How easy is it to change your sleeping patterns?

[mistercrabb]

I've been thinking. Dangerous I know.
I have decided that my current sleep pattern is very inefficient.

I have a 9-5 Job, and my typical day goes like this:

7:30 = Alarm wakes me. (tired)
8:30-17:00 = Work. (tired all day)
17:00-23:00 = At home (wide awake)
23:00 onwards = Go to bed, try to sleep

Now, annoyingly, I can't seem to get to sleep until some point between midnight and 1AM. This is not good for me, I seem to need loads of sleep and it makes me really tired at work (it might just be that I'm really bored - I can't tell)
That part where I'm trying to get to sleep seems to be a needless waste of 1-2 hours of my life every day.

Is there an easy way to change my sleep pattern so I go to sleep straight away when I go to bed at 10PM (this is when the rest of my family go to bed) and then wake up at 6AM? 8 hours sleep and an early start.

The reason I'd like to get up so early is because I'd like to go to the gym while it's empty at 6:30, the problem with going in the evening is that I get back home at 9 and then I can't sleep for ages (I get really restless no matter how hard I worked out).

Bit of a random question I know, but it's bugging me now.

 

[mistercrabb]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Is your job physically active? Perhaps you just aren't ready for sleep, joining a gym or just going for a run before dinner may help.

If you just want to tweak your body clock fasting should help, don't eat anything after lunch, go to bed, then get up at the right time (6am) and eat a big meal (breakfast) straight away. (you just do this once btw, not every day).

I've heard fasting to reset the body clock before, I might give it a go.
It's a desk job, so not very active. I did join the gym a little while ago, the problem is that I can't get to the gym until 7ish, I get home again around 9 which is too late, I won't be able to get to sleep because I was exercising so recently.

You're getting loads of sleep op'r, you feel tired at work because you're bored! I reckon you need a more stimulating job, here's a couple of examples of jobs which you may find less boring than your current one.

Lol, made me laugh at work

Its easy, just go to sleep when you want and get up when you need to. Works for me anyway.

My brain doesn't 'want' to sleep, that's the problem. I rarely go to bed later than 11, I'll still be awake by midnight though.

Also, to everyone telling me to just set an early alarm, I tried that last night. I set my alarm to 6AM. It's been 7:30 for years and my brain did not like the change.
I woke up twice dreaming the alarm had gone off, and then at 6AM I have a vague memory of crossing the room, switching off the alarm and getting back into bed - without waking up :/

I think I'll leave the alarm set to 6AM, and see if I can train myself to go to sleep better at night. Avoiding technology might be the key I think

 

[mistercrabb]

I don't mean to be rude but that does sound a lot like an excuse.

Well, I'm not avoiding the gym, I've been going 3 times a week, and part of the reason of wanting to get up early is so I can get to the gym before work.
What i was saying is that when I go to the gym in the evening, it messes up my sleep that night and I feel really bad the next day...

 

[mistercrabb]

OP Ive been looking at these sites since I have the same problems as you.Thought you might wanna check em out

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-wake-up-feeling-totally-alert/
http://celestinechua.com/blog/21-tips-to-wake-up-early/
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/
http://www.howtowakeupearly.com/To-wake-up-early-go-to-bed-early.aspx
http://www.trickstutorials.com/content/sleeps
http://sleepforall.com/timing-of-sleep.htm

Thanks, I'll have a read of that when I get a chance
At the moment I've started putting my phone on the other side of the room - I have to get up to turn it off.
I still automatically turn it off then get back into bed, but I got up again at 6:45 (it was set for 6:00). So there's a gradual improvement. I've been avoiding games etc after about 9PM and it seems to help me drop off too.