How is it irregular?
Also, I already take ADHD meds.
To me, a regular sleep schedule would be going to bed in the evening and waking up in the morning. But it sounds like there’s some trouble going to sleep initially, and then staying asleep is also a problem. It’s not unusual to wake in the middle of the night, but typically that would just be for a short time and then sleep would continue.
Could it be that the ADHD meds are too stimulating? Is there any correlation between when you started the meds and when your sleep quality went down?
I’ve been taking them for a decade now. I honestly don’t remember.
I don’t usually wake up in the middle of the night.
It sounds like you are fairly reliant on that herbal concoction to get a full night of sleep, because it is difficult for you to get to sleep (sounds like because of anxiety). That is irregular.
I’m not thinking you’re going to die or go crazy or anything catastrophic, but it seems like a big enough annoyance that consulting a doctor may be helpful with the underlying issue, rather than blaming the poor clock. That clock never did anything to you. It’s just sitting there, showing the time, totally minding its own business.
Just today, for the first time, I learned about Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD), which explains a lot about my life-long sleep problems.
Like you, I was an obsessive clock watcher. The reason was because I was desperate to fall asleep, knowing that time was creeping away until I’d have to get up and go to work. Mornings were horrible for me. I’ve never had a gun in the house because I knew that some morning I’d kill myself rather than get up. It was that bad.
Now I’m retired and can sleep whenever I want to. 
I think that might describe me as well. Wow. Thank you for sharing that.
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Just today, for the first time, I learned about Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD), which explains a lot about my life-long sleep problems.
Thanking you, too, for posting that! It describes me perfectly.
I take Klonopin every night and it works like a dream (heh). I have had people with sleep problems say to me “oh I don’t want to take a sleep aid, what if I can’t sleep without it?” To which I say, you ALREADY can’t sleep without it.
OP is looking for hand-holding not advice at this point. Go see a doctor and stop posting on message boards.
This.
I used to be an obsessive clock-watcher, too. I tried the “turn the clock away from you” trick and it works BUT only if you are absolutely determined not to look at it. You have to realize that knowing what time it is will probably not change anything. If you can’t fall asleep, you can’t.
But, as Inner Stickler has written, trying to find something positive about the situation helps, like thinking that you are getting some kind of rest albeit insufficient. I also enjoy the little weird noises of the night. Again, it’s not going to make you fall asleep in and of itself, but it makes the whole situation bearable, even sort of calming.
And I’d definitely lay off the pills. I’ve had trouble sleeping for two decades and I’ve always refused to take them. I’d rather go to work with as little as 1-2h of sleep - you get used to it by the way - than become a slave to meds.
Back to the original question about not watching the clock. I was thinking one way to manage it would be to hookup the clock to a timer so that the clock was off while you were going to bed. Get a clock which has a battery backup and a lamp timer which is silent (like this timer). Set the timer so that it turns on maybe like at 5 am or whenever. This way there is no clock to look at.
There is a clock in my bedroom, but it’s just a regular tabletop analog clock. It’s not lit. If I want to check the time I have to get up and turn on the lights.
But I agree that I don’t think the clock is the problem.
I used to read before I went to sleep. Difficult conceptual science stuff, advanced books or articles about particle physics or genetics, usually. Stuff that I really had to focus on and wrap my head around in order to understand. It shut off the “brain chatter” that used to keep me awake.
Then I taught myself to remember enough of my dreams that I could create a semi-coherent landscape around them. Now I can turn off the lights and visualize my dreamscape. It never takes more than 2 or 3 minutes and I’m out like a light.
It surprises me no one is bringing up sleep hygiene. First off, read this stuff for tips. The big one having a bedtime routine and avoiding napping.
Unfortunately, this is missing some stuff. So let’s cover some other stuff. First: don’t use your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. That way, when you go to bed, your body gets used to it being time to sleep. Also, don’t try to sleep. Remind yourself that it’s fine if you don’t sleep.
Next is your question about when to go to sleep. The guides I’ve seen say to take your wake up time and subtract 6-8 hours to get a good estimate. So 10:30 seems the earliest for a 6:30 wakeup time. And you may want to go as late as 12:30 if you aren’t tired by 10:30.
The link mentions a bedtime routine. It’s good to have one to help you wind down, and get your brain used to knowing when sleep is coming. About an hour before bedtime, start slowing down, pulling back from energizing activities. And if you’re anxious, I would suggest progressive muscle relaxation. Google it, and find an audio file to direct you in it. Do this in a warm, comfortable space, but not your bed.
Now this may work on its own. This may be enough to help you sleep, and you won’t need the extra stuff. But, if not, and you want, you can try the next part:
When you do get to bed, you can go to sleep. Remind yourself that there is no pressure and you don’t have to sleep. Even just laying there and relaxing will help. Feel free to do deep breathing or other relaxation techniques. Don’t watch the clock. But, if you do start to feel like you’ve been there 20-30 minutes, go ahead and (slowly) get up. Go some place warm and quiet and dark-ish, and pick a mind numbing activity that doesn’t involve a screen. Coloring is a good one, I hear. When you start feeling sleepy again, go ahead and go back to bed. And then keep doing that until you really do fall asleep.
When it’s time to get up, even if you didn’t get a ton of sleep, go ahead and get up. Wake up at the same time every day, even when you don’t have anywhere to be. In fact, I recommend starting this at a time when you don’t have anywhere to be, as you may be very sleepy the first few nights. Still, stay up and don’t give in and do longer than a 30 minute nap before 2 PM. Eventually, you’ll start getting sleepy.
This is a method used by actual sleep psychologists as a first line treatment for sleep problems. It’s been shown in trials to be as good as sleeping pills for most people. And it does it naturally without any dependence. It’s what I have used myself when I was having insomnia problems.
Unfortunately, I don’t have anything for not looking at the clock other than just resisting the urge to do so. You can look once when you get up from bed to see if it’s really been 20-30 minutes, but, other than that, try not to look. Just remind yourself that it doesn’t really matter if you get to sleep or not. Even just resting–whether the time in your bed or the time in a comfy spot outside your bed–is good for you.
And, yes, check with your doctor about your ADHD meds, as they could be stimulating you.
From the standpoint of mental relaxation, I use a sleep podcast. It’s an audio program specifically intended to capture your attention enough to pull you away from run away thoughts, and lull you into a relaxed state. The one I prefer is called Sleep With Me, the creator tells stories, it can be a made up fairy tale, a retelling of a movie or a TV show, musing about his home town, or his latest experience trying out a sauna.
It’s the audio equivalent of seeing a 50 minute slide show of your neighbor’s visit to the Grand Canyon. Click - “Here’s another interesting rock… we found it a little further down the trail than the last one…”