Hacker Remix

Ask HN: How do you sleep on time?

15 points by rookie123 4 days ago | 27 comments

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!

Neuronaut 3 days ago

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.

mlhpdx 3 days ago

My mother taught me something similar as a child. She called it “jellyfish” and the challenge was to be completely relaxed in every muscle. Later I added a simple mental exercise (visualizing each letter of the alphabet sequentially). As an adult I sleep on demand; anywhere, anytime. I know it isn’t this “easy” for everyone (not really easy, it took a lot of practice).

So, I work until 10 or so and just head to bed. I’m almost always out in less than 10 minutes.

meiraleal 9 hours ago

That's a real human super-power. Congrats!

rookie123 3 days ago

is that yoga nidra?

Neuronaut 3 days ago

Yes, something like that. Become aware of every single part of the body step by step, but remember that the goal is to relax and fall asleep. So there is no pressure to work for 60 minutes and try to stay awake to complete all body parts.

You can do this in the morning when you wake up as well. It's a great way to start your day.

mindwok 3 days ago

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.

jononor 4 days ago

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

NotAnOtter 3 days ago

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