How to Move a Sleep Cycle

Whether you're moving to a different work shift, traveling to a different time zone or just dealing with daylight savings time, moving your sleep cycle can be a challenge for many people. Thanks to science, we have found a number of controllable factors that make the transition much easier and less stressful.

Instructions

• 1

  Increase light exposure as soon as you wake up. Your internal rhythm bases itself on waking up when the sun is up and on going into rest and sleep modes as the sun goes down. When you wake up, expose yourself to a lot of light, even if you have to squint your eyes at first. Your eyes will adjust and your body will get the message that it is time to wake up. After doing this for a few days to a week, your body will get the message that this time of day is morning.

• 2

  Decrease light exposure an hour or two before you go to bed. Before you go to bed, begin to dim the lights. Use small lamps instead of bright overhead lights. This will send your brain and your body the message that it is time to start winding down for a nightly rest.

• 3

  Don't watch television or browse the Internet before bed. Exposing yourself to the strong lighting of television and computer screens defeats the purpose of decreasing light exposure at night. Such a high concentration of bright light coming at your eyes will confuse your brain and make falling asleep more difficult.

• 4

  Change your eating habits. Don't eat in the 12 to 16 hours before your new waking time. This simulates evening time after dinner and bedtime. When you wake up at your new morning time, eat a good, nutritious meal to get your body going. This will give an even stronger signal to your body that it is time to get the day started. Sometimes this trick works in as little as one day.