Overslept AGAIN?

[loidor]

I can't help to oversleep, it seems. I sleep about seven hours, so that seems like a reasonable amount, but anyway, every other morning I wake up 45 minutes to late (but still manage to get there on time if I skip breakfast and showering) or juuuuust misses the bus (like today).

How do I prevent this? What are your main tricks against oversleeping?

[m0j0]

Get the app Gentle Alarm, set a really annoying alarm sound then set up the app so you have to solve a puzzle before you can turn it off.

 

Increase the difficulty of the puzzle if you are still falling asleep afterwards

[jfreaksho]

1.  Sleep more.  Seven hours might not be enough.  I do really well at ~7.5, but not so well at 7.  When I'm working out particularly intensely, I might need 8-9 for a couple of weeks, or if I'm really stressed or getting sick or...

2. Control your caffeine intake, both in quantity and time of day.

3. Control your light exposure- get sunlight first thing in the morning and as much as you can throughout the day.  As the sun sets, use flux on your computer and limit screen time in general.  I got a dawn simulator alarm clock from Philips that helps wake up more easily.  It starts with a very dim warm yellow/orange light about 30 minutes prior to wakeup time, growing brighter and brighter until the chirping bird sound comes on.

[Evicious]

First, I'd like to ask a couple of questions that may help clarify your situation:

 

1. Do you have any medical issues that may interfere with the quality of sleep you get?

2. Do you go to bed at the same time every night?

3. Do you rely on caffeine or sugar (drinks, candy, etc.) to help you cope with daytime sleepiness, or alcohol to help you fall asleep at night?

 

Some medications can cause restlessness or interfere with sleep patterns. If you are having trouble waking up, it may be because you aren't sleeping well due to side effects. If you are taking medication (or are supposed to be, but aren't), you may want to check with your doctor about its possible contribution to your sleep problem.

 

If you have a crazy bedtime schedule, your body may have trouble transitioning from waking and sleeping. Setting a consistent bedtime is the first best step to getting up at a consistent time. If you have trouble "winding down", account for the average amount of time it takes you to feel sleepy and include that in your bedtime schedule. Things such as chamomile tea or warm milk may help you relax, and can be used as a Pavlovian technique to train yourself to go to bed at set hours. You may also find it helpful to meditate before going to bed, or even once you are under the covers. There are a myriad of free meditation apps for phones; plug in headphones if you sleep with a partner and don't wish to disturb them.

 

Caffeine and/or sugar consumption can be both a contributing factor and/or a symptom of sleep difficulties. Deserts are an often-overlooked part of nighttime sugar crisis; and that soothing cup of Earl Grey sipped while cozied up on the couch for the evening's entertainment has enough caffeine to keep you wound up. Nightcaps may give an initial sense of relaxation, but the alcohol interrupts REM sleep and causes a poorer quality of sleep throughout the rest of the night - making it harder to wake up in the morning.

 

If sleep quality and amount aren't issues for you, then you have 2 options: Plan for the snooze button by setting the alarm for earlier, or never use the snooze button, ever.

 

If you're going to do the former, you must set your initial alarm for early enough in the morning to allow you to doze until you naturally feel inclined to awaken. For some, that may be 30 minutes; others may require an hour or two to make the transition. Always remember to plan for more time, rather than less or you run the risk of having the same problem you were trying to avoid (oversleeping).

 

If you're going to do the latter, you must put your alarm in a location that you have to physically get out of bed in order to reach - and then you must not go back to bed. Don't even sit on the edge to put your socks on. Once you are up, remain up. Even if you accidentally set your alarm for earlier, or you forgot to "fall back" for Daylight Savings Time, do not go back to bed. That alarm must be to you what the power button is to your computer: once pressed, the electricity is flowing and it doesn't stop until the power is turned back off at night.

[Elastigirl]

Great advice here. This statement you made stands out to me, " 7 hours seems like a reasonable amount"  it may be reasonable, but if you are too tired tired to wake up, then it isn't enough. I used to feel like this, because my husband seems to do fine with only 6 hours. But, I really need 8 to function well. Doesn't matter what is reasonable, what matters is what helps you to best function.

[Papa Raf C]

2x on light exposure. I usually leave my curtains coiled up so even at times I slept way too late, I find myself waking up early and at a consistent time just because of daylight. I just make up for lost sleeping time with naps spread throughout the day.

[baking_jeans]

Sleeping cycles; helped me.

 

Apparently we sleep in cycles o 1,5h and if you wake up in the middle of one you're sleepy, tired and unhappy. So, if you spend 7 hours in bed you probably go through 4 full cycles and wake up somewhere in the middle of 5th one (remember it takes about 20 minutes to fall asleep once you're in bed). Give it a try, combining with all the mentioned above (limit coffee, no blue light exposure before sleeping etc.).

[Eleanorsbee]

put alarm clock on other side of room ....... if you have to get out of bed to shit it up, chances are you can avoid walking back to the bed to get back in

[Juni0r83]

put alarm clock on other side of room ....... if you have to get out of bed to shit it up, chances are you can avoid walking back to the bed to get back in

unless its really cold. Then you might still be tempted. I know that's when I have a problem with this theory. Spring Summer and Autumn no problem, even about half of winter, no problem (I do live in Australia, where at its coldest our average day temp is only about 11 or 12 celcius). But on those really (relatively speaking) cold days, I still want to get back into bed to stay warm.

[insanity]

3. Do you rely on caffeine or sugar (drinks, candy, etc.) to help you cope with daytime sleepiness, or alcohol to help you fall asleep at night?

 

This alone has helped me tons, I used to do 2-3 Monster drinks a day during school days (I know they're bad but it was survival at that time), and a beer at night to relax and was ALWAYS tired, not just groggy, but fall asleep standing up kind of tired, I was that crazy guy slapping himself in the car next to you trying to stay awake. Waking up in the morning was a bear, I'd have 3 separate alarms on my phone just to make sure I woke up, and sometimes that didn't even work.

 

A while ago, after school was over, I tried giving up caffeine completely. Now I have 2 alarms, 1 wakes me up from the bed, then I go out to the couch and lay back down simply because I enjoy the quiet and I like to kind of "get my bearings" on the day. The second is just in case I fall back asleep. This works even on days that I don't get a full nights sleep.

[kaelvan]

The cold messes up my sleep patterns