Why can't I wake up/go to bed early?

[DemandaG]

I am such a night person.  Once the clock hits 8:00 pm, I'm finally awake for the day.  Everyone else is getting ready to go to sleep when I'm starting to get some energy!  I'll knock out a long list of household chores well after midnight, after everyone has been asleep for hours.  My boyfriend is always shocked when he gets up for work in the morning because the place is spotless.  Floors are scrubbed, rugs are vacuumed, all clothes are washed, and trash is taken out.  About the time the sun comes up, I start to feel drowsy, and the cycle starts again.  I'll sleep until noon and feel groggy and tired until 8 o'clock rolls around again!  I've tried exercising in the afternoon to burn some energy.  I've also tried reading at night and taken various natural supplements/teas, but nothing seems to work.  

[JerseySky1965]

I got so off track once that I was going to bed at 8 am and sleeping until almost 4 pm.  I had to push myself to stay awake through the odd hours until I started sleeping on a regular schedule again and reset my circadian clock.  It's rough, but short of going to a doctor, I'd suggest pushing through to the other side if your schedule permits it.

[toomuchbottle]

I am not a morning person. Never was and will never be a morning person. The good thing about this is I know why I can't wake up early. The reason why I can not wake up early is I always sleep late. I always sleep late because I can't sleep early. I would just toss and turn if I would try to retreat early to my bed. The second good thing about this is I have a fool proof technique to overcome this problem. To wake up early, I am using two alarm clocks. Sleeping late was not a problem for me because I have accepted the fact that I am a night owl. I'll just sleep longer during the week ends.

[Clearance Hanson]

So much to do! Too much to do! Time is man's sworn enemy. There are only 24 hours in a day, and 8 are reluctantly lost to sleep; thus, 12 hours remain. Out of the 12 hours, about 8 are "business hours." Eight hours! Only eight hours a day to make a difference. Eight hours to be successful! How can one manage work and life in eight hours? It is truly bleak to be given eight hours to succeed. That is nearly impossible! However, several brace souls have done it before, and their method was by abandoning the theif of time. All refused to give in to sleep. They powered through life by managing off of three to four hours of sleep; in most extreme cases, some did not sleep. When knowing such knowledge, how can one sleep early? There is no time for sleep; there is only a fight against time. How can one even wake up from sleep when the battle against time seems so foreboding? Man has been placed in a truly enigmatic situation. 

[LumpySpacePrincess]

After I had a baby, I could sleep anywhere on the drop of a dime. Now, eight years later, I will stay up until 4 AM watching cat videos knowing I have to wake up in a few hours. I also used to be able to shoot out of bed like a ray of sunshine, but now I just kind of roll myself off and try not to die.

[LoveDove]

The reason is you "can't" wake up or go to bed early is because you don't want to. You have explained the benefits of your habits. However, you have not mentioned any negative results. If you truly want to reverse this habit, examine what the positive outcome could be. If you focus on the benefits of reversing the habit, you will most likely look forward to reversing it.

One last thing, you mentioned exercising in the afternoon, in an attempt to burn energy. However, you most likely experience the opposite effect. Exercise actually gives you energy. It also releases endorphins which makes happy and/or excited. If you are excited with a lot of energy, you won't be able to sleep.