Need advice on improving sleep/wake cycle

[freyja15]

Another year, another question regarding my husband.

He is 51, healthy, in great shape, and works a very demanding job. He recently accepted a new position and he is home a lot more but in short stretches - overseas 2-3 weeks and home (US) 5-10 days. This new schedule has seriously affected his circadian rhythm. When he lands he wants to have sex immediately if not sooner and again later if he’s still amped up from the flight. Second day home he crashes and will sleep 18 hours or more. The remaining days he starts fading around 5, is sound asleep by 8, then up by 3am and nuzzling me awake. He was in this general line of work when we married and I learned early on that our physical intimacy is an important part of him mentally “coming home” I have never denied him but I am struggling with this new rotation. After our wee hour calisthenics I am WIDE AWAKE and can’t get back to sleep before my alarm at 6:30 to get the kids ready for school. Medical prescribed him no-goes but he hates them - says they make him feel hungover. I have initiated sex during the day when the opportunity presents itself but it’s not often enough.

Do any of you have experience with this? Suggestions for improving his sleep/wake cycle? Tips to help me go back to sleep for a couple of solid hours?

[ElrondHubbard]

My wife tries to push melatonin on me, says it can help me get on a regular sleep schedule. Your husband's problem is that his work-home schedule is inherently unstable, and it just doesn't allow either one of you to get into a rhythm. I'm not sure if melatonin would help in that case.


What about one of those calming relaxing music recordings, or even some kind of brain wave stimulator? For you, that is. I'm just grabbing at thin air here...

[mtpockets]

Good luck, I am not a good one to ask, I have no idea what happens after I have sex, I'm usually asleep moments later, as it now takes me all night long to do what I once did all night long, You do sound like a great wifey though. Keep it up, pun intended. As far as your husband goes, half the ov 35 is cheering him on, you go daddy!