It's been a while from what I can remember, so I think that OT could use another (Fresh) sleep thread. It's a topic that seems to come up 2 or 3 times a year in this forum, and I think it's pretty interesting myself.

 

I've been considering trying an alternate sleep schedule lately. I usually find myself going to bed around 3 am and waking up at 8 am, which I'm able to handle, but I know it's considered unhealthy. Has anyone here had luck with a sleep schedule before that fit the needs of a student?

That sleeping schedule of yours, do you end up feeling tired all the time, or do you just feel regular? Because some people only need half the sleep that's usually needed to stay healthy. Hell, I remember My_Eggs had a similar sleeping schedule that he maintained without problems.

I'm adjusting to it quite quickly. It usually takes a bit of effort to get out of bed (This applies to me no matter how much sleep I get) and I'm usually sleepy for about half an hour some point in the afternoon, but otherwise I feel normal.

Feeling sleepy sometime in the afternoon (for someone who is active in the day) would be considered healthy I think. The body runs colder for a bit later on in the day, and you would expect to be a little drowsy. Really, if your running on a shorter sleep schedule, and it didn't happen of it's own accord, what you really want to watch for is how awake you really are, as some people do have a tendency to massively underestimate the impact of sleep deprivation on their minds, which is not something you want to be doing while in school. If your mind is tired and making mistakes, that impacts that part of your brain used for self evaluation, so you want to pay attention to work that was done while you were short of sleep so that the next time it happens, you can guess at the quality of your work based on experience.

 

For example, I made peace with the fact many years ago that if I do math after 10pm, it will get 'creative'. Math (and general thinking) done while tired is just riddled with mistakes.

My sleep has no pattern:

 

Fall asleep 3am Monday, wake up at noon Monday (one class + work or friends)

Fall asleep 2am Tuesday, wake up 8am Tuesday (4 classes + homework/projects)

Fall asleep 4am Wednesday, wake up noon Wednesday (one class + drinking with friends)

Fall asleep 3am Thursday, wake up 8am Thursday (4 classes + drinking with friends)

Fall asleep when I pass out usually around 3 am Friday. Wake up in time for work Friday night (usually around 4pm)

Fall asleep 2am Saturday, wake up 830am Saturday (14 hour work day)

Fall asleep 1am (hopefully) Sunday, wake up 830am Sunday (12 hour work day)

repeat

 

 

...come to think of it, I work almost as much as I sleep haha

Because I have to wake at 05:00 for early shifts (07:00 to 15:00) at my vocational placement, I tend to divide my sleep into two sessions on those days, grabbing about four or five hours before the shift and a couple hours after. For the most part, it works in the sense that my sleeping pattern is flexible enough to accommodate late shifts (13:00 to 21:00) as well. On the other hand, it tends to mean I'm unusually sleepy from 05:00 to around 10:00.

 

What Randox says about quality and sleep deprivation is true. We all have skills which come more naturally and less naturally to us, and in my experience it tends to be latter that suffers most when tired; the skills which require more concentration to use effectively, but are no longer able to. My organisational skills fly out the window when tired, and I'm noticeably less communicative (even aloof sometimes) with colleagues and friends.

I can't remember small history (my main interest) facts and other knowledge when I'm tired. I'm experiencing this now. Spring Break has totally messed up my sleep schedule so I decided to do an all-nighter to restart it. Not sure how effective it is, but, whatever it's done. Gonna take a quick nap after class or else I'll die before lunchtime.

I used to be the same way. It's amazing what 15+ years of working while regularly not getting enough sleep can do for your ability to recall small details while tired. :P