[jabag11]

I know that the best way is to do it gradually, but I don't have time for that. So I ask you what are all the best possible ways I can catch up on my sleep fast. Every night I go to bed at 11:30 pm, fall asleep at 12:30 and wake up at 9:30am... have been for months, I'm on a strict schedule for now. The past two nights I was up until about 6:30 am!! I slept in until about 2pm today and only 11am yesterday.

So as you can see I already caught up a little bit, but I need to catch up all the way, as fast as possible. I was thinking about taking a nap again today around 4pm if I can, and then taking "melatonin" tonight when I go back to sleep for the night since I can never fall asleep at night when I take a nap in the day anywehere after 3pm.

So you tell me please, what do you think I can do! Please help. I'm 19 and am a male. And by the way I won't be doing this all the time, like I said I can't remember the last time I stayed up that late, this is kind of like a one time thing.

[HeadStrongBoy]

As far I know there is no safe, drugless, and quick way to "catch up" on lost sleep. I've been struggling with what you've described for a number of years now. By the way, it's called insomnia. I've used melatonin, St.John's Wort capsules, Valerian capsules, and some OTC sleep aids. All of them have their plusses and minuses. The best advice I can give, if your situation truly is temporary (as you say) is to just do the best you can and "ride it out." Once you go back to a normal schedule, your body should quite easily re-adapt to it. You say you're only 19. Then you will probably do very well with your sleep needs once you're back to normal.

[Fr_Chuck]

Why can you not go to sleep earlier. And why is it taking a hour to fall asleep.

I go to bed about midnight every night, and wake up about six am every morning, have done it for years.

Everyone needs different levels of sleep. But you catch up by catching up, finding time for a nap, time to sleep late or go to bed early

[Wondergirl]

Why do you go to bed as late as 11:30? Why not at 11 or 10:30?

You must establish a bedtime routine -- do the same four to six things every evening before bed, in the same order. That could be have a banana with a cup of decaf green tea and a 600 mg. calcium tablet, take a warm bath, put on your jammies, read a chapter of a book while in a clean bed, turn out the light, go to sleep. If you have any problems falling asleep, think through in great detail how you would clean out your car or how you would clean the bathroom. You'll be asleep in no time!