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• Sleep patterns and the weekend

  January 14, 2011 at 6:23pm

  Hi
  I'm following the "Sleep Well, Be Well" program and finding it very helpful so far. I have lately suffered from insomnia (waking during the night and not being able to go back to sleep) for the first time in my life, and the program is definitely helping. The hardest thing for me is working with natural sleep cycles - I've always been a night owl who hates getting up early. I start work at 7.30am so getting up around 5.45 is okay and I am finding I can go to bed, settle and sleep earlier (9.30ish) during the week, which is great, but weekends are much more difficult. I still want to have a social life and be able to do things that keep me up a bit later on the weekends. What's the best way to cope with this and still maintain a healthy sleeping pattern? Thanks for any advice.

  Show More Comments (1)

  • 
    drwiley
    

    Hi Laura, I agree with Kreg that consistency is a key to promoting long-term refreshing sleep, but if it leads to a sense of deprivation or missing out on life then you'll be less likely to stick with it. You may find that as your sleep settles into a comfortable pattern with less waking in the night, and through maintaining a focus on a healthy diet, exercise, and stress coping techniques that you'll be able to find a balance with socializing on weekends that doesn't disrupt your weekday needs for rest, but this will be highly individual and may take a little experimentation. Naps are a great way to offset later nights out - aim for either a 20 min power nap or a 2 hour nap as these allow time for rest and repair while working with the natural duration of sleep cycles. Just how late you wish to stay up on weekends is also a contributing factor to finding the balance. You may find that staying up past midnight in a stimulating environment (such as a dance club) is something that you can only handle well once every few weeks or once every few months, but that a leisurely meal with friends that still allows you to be in bed before midnight requires less recovery time and therefore can be integrated more comfortably into your lifestyle. Perhaps you can handle this on both Friday and Saturday night, or maybe you'll need to choose just one weekend evening in order to keep your working life on track. Maybe time with friends on weekends could include brunch or outdoor activities together during the day rather than evening engagements. Even if you choose to stay up late once in a while I would encourage you not to fall into a pattern of sleeping in excessively on weekends, but to rise close to your usual time, have a gentle day, nap in the afternoon if needed, and stick to your regular routine as much as possible. There is no singular answer that will work for everyone, so tread gently, listen to your body, and be prepared to adapt your social life as needed. All the best, Dr Demierre

    By an expert about 2 years ago in Vancouver, CA

  • 
    lindseylewis
    

    Hi Laura; I agree with both Kreg and Miranda. I find it really helps on weekends to get myself out of bed pretty close to the time I get up during the week--even if I've had a late night because I can always take a little nap--and to keep the super late nights to a minimum. People often worry they'll look boring or disappoint their friends if they take care of their health on Friday and Saturday nights. I've got a reputation with my group of friends as being the one who always goes home to bed first--but they've adjusted and we still have a great time. And continuing to eat and drink healthy over the weekends is also key. My morning sadhana, or daily yoga practice, also really helps to clear any unusual energies from the night before. Good luck! and Namaste,

    By an expert about 2 years ago in Vancouver, CA

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