h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

I think I've found out why my sleeping patterns are so shoddy. Finally!!!

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And the answer is shiftwork.

come over to the darkside

That's why I'm very happy with working nights in my new job, Mina There's talk of going 24 hours and I've already volunteered myself for the 12 midnight - 8 am shift.

It's why I liked cabbing, a proper reason to go to bed at 3am and sleep all day - although I'd *always* wake up at 11 and not be able to get back to sleep until 1 for some reason.

Oh yippee i am not alone!

I have volunteered with the Samaritans to do the night shift if i can get myself together when it's light, i may be able to find the paperwork


zdt

Now that's not a bad idea! I don't have time for hospital radio any more so I'm not doing anything charitable these days. The Samaritans would be perfect

"An adolescent version disappears in adolescence or early adulthood".

I've got one of those on my sofa at the moment. Home from uni for a few weeks, far too busy sleeping to apply for a summer job, gets up in time to eat breakfast at about 2pm. She claims she never sleeps, but in fact she has about 10 hours! I don't think I've seen her out of pyjamas for the last month.

For adults, one solution might be to live by the 28 hour day. 20 hours awake, 8 hours asleep. http://xkcd.com/320/

Hover mouse over for the "small print".

Oh yes, I don't doubt it would cause you to go mad! But it might work in the short term for getting things done and not worrying about delayed sleep phases.

I could do without the two hours awake in the middle of every night for the past week or so. No trouble nodding off inititally though.

Poor you does it happen a lot?

I get phases, in this case I'm waking up to spend 2 hours sniffing.

I ran out of medicine halfway through a phase and so the cycle gets worse as I'm too tired in the day to think clearly, so don't reorder the medicine, which means the sniffing gets worse, keeping me awake more, making me more tired, round and round and round...

But I did order it today, so hopefully I'll get some sleep at the weekend.

I think that sounds really miserable for you. I hope your weekend is restful.

I also feel sorry for more northerly people who have no night time for part of the year.

I hope you do too Mina

One thing I don't suffer from is SAD fortunately, but it is more common up here right enough. I don't mind the lack of sun in the winter personally but each to their own I guess

Well I'm facing jet lag next week as I move to Australia for a couple of years. I wonder how long it will take for my sleep patterns to settle down?

A few months ago, I read of a method to bypass a lot of the ill effects of jet lag. Basically, instead of focusing on your sleep times, they recommended focusing on your eating times. Skip meals before the trip until your new breakfast time. This article is related, but I seem to remember the article I read saying base your first meal on the new breakfast time (this BBC article just says to put off eating until your arrival). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7414437.stm

About two years, just in time to return and have to start all over again.