What I noticed over the months is that I tend to forget to go to bed early. I was pre-occupied with a bunch of stuff (checking social media sites, watching youtube, etc) before I go to sleep. So, by the time I glance at the clock….holly sh!t. It was too late.

So, I decided that I need to have an alarm at 11 pm to remind me to drop everything and go brush my teeth (if I haven’t done so). A new habit I accumulated over the years is that I tend to like to snuggle under the blanket as soon as I finished brushing my teeth (yes!!! that refreshing breath). It might not smack me down to shut my eyes yet, but at least it’s one step closer to begin the process of unwinding.

The only time this wasn’t working for me was when I fell asleep at 7 PM after an exhausted work day. That stupid pre-set alarm at 11 pm woke me up. Very surprising. I decided to keep myself busy with cleaning the apartment or cooking. Then I fell back to sleep around 3 AM.

In your case, if your earliest alarm is at 6:20 AM, I think it’s best if you keep it that way through out the week so you don’t have to fluctuate too much. I can’t help you with the OVER night shifts because I haven’t experience that schedule before. Except for my years at the university ….to cram the night before the exams…which I ate an additional dinner and a snack to help me make it through.