Would you try sleeping at 6PM and waking up at 2AM?

I spend most of my day on a laptop, and I’ve noticed that using it in the evening really messes with my sleep. I wake up feeling groggy. But when I avoid screen time in the evening, I wake up feeling more refreshed and clear-headed.

So I was thinking of switching my schedule — sleep from 6 PM to 2 AM, and then do my work after I wake up.

Has anyone here tried this kind of sleep schedule? If so, what was your experience?

Yeah, I did this for years, but my schedule was more like 7 PM to 3 AM. It worked really well for me, I felt much healthier.

Aza said:
Yeah, I did this for years, but my schedule was more like 7 PM to 3 AM. It worked really well for me, I felt much healthier.

Glad to hear it worked for you!

Aza said:
Yeah, I did this for years, but my schedule was more like 7 PM to 3 AM. It worked really well for me, I felt much healthier.

Same here. I used to do 8 PM to 4 AM.

Are you sure it’s just your screen time causing the issue? Unless you’re exposed to bright blue light up until bedtime, I’m not convinced it’s the main problem. What’s your full bedtime routine like?

Noor said:
Are you sure it’s just your screen time causing the issue? Unless you’re exposed to bright blue light up until bedtime, I’m not convinced it’s the main problem. What’s your full bedtime routine like?

I usually go to bed at 10 PM and wake up at 6 AM. But here’s the thing — I went on a trip recently for 4 days and had no screen time at all in the evenings. During that time, I slept like a baby!

I understand it could be stress, but my life isn’t that stressful, really. I think it’s more about the screens. I often use two monitors for 3-4 hours before bed, which I know might be a big factor.

I have a similar schedule for work, but I don’t actually fall asleep at 6 PM. More like 11:30 PM for me.

If it works for you, go for it. If it doesn’t, try something else.

I’ve never done 6 PM to 2 AM, but I did try a similar schedule in high school where I’d go to bed around 3 PM and wake up at 11 PM. It worked really well for me until life changed and I had to switch back to a regular schedule. For a couple of weeks, it made getting ready for school super easy.

That sounds like the first shift schedule I had at my last job. You’d start at 4 AM and work until noon or 2 PM. It’s kind of an old-school, union-style schedule, but it worked for me.

If you’re going to be on a laptop a lot, you should get some good blue light filter glasses. It really helped reduce the strain on my eyes, and I’ve noticed a big difference in how I feel.