How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule

If you get sleepy around the same time every night and use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, your body’s likely used to some sort of sleep routine. The body craves consistency, but when we stay up too late watching TV or scrolling on our phones, we throw off that routine.

Fortunately, there are a few nighttime habits to fix your sleep schedule. Here’s what experts suggest to get more consistent shut-eye.

“Due to the individual’s daytime obligations, a person with DSPS may be forced to wake up earlier and go against their natural circadian tendency,” says Zozula. This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, poor performance, and depression.

If you’re falling asleep later than you’d like, waking up too late, or have an unsustainable sleep routine, try these steps to get your shut-eye back on track:

• Adjust your bedtime, but be patient. If you’re aiming to go to sleep earlier, try slowly scaling back your bedtime until you are at the desired hour. “As a general rule, it’s easier to push away sleep than to advance sleep,” says Rafael Pelayo, MD, clinical professor at Stanford University's Division of Sleep Medicine in Stanford, California. To get to sleep earlier, Dr. Pelayo recommends going slowly and in small increments, adjusting no more than 15 minutes earlier every two or three days.
• Do not nap, even if you feel tired. Napping can interfere with going to sleep at night. Pelayo recommends scheduling exercise when you feel like napping. “The exercise will chase away the sleepiness. Then you can save up that drive to sleep for later,” he says.
• Do not sleep in, and get up at the same time each day. Consistency is key to maintaining a good sleep schedule. “The clock in your head needs instructions,” says Pelayo. “The idea of weekends or travel across time zones is foreign to how the brain works — that’s what throws it off,” he says. Once you’re in a good pattern, stick to it as best you can. Even one late night can disrupt the progress you’ve made, Pelayo adds.
• Avoid exposure to light before sleep. Research shows that exposure to evening light can shift your body clock to a later schedule. (Light signals to the brain that it’s time to be awake.)

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   If you’re trying to go to sleep earlier, avoid bright outdoor light and blue light close to bedtime, which includes light from cell phones, laptops, and TV screens. Keep the lighting dim, and try reading or listening to music, podcasts, or audio meditations.
• Avoid exercising too close to bedtime. While staying active during the day generally promotes good sleep, a workout too close to bedtime can help keep the brain and body on and make it tougher to sleep.

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   Of course, everyone is different, but if you are going to exercise later in the day, consider choosing low- or moderate-intensity workouts, which will be less stimulating.
• Watch what you eat close to bedtime. Try to avoid snacks with added sugar or caffeine, or spicy, acidic foods, which may cause heartburn or acid reflux and disturb sleep. If you’re feeling hungry, some research suggests tart cherries or kiwis may help promote sleep.

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• Set the mood and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Take a warm bath and play some relaxing music, or do something else you find relaxing. Make sure that your bed is comfortable, the room is dark, and the temperature is not too warm. “You want to look forward to sleeping. Going to sleep should not be a chore,” adds Pelayo.
• Use sunlight to your advantage. Exposure to sunlight (or other bright light) when you wake up helps tell your body that it’s time to be awake and sets your circadian rhythm for the day ahead. Natural sunlight is ideal, but if there’s no sun or you can’t get outside, there are special indoor lights to help.

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• Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider. If your sleep schedule is interfering with your daily life, if the above strategies don’t work, or if you’re dealing with other sleep issues, tell your doctor. Sleep affects health in the short- and long-term; it’s important to see a sleep specialist who can help.

The amount of time it takes to reset your sleep schedule will depend on the underlying cause. If you’re adjusting to a time zone change, it typically takes one day per time zone, says Pelayo. “But some people take two weeks to adjust if it’s a really long trip.”

If you have a condition like DSPS, resetting your sleep will depend on how long it’s been thrown off. Pelayo says it takes about one to two months of lifestyle change to notice improvement.

Changing your sleep schedule (particularly if you have DSPS) isn’t easy, but with the proper discipline, it can be done. “Don’t get upset with yourself, because it just makes the problem worse,” Pelayo says. “Know that sleep will come eventually.”

• Your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) is used to routine. If your sleep schedule gets thrown off due to traveling, staying up late on your phone, or working night shifts, your circadian rhythm also becomes dysregulated.
• An unstable sleep schedule can also stem from conditions like advanced sleep phase syndrome or delayed sleep phase syndrome, both of which can be addressed by a sleep specialist.
• It’s possible to retrain your circadian rhythm and get your sleep schedule back on track. Reducing light exposure, exercising earlier in the day, eating foods that induce sleep, and having a relaxing bedtime routine can help.
• If your sleep schedule is interfering with your daily life, reach out to your healthcare provider for support.

With additional reporting by Deborah Shapiro and Carmen Chai.