[kayodelycaon]

Adjust gradually how? Between ADHD, anxiety, depression, mania, and medication side-effects, my bedtime can vary by as much as 2 hours.

By the end of the day any willpower I started the day with is usually gone, so going to bed at the same time each day just can't happen with any regularity. I have settle for a 90 minute window.

What I can't handle is my window shifting by 60 minutes, especially when the sunlight changes. Suddenly, it's bright 60 minutes after the sun should have set and everything gets out of balance.

[metadat]

No offense intended, but it sounds like things won't be easy no matter what course this issue takes. Having had many a bi-polar friend, I feel for you, life's tough with mental health issues, particularly BPD.

[kayodelycaon]

Eh... life is always difficult, but time changes push things from difficult to nearly unmanageable.

The problem with time changes is the pattern of the day and therefore the energy and mental states tied to that changes. I can no longer predict how I will feel at specific times of day. This means I can no control my energy expenditure. I have to relearn how to cope from scratch.

For example: ~2pm is when my brain starts to get foggy. 4~5pm is going to be hopeless depression until my next medication dose kicks in. When all of this shifts by an hour, my body no longer knows what time it is. It doesn't matter how many timezones I've moved.

Removing EST<->EDT changes gives me a month of my life back each year.

This isn't anything like traveling, because traveling is temporary. I spent the month before making sure my mood will carry me through the trip and end up in a manageable state on the other side. It's like running to jump. I can't stay in the air; I have to land properly so I don't get hurt.

[soperj]

You adjust the start time, not the end time.