Suggestions for messed up sleep/wake cycle?

I have been having trouble sleeping lately.  (I do have some Lunesta, but I really try not to take it very often.)  I know it is partly stress/depression, and partly because I am working on my paper and I write better at night (when I'm not distracted or procrastinating being here, LOL), but I am tired yet not sleepy until 2 or 3 am and then have a terrible time getting to work on time (7:30). I just keep hitting the snooze button because I am so sleepy at 6am.

At this point, I am looking at probably having to take the Lunesta every night at least for a while to try to get my body back on schedule, but I thought I would solicit suggestions for other things to try first.

Lora

I swap between nights and days every week for my work. My best suggestion is a mid day nap. 

I actually routinely take a nap on either Sat or Sun afternoon, but I think my boss would frown on it during the week, LOL.  I have taken a couple of half days off over the past couple of weeks, though, to be able to come home and do just that. I hate burning vacation time to sleep, though.

Lora

 If I can't walk at the gym, I sneak into a quiet couch in the cafeteria and power nap for ~45 minutes, when its nice out i sleep in my car. Can you try taking an extra 1/2 or or so for lunch and use the time to nap? It's less time than a 1/2 day off, and I've seen studies that show it actually increases worker productivity. 

I know I *have* to stay rested or I start displaying a lot of manic depressive tendicies. I'm really impressed that you're able to wor****il so early, and then get up and go to worker a scant few hours later.  I hope you get a schedule worked out that suits you best.

Tamie

This is a tough one - I am kind of messed up right now myself from being sick the last few days and tending to sleep later and stay up later. I try to get back on track when this happens with some melatonin or two Benadryl instead of the normal one I take each night. I think Lunesta is similar to melatonin. I only take half of one or I am too groggy the next day.

 i wish i had a suggestion for you. it's awful being a better worker at night, i am too. strangely taking unisom has been working for me lately so that's what i've been taking, but then i have a hard time waking up in the morning. i want to take it now but i have a phone interview in the morning...

I used to work varying schedules and had a sleep specialist advise me
that to get my sleep cycle back to "normal" when I switched to a job with
normal daytime work hours, I should stay up and go to bed at my
normal time to allow myself 6-8 hours of continuous sleep. While it was
difficult, I did it on a weekend and it kind of "reset" things.  From time to time
now I have difficulty sleeping so instead of sleeping for a couple of hours
and then feeling awful because I didn't get enough sleep, I busy myself
and stay up, go to work, come home and keep myself busy and don't allow
a nap, and then I go to bed at a decent hour. It works like a charm and I wake
the next morning for work feeling refreshed and rested. I'm not saying it will
work for everybody, but I'm glad I don't have to use sleep medication for the
occasional insomnia I get now.  Good luck Lora!

 Well, since it already almost 3 and there is no sign that I am going to fall asleep soon (had been in bed for more than  an hour until just a couple of minutes ago when I got frustrated and got back up), and I have to pick up breakfast for the office in the morning (which means that I need to be on time or people get cranky, LOL) maybe I will try just staying up.  I certainly have plenty of work I can do on my paper.

Thanks.

Lora

Are using a computer (or related device) to work on your paper? The blue light can disrupt your sleep/wake cycle and delay sleep. Same as sunlight. Flourescent and light from TV also bad, not as much as computer screen. Limit exposure 3 hours before bedtime. Hope this helps!

have you heard of the tea called sleepy time tea? i use to give it to my girls and neices and nephews.... so they could go to sleep...it did seem to help..they would ask for it at night..
just a thought
debby