I have a sunrise set up manually with my Hue lighting at home. When I'm traveling, I use the app Timely to set a silent alarm for ten or fifteen minutes before I have to be up. It's not nearly as effective as a full-on sunrise simulation, but it's often bright enough to wake me if I'm in light sleep and if I happen to wake up to roll over and see it lit up, I know it's time to get out of bed. The app itself doesn't matter I guess, but Timely allows for some very nice color and theme customization.

As for an actual traveling alarm clock, this one on Amazon seems sold under a bunch of different brand names for $25-40. I'm not sure what your budget is, but grabbing a cheap one like this and just having a backup phone alarm probably wouldn't be a bad thing. This one looks super legit but is $130.

Here's a little writeup I found comparing a few models.

Good luck man!

The Marpac Dohm original white noise machine is the one I’m referring to. Here’s a link:Marpac is the best thing for sleep if you are sensitive to noise or live in a noisy place. I used to live above a night club and it was so helpful.

A lot of people use these apps that have digital loops of soothing sounds but for one thing the loop itself can be distracting. And the other thing is it functions in a different way.

The white noise of the Marpac tricks your brain into masking the obtrusive sounds, that’s why it can take a couple weeks to get the full effects- your brain needs to get used to it.

The sound is similar to a fan, but a much smaller device, more effective and you might not always want a fan blowing air around.

You might need quite a bit of sound paneling but you could start small and see how it goes. It’s amazing to me what even a small amount can do to dampen sound.

Good luck and I’m sorry about your noisy roommate situation!

Full disclosure: I'm overcoming my own sleep difficulties (after 20 years of not sleeping well). My advice is based on what is working for me.

Some reading for you:

• NIH guidance on sleep: Read this now to make sure you're hitting all the low-hanging fruit of sleep hygiene.
  
• Say Good Night to Insomnia: Gregg Jacobs offers a CBT-based program to get your sleep back on track. As an engineer, you'll probably enjoy learning about the interplay among thoughts, behaviors, and sleep.
  
• Why We Sleep: Matthew Walker explains the current research on sleep, including the consequences of not sleeping enough. Knowing those consequences might discourage you from messing with your sleep in the future.
  
  If you like the sound of the program in Jacobs's book, I suggest finding a therapist trained in CBT-I (cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia). The program requires you to confront your anxiety about sleep -- anxiety you might not know you have -- and a therapist can help. I also recommend the CBT-i Coach app, which lets you easily log your sleep data each day and, after you log a week's worth of data, prescribes sleep and wake times. You might also consider having a sleep study done to rule out physical (as opposed to behavioral) causes.
  
  Good luck.

Given that Sleep Restriction seemed to help, I'd recommend looking into Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). It's a research-backed behavioral approach to sleep problems. Most people don't know it, but it's actually widely considered by most medical associations to be the treatment of choice for insomnia.

Look for a clinical psychologist (PhD or PsyD) who is trained as a cognitive behavioral therapist and also does CBT-I.

These two books are also very good:

Say Goodnight To Insomnia by Gregg Jacobs

The Insomnia Workbook by Stephanie Silberman

Good Luck!

Here are two recommendations:

The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types ofInsomnia by Paul Glovinsky, Ph.D. and Art Spielman, Ph.D.

Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping through the Night by Barry Krakow, M.D.

Amazon (via 3rd party sellers) has used copies of both available for extremely low prices, if cost is a concern. Sleepio is, as far as I know, quite good though. I'd recommend giving it a try, or connecting with a sleep professional if you find it difficult to make progress with just the book. Here's a list of providers certified in behavioral sleep medicine - CBTI is pretty much their bread and butter.

Wow no comments....

EDIT: Serious question: name everything you can remember eating this week, because maybe you're not eating enough because this is worrying you, I'm just trying to get all possibilities out there.

