Need help resetting sleep!

[07hxox]

So it's been like 2 years sleeping from 4 to 6 in the morning and waking up in the afternoon. It started off with me having bad insomnia and then after that schedule was messed up. I feel helpless I don't know what to do. It's like I want to change and get back on better schedule but I'm afraid to change. I don't know if that makes any sense? I feel a lot anxiety about getting back to normal sleep and I don't know why.
:( I mean I honestly don't think I do much about it either. I have taken later classes in the afternoon instead of the morning. And now I graduated college and didnt find a job yet. Have any of you went through the same? And what has helped you guys?

[07hxox]

Also I feel so ashamed, embarrassed and guilty of it!!! :(

[laurandisorder]

I have done exactly the same thing and you need to break this cycle. It's really, really bad for you!! It certainly doesn't help when you don't have work or study to wake up for. I'm definitely a night owl, but I have experienced first hand how bad this sleep cycle can be.

You have to snap out of it. This might seem presumptuous, but are you able to work at the moment? Getting a job really helped me break the cycle.

Go and see your Doctor and have a chat about what you can do to reverse this pattern. You are basically sleeping through the day, when your body feels and operates at its best. Google cicardian rhythm and see what messing with it can do. I bet you feel fatigued and out of whack when you wake up midday and you probably get bad headaches. Humans need sunlight - just like plants!

The other option isn't so pleasant and I wouldn't recommend it personally. Especially if youre dealing with anxiety too. Try to do an all nighter. Don't allow yourself to sleep at all until the following evening - 7pm at the earliest. You'll feel like a zombie (I have hallucinated doing this), but it can reset your sleep cycle. You'll feel jet lagged and gross for a few days, but it snaps you back.

Good luck and don't feel guilty!! It's just one of those things and you can change it of you want to.

[alankay]

Believe it or now you may to temporarily deprive yourself of sleep to make yourself fall asleep at a normal say, 11PM time. Just stay up all morning and wait until 11PM or so to let yourself sleep then. Then force yourself up after 8 or so hours of sleep and then try to keep that schedule. It will take time for your system to adjust. Alankay.

[bhamlaxy]

Throughout my life I always let my sleep schedule slip when on break from school or when not working. I'll go to bed at 4-6am and wake up between 2-4pm.

You know what I found out? When I would have to wake up early for something (an appointment or some of the part time work I am doing) I would feel GREAT all day.

You really have two options if you want to get your schedule back on track. With either one, you are going to want to find something that will occupy you during regular waking hours- a job, job searching, a hobby. Something.

You can try and SHOCK your sleep back into normal. You can do this by either forcing yourself to wake up at a normal time, or pulling an all nighter and going to bed at a normal time.

Alternatively, you can slowly work it back to normal. Wake up earlier and earlier each day, maybe 30 minutes earlier a day for a few weeks.

[07hxox]

Thank you all so much for replying!!! You all had some great advice. I think keeping myself busy and gradually waking up earlier would help me!!! Will let you know how it all goes!