If possible, get an alarm without a snooze button. Or disable the snooze option on your existing alarm.
For example, you could place your alarm clock on a dresser that is on the opposite side of your room. Or, if you think you will still be able to hear it, you might even place your alarm in an adjacent room, such as a bathroom.
You can find graduating-light alarm clocks at your local drugstore, or online.
You may also start a routine of getting dressed and eating breakfast within a certain time. As you get ready, plan out your schedule and your tasks or commitments for the day.
Going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning will program your body to get used to a regular sleep schedule. Over time, your body will act as its own alarm clock, and you should be able to wake up on your own at the same time, every day.
Teenagers generally need more sleep than older adults. Young bodies need a lot of rest while growing during adolescence. Some people require more sleep than others. A very few people thrive on as little as six hours a night, while others require ten to be truly rested. Respect these differences; a person needed more sleep is not lazy or bad. Some people think getting just one less hour of sleep will not greatly affect their daily functioning. Another belief is that sleep can be made up on the weekend or a day off. And once in a while is probably fine. But if this happens a lot, your regular sleep schedule will suffer, leading to oversleeping or being overly tired when you wake up. [2] X Research source It is a myth that the human body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedule. While most people can reset their biological clock, this can only be done by timed cues, and even then, only by one to two hours per day at best. It can take more than a week for your body’s internal clock to adjust to traveling across several time zones or to switching to the night shift. Even then, some people adjust easier than others. Extra sleep at night cannot cure you of your daytime fatigue. The quantity of sleep you get every night is important, but the quality of your sleep is more important. You may get eight or nine hours of sleep a night but will not feel well rested if the quality of your sleep was poor. [3] X Expert Source Marc Kayem, MDSleep Specialist Expert Interview. 24 October 2019.
Another option is to shut down your computer on a schedule. This will automatically sleep your machine and prevent you from working on your computer too late or too close to your bedtime. There are sleep features on both PCs and Macs that you can activate. As well, if you want your computer to be ready to go in the morning, once you wake up, you can schedule a startup time too.
If you prefer to shut down all electronics a few hours before bed, you can use an alarm on your watch or ask someone you live with to remind you of bedtime one hour before the appointed time.
Playing on the computer or your device is not a good activity - your body is quiet, but your mind may be overstimulated and the light of the screen triggers the mind to be awake. Likewise with television: this device triggers “awake” signals in the brain. If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed in the dark, avoid staying there awake for prolonged periods. Instead, get up and do something calming in order to get your mind off your inability to sleep. Getting anxious about not being able to sleep, and dwelling on it will actually make it less likely you will be able to get to sleep. [6] X Research source Again, do not turn on the television, gaming system, computer, or other electronic device. Try things like reading, washing the dishes, knitting, running a load of laundry, doing origami, or the like.
A cool temperature in your room when you sleep will actually help you get a better night’s sleep. A drop in your core temperature, due to a cold sleeping environment, can trigger your body’s “let’s hit the hay” tendencies and help you get right to sleep. [8] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you have difficulty sleeping due to loud noises outside your window or a loud sleep partner, consider investing in good earplugs, or a noise machine.
Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people who have trouble falling asleep.
Alcohol also prevents deep sleep and REM sleep. It will keep you in the lighter stages of sleep, causing you to possibly wake up easily and have a harder time falling back asleep. Avoid consuming alcohol one to two hours before bed to ensure you get a good night’s sleep and don’t oversleep in the morning. [12] X Expert Source Marc Kayem, MDSleep Specialist Expert Interview. 24 October 2019.
Keep your naps short, between 10 to 30 minutes. This will prevent sleep inertia, which is when you feel groggy and disoriented after a nap that goes on for longer than 30 minutes. [14] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source This will also prevent you from oversleeping the following morning, as naps under 30 minutes should not interfere with your sleep schedule.
What time you went to bed and woke up. The total sleep hours and quality of your sleep. The amount of time you spent awake and what you did. For example: “stayed in bed with eyes closed” “counted sheep” “read a book”. The types of food and liquids you consumed before bed and the amount of food and liquids you consumed. Your feelings and moods before bed, such as “happy” “stressed” “anxious”. How long it took you to get up the morning, and how often you hit the “snooze” button on your alarm. Any drugs or medication you took, such as sleeping pills, including the dose and time of consumption. Notice any triggers that start to repeat themselves in your sleep journal and see if there are ways you can prevent or limit these triggers. For example, maybe you often get a bad night’s sleep on a Friday after drinking two beers. Try not to drink at all the following Friday and see if this improves your sleep.
Use sleeping pills and medications sparingly for short term situations, like traveling across several time zones or when recovering from a medical procedure. Using sleeping pills only when necessary, rather than on a daily basis, will also prevent you from being dependent on them to help you sleep every night.
Nasal decongestants. Aspirin and other headache medications. Pain relievers that contain caffeine. Cold and allergy medications containing an antihistamine. If you are taking any of these medications, try to reduce your dosage or stop taking altogether. These medications are not meant to be taken on an ongoing basis. Talk to your doctor about alternative methods to treat these issues so you can stop taking these over-the-counter medications.
There are also psychological side effects of oversleeping, including depression, anxiety, and drowsiness. Your doctor can treat these side effects by suggesting adjustments to your sleeping habits, your daily habits, or by prescribing certain medications.
Insomnia: The most common sleep complaint and a major cause of oversleeping. Insomnia is often a symptom of another issue, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or another health condition. It can also be caused by lifestyle choices, like medication you take, a lack of exercise, jet lag, or your caffeine intake. Sleep apnea: This occurs when your breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to a blockage in your upper airways. These pauses in breathing interrupt your sleep, leading to many awakenings throughout the night. Sleep apnea is a serious, and potentially life threatening sleep disorder. If you suffer from this disorder, it’s important to talk to a doctor and get a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. This device delivers a stream of air to your airways while you sleep and can successfully treat the disorder. Restless leg syndrome: (RLS) is a sleep disorder caused by an irresistible urge to move your arms and legs. This urge usually occurs when you’re lying down and is due to uncomfortable, tingly sensations in your arms and legs. Narcolepsy: This sleep disorder often involves excessive, uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. It is caused by a dysfunction of the mechanism in your brain that controls sleeping and waking. If you have narcolepsy, you may have “sleep attacks” where you fall asleep in the middle of talking, working, or even driving.
A sleep center can also provide you with equipment to monitor your activities while awake and asleep, at home.
