Is my sleeping pattern buggered?

[3quency]

Here's a quick breakdown of most weekdays:
Wake up 6AM. Stumble through breakfast. Cycle to work.
Work 8 'til 4. Go home.
Dinner. Internet or video-gaming until 11.30/12.00

Once I tried just reading a book and dropping off around 10. I slept past my alarm.

What is up with my sleeping schedule? Is this even healthy?

Opinions, escapists?

 

[Hazy992]

That seems fine to me. You wanna try going to bed at 4am and waking up at 2pm like I've been doing these past few weeks. That's what depression and having no job does to you :/

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

That's almost identical to my sleeping patter, but mine is starting to take its toll on my lifestyle.
I'm constantly tired, but I can't change it.

 

[Johndo]

Mine is kinda fucked as well. A bit erratic lately, but usually it was go to bed around 4am and get up around 8am.

Best way to fix it naturally

Eat better
Exercise
Avoid the computer/gaming an hour or two before bed

Also, everyone's sleep patterns are different. I used to do stuff until 3am and than wake up around 6:50pm for work. I was totally fine. 6 hrs of sleep is far from being too little or not enough. 3 to 2 hrs is when I would say take it easy and start changing.

 

[GrindBass]

My god I wish my sleeping pattern was that good. Here's mine:

- Start off going to bed 12am, waking up 7am
- Over several days keep not being able to get to sleep until an hour or two later than the previous night, with the corresponding later wake up time.
- Now going to bed 7am, waking up 3-4pm, missing all lectures
- Aggressively push back the going to sleep time (ie going to sleep several hours later each night/day) until it's all the way back to normal
- have a few days with normal sleeping pattern
- Repeat this roughly 2 week cycle

I think 'buggered' would be a very generous way of putting it. Hopefully be able to get it under control when I start work and have a regular waking up time...

 

[OneCatch]

What is up with my sleeping schedule? Is this even healthy?

Yours seems ok. You're getting 5-6 continuous hours, which is adequate if not ideal. Try getting to bed for 11pm and doing something passive like reading or watching TV for an hour, just to get you geared for sleeping.

It's nothing to worry about though. I kind of think the "8 hours of sleep is needed for good health" thing is a myth - probably peddled by those people that sell sleeping pills and foam mattresses!
I used to sleep between about 5-7am, and then between about 3-5pm daily, and nothing else for about 6 months when I was in uni. It didn't do me any harm.
Mind you, I haven't slept for a full 24 hours at the time of writing, and don't plan to for another 12 at least; I'm just not tired - I am a bit odd, so perhaps not the best person to offer advice

 

[drudail]

Well, having been in the Army for seven years now, I can tell you that we are capable of sustaining on four hours of sleep for a very long time. As long as your schedule is working for you, you should be fine. If you start missing appointments, waking up late or falling asleep at work (or even worse while driving) just keep doing what you're doing. If you really want to get into a normal pattern, then on your days off try to skip sleep entirely. You'll be so tired you'll go to sleep early. Just try to stay on that new schedule.

 

[Mad Maniac with axe-firing chainsaw]

Take up running. It's not just exercise, it's aerobic exercise. You need to get properly nackered. I find if I stop exercising I get insomniac (along with a whole slew of negatives).

Other than that, stay away from caffeine late in the day; drink it in the morning only. It can stay in you system for up to 18 hours.

Other than that, find something really hard to do mentally. Play a game of chess, find a difficult strategy game or pick up a heavy book for a few hours, preferably about four hours before you intend to go to bed. (Avoid the gaming option two hours before you go to bed or you'll be wired.)

Finally, google stuff. I'm sure there's information out there which is a lot more reliable than self-appointed experts like me rambling on on a public forum. The above is the stuff that seems to work for me, sometimes.