1 GO OUTSIDE for at least 30 minutes. Preferably in the EARLY morning, 7-8 A.M.

2 Drink a ton of water (at least 3 - 4 full glasses)

3 buy some red light bulbs and for you - do NOT get the 25 watt variety, since you're having so much trouble sleeping, I'll recommend the 15w varient to you, here

sleep saving red incandescent bulbs

4 download f.lux download ASAP Use the Darkroom mode.

5 Also IN ADDITION to f.lux, use UVEX "glasses" they are plastic and they filter out so much blue / green light (but not all green light) that even a CANDLE looks more yellow!

UVEX orange plastic wear
Just ordered these the other day, and I love them. They fit much better than the all orange version w/o the black frame.

Let me know if ANY of this helps, so that I know and also so you are aware of it and can tell others that may have the same sleep problem.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004CKCX9K/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1425573706&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=ear+plugs

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003A28OW6/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1425573706&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=ear+plugs

Those are two I use (first link I use for on the road, cheap and disposable, try these first; second are pretty pricey but more noise cancellation, they do insert into your ears though, so you might just want to stick with the first link). Theyre even great for swimming to avoid swimmers ear. I'm still doing a lot of uni work and my sleep is imperative for me for athletics and school.

I had one off Amazon but it was expensive. It had good reviews. It didn't work for me as the sun pretty much has no impact on my wakeup time. Here's the link.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0093162RM?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051U7W32?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Used these for several months every night. They weren't the best in any particular aspect but they were the best all around. Of four brands.

I'd suggest ensuring you insert them "properly" to prevent them from falling out. If you move around a lot at night though, I'm not sure there's much that can be done.

I recommend a combination of white noise and foam ear plugs. You will have to experiment with a combination that will work best for you. Sometimes, ear plugs alone will block out high pitched noise, but allow through the thumps and bumps. You'll then get thumps and bumps in isolation, which could be more stressful.

For white noise, I really like mechanical noise makers. They run continuously, won't drain your phone battery, and can be made to vary by fine gradations till you get the sound frequency spectrum that best handles the noise you're trying to cover up.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HD0ELFA

Happy to answer, yeah. I may have miscommunicated this point. When I can "free run" with little obligations, I will typically sleep something like 7:00AM/9:00AM until 3:00PM/5:00PM. This would be my "natural chronotype" or my genetically hard-wired sleeping schedule. This is the diagnoses "DSPS" itself that runs in my family.

However, in order to get by in life, I need to go to work, school, the grocery store, the DMV, etc. This means I will normally lie awake in bed for hours, starting around 12:00AM, finally falling asleep at 3:00AM or so, only to have to wake up at 7:00AM. Even though I only had 4 hours of sleep, though, I am still incapable of falling sleep at 9:00PM-10:00PM like a "normal person" would. This is due to the overriding power of my "natural circadian rhythm," the earlier described 7AM-5PM schedule.

This constant state of sleep deprivation leads to anxiety, stress, depression, weakened immune system (and thus illness), and all kinds of social consequences, like losing friendships and job opportunities.

And this is the frustrating part - if the DMV were open at 3AM and bosses just accepted that I did my work from home in the middle of the night, there would be nothing "disabling" about my condition. And while I know many people who have found successful living arrangements to accommodate their hard-wired sleep schedule, I know many more who cannot hold down jobs, who are scorned by their family for being "lazy," and who have lost many friends and resources because of their inability to participate in daytime life.

So to answer your question, in a world with minimal stresses, I would likely sleep my "natural rhythm," somewhere between 7AM-5PM. Much like I do now, I would just spend my time on hobbies and my research, and it works out well because I wake up about the time everyone gets off work, so I can still maintain a social life. The bank has the worst business hours ever, though, and my classes start at 9AM, so I still have to strike a balance between my preferred schedule and being constantly sleep deprived. I have been hoping to try our biphasic sleeping, or sleeping in two smaller blocks during the day, but am not in a place in life where I can try this.

Thanks for asking, I rarely get a chance to talk about the finer details of my sleeping disorder. Here are some further book suggestions for you. Let me know what your professor says, I'd love to hear about it. What kind of class is this for?

24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep (2013) by Johