2012-01-25 19:59:43Z UTC

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Try to go to bed before your second wind time, and look at f.lux and blue blocking type glasses for night time.

On a more harsher aspect, look at getting rid of the dog.

answered Jan 25 2012 at 19:59

James
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I agree about going to bed before my second wind. I work night from home and answer the phone. I only have to get up when it rings but typically I will stay up till 10-12pm and wake at 6:30 which is tough but kids have to go to school, right? Anyway, if I am really tired I try hard to get to bed by 8:30 so I amsleeping by 9....rarely happens but I try... – paleoprimal Jan 25 2012 at 20:17

I find that if I go to bed before my second wind, I may wake up some time in the night for an hour. If I stay up after my second wind, I'll be up till 2-3am. – James Jan 25 2012 at 21:13

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Does it seem like I would want to get rid of my dog or compromise her care? Ditching a pet because they are sick or need extra care is not ok, and I will never understand the people who think it is. Especially considering she was a rescue and we have had her for 13 years. – Laura Jan 26 2012 at 6:43

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Yeah, I can't understand a suggestion to get rid of the dog. Very unpaleo. – Canis Minor Jan 26 2012 at 8:26

Well, my point on that is you're going to have to make a decision on what's more important to you. What would you rather have, your dog or your health? You're in a situation where you will be extremely sleep deprived, no matter how you adjust things, because you still need to get up to give the dog it's meds. That WILL impact your health eventually. You want to keep the dog, quit the job. You want to have the job, look into getting rid of the dog. Or keep both and suffer with it for a while, then make the decision. – James Jan 26 2012 at 9:25

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Best way to change sleep pattern between 2 completely different times?

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