Mar 5, 2018

Nocturnal Nights: Reverse Cycling

We've Been Reverse Cycling!

For weeks now, Hope has been staying up all night and sleeping during the day.

We've written a few times about this which you can find here, but people have been requesting more info so I thought I'd share more of our experience with reverse cycling. Reverse Cycling is a sleep pattern that is opposite to sleeping all night and being awake during the day.

We first discovered Hope's nocturnal habits when she was 3 and by the time she was 4 she could tell us why; the Moon. She explained the Moon's energy kept her up and sure enough, there was a full moon.

Since then, Hope has journeyed through differing sleep patterns, but has consistently slipped back to forms of reverse cycling, always in sync in with the moon somehow.

Fears Overcome

We were filled with the fears that people commonly have about daytime sleeping.

Health The most frequent concern we come across is, sleeping all day isn't healthy. As long as one is getting adequate sleep and happy about when that is, the time of day or night is irrelevant. Folks on Daytime sleep patterns are still very susceptible to sleep issues and infact, it's more common.

Social

Another issue folks have is how do you socialize with the daywalkers when you're up all night? (Hee hee.) We homeschool so it was surprising to hubby and I how simple it was to start planning our meet-ups with reverse cycling in mind. And because Hope understands she is responsible for getting enough sleep and being respectful to others, she does not get so tired that she cannot manage her emotions.

When we are out and she has not slept, most people have no idea. Many adults haven't learned how to manage a sleepless night joyfully so we are very excited for the emotional intelligence she has gained in being free to make her own choices about her life.

Differing Schedules Some family members may not resonate with a nocturnal sleep pattern. I personally sleep best between 10pm-4am right now which is nearly opposite to Hope's current schedule so Freeschoolin' Daddy stays up with Hope. I make sure they have everything they need (food, my share of housework done) and sleep soundly knowing they're having fun and learning all night. Our sleep patterns shift with the seasons and moons and are ever changing. We go with the flow and manage as a team to find solutions that work for our family. Real Life/Real World The second most common worry about reverse cycling is, 'What will kids do when they grow up and have to get a job?" Easy answer. Truck Drivers. Musicians. Artists. Shift Workers. Flight Attendants and Pilots. Journalists. There are so, so many ways to live and thrive in this world no matter what kind of sleeper you are.

Every challenge that came with supporting Hope's natural reverse cycling sleep pattern brought the opportunity for conflict or coming together as a community to compromise and cultivate our family bond. Please feel free to comment below or Contact Us for questions and support on this under-discussed topic.