Crazy Sleep Patterns

I have some INSANE sleeping patterns.. For example: I will sleep for 12 or more hours for a few days.. Then, I will be somewhat normal for like a day. But, THEN, I wont be able to sleep, and if I DO sleep, it's for like 4 hours.. This cycle keeps on repeating, over and over! No matter how hard that I try, I can't get my sleep pattern in control..

Just recently, I was up all night, unable to sleep.. Then, the next day, I finally fell asleep. But, I slept waay too much. I had gone to bed around 1 AM and I didn't wake up until five PM!

Now, I can't sleep for the life of me.. I know it's because I woke up at five PM yesterday, I guess..(It's almost 3 AM right now..) Eventually, it will go back to normal for a few days.. Then it just gets all crazy again.. I try so hard to have a healthy sleeping pattern..

I don't know what to do about my sleep pattern.. Any adivice on how to get this crazyness under control??

Yeah, any time you oversleep or stay up too late, it screws your cycle up.

I always find that staying awake is the only tool you really have. You can't make yourself sleep aside from meds.

So if you find you're going to bed too late, wake up after only a few hours, then try to stay awake until the time you want to sleep. The goal is to try and make yourself tired.

What are your other patterns in life? Do you party? Drink tons of caffeine? Have irregular events in life, i.e. irregular work schedule, friends that call at any time of the day?

It's hard to keep a regular sleep schedule if your life is irregular. It's easy to stay awake when you're tired if something interests you.

I have seasonal sleep issues. I sleep far less in the summer than winter.

Then there's meds. Melatonin levels affect your sleep and you can take supplements that cause you to sleep. Probably better than sleeping pills, booze or Nyquil. And you can always try warm milk.