Hello fellow HN guys, My work mostly ends around 9 to 10:00 PM. I have this hangover of spending a few hours after dinner so it ends up me being able to sleep around 12:00PM-1:00 AM which is very late. What can I do to get to sleep early?

Thanks!

After I go to bed and read a few pages, I do a mindfull excercise where I focus on every single muscle from my toes to my hands for about five seconds. This helps me get to sleep faster.

How do you usually structure your day to get to bed earlier, I can't answer that one.

As people have pointed out, your work schedule is a problem.

More importantly I think the key to managing sleep is managing the night before. It's WAY too easy to be randomly distracted by Netflix, Insta, TikTok, dating apps, messenger, whatever else that keep your mind racing until the point where you're expected to put your device down and just fall asleep.

You gotta get proactive about managing this. For me, I go to bed at 9:30 to fall asleep at 10:30. I use an app called Jomo that bans me from using any apps that could distract me unless I enter a long random code, which is enough to dissuade me in 90% of cases. I also have room mates who stay up late and watch TV, so I set an alarm at 9:30 that acts as a circuit breaker otherwise I stay up chatting to them all night.

Why do you get off work so late? And also need to get up early (and thus sleep early)?

If you're working until 9 pm either 1. You need to sleep in and start work around 12:00. Now staying up until 1 doesn't matter 2. Stop working until 9pm

Fixing my sleep schedule is a still a WIP but some things that have helped so far: - an app/site blocker on all devices with scheduling that is non-trivial to bypass (I block literally everything including my IDE so I don't get sucked into a side project instead of sleeping) - placing my phone/charger in another room - refraining from caffeine 6 hrs before bed and screens 1 hr before - black out blinds and electrical tape over any lights

But like others have mentioned, your work schedule makes this problem particularly tough.

Is there some reason you are working at that time? Are you on a shift or working with a different timezone. The obvious solution is to finish work by 5-6pm and be in bed by 9-10pm.

I find that energy drinks help me sleep better. If I have some strong in the morning despite not at all needing one, I'll be more tired and ready to sleep that evening.

It probably has not-healthy side effects so I'd not recommend this day-to-day for anyone, try to avoid this myself as well.

I simply don't... :/

Set your alarm clock for an earlier time so that you want to go to bed earlier in the evening. And avoid putting off your evening sleep with random entertainment. Plan your time around work (both morning and evening), make sure your sleep hygiene is good (cold and dark room).

1. Don't overthink this

2. Focus on sleep quality not only the duration

3. Do power naps during the day

Related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38332364

Especially when it includes a meal, two hours of chilling after work and before bed is something that you should ideally have

Melatonin works best for me when necessary

Find time to exercise. Kick caffeine easy to say, harder to do but totally worth it.

Don't work so late.

Everyone needs time after work to process the day and wind down.

tire your body and mind.

more intellectual stuff, more physical stuff.

When do you eat dinner?

Uh…don't go on rabbit holes or the internet? I don't know, it's 11:45 PM here. Also, be able to tell when you're tired.