This is the first week in where I begin working weekends only at the grocery store while doing freelancing Mon-Fri. One of the reasons I was looking forward to this type of work schedule was the simple fact that I would finally be able to develop a sleeping schedule that normal people use. Well, in my first week, sleeping schedules have been anything but normal. I’ve been trying to get to bed at an early time but after a year and a half of working 9PM – 5AM, it’s just not that easy. Coupled with the fact that here in northern Ohio, we have been flirting with 70 degrees all week long but thanks to my insane sleep schedule along with the time change, I haven’t been able to take advantage of it.
My writing this week has also suffered. I haven’t published as much content at Performancing this week nor have I written anything for this blog in a little while. I’ve been thinking about using some sleeping aid pills to help me out but my girlfriend is strongly against me using those. The only real choice I have now is to pull an all nighter where I stay up for most of the day and then try to go to sleep at a decent time. Pretty poor for my health but I am sick of waking up in the middle of the afternoon.
Thoughts and Insanity From Jeff 
I feel for ya bud :) I might be in the EST but I swear I live a PST life. The only thing that I can suggest is the judicial use of an alarm clock and “gradually” work yourself back to a “regular” time schedule but don’t beat yourself up over it – it will only make getting any work done harder
I sometimes have this problem as well because I can work my own hours. You need to try and get into some kind of routine. Also, I recommend exercising too, this should help your sleep pattern.
What, nobody mentioned booze? Drink a few brews or have a few shots (not too many, maybe 3), and you’ll pass out in an hour.
Better yet, do the horizontal shuffle with the g/f and pass out afterwards, especially if/when she wants to talk.
Jeff – I’d definately recommend changing that. Even if its only 2 or 3 times a week. try and find a hobby that you enjoy – thats half the battle.
I empathize Jeff! I haven’t ever had a 9 PM – 5 AM job, but I know how hard it can be to go from an erratic sleep schedule to a more normal one. I’m a night owl and have always had irregular sleep patterns on top of that (my body is really best if I limit myself to like 5 hours of sleep a night, but my body only seems willing to do that naturally for like half the year), and getting into a regular morning routine after spending the summer going to bed at 8 AM always made going back to school in the fall difficult.
The only thing that I would say is that expect it to take some time to get readjusted. When my sleep schedule falls out of balance, I usually just stay up all night (or even longer than 24 hours if that is necessary — though I’m not advising you to stay up longer than 24 hours, or even that long…just saying what works for me) and then going to bed at a decent time. I’ll usually end up waking up at 6 or 7 and that can set me on a normal pattern for the rest of the week. Asleep by 1, up by 7.
Are you working the 9 PM – 5 AM shift on the weekends? If so, you might have to just be really strict about when you go to bed and when you wake up — even if it is hard.
Best of luck — I know you’ll get through it — don’t beat yourself up over it taking some time, your body just has to readjust.
Oh — and I second Kevin’s advice to find a way to exercise a few times a week. That’s something I need to start doing again myself. But I do know that when I worked out 4 times a week, I had far more energy, even though I also had a lot more stuff going on.
I recently read an article about instant adjustment of sleep cycles.
I had to do this coming back from the U.S. to South Africa to avoid jetlag.
So What I did was fast for a day and only eat (i.e. breakfast or the first meal of the day) at the time that I wanted it to be in my new sleep cycle.
Worked for me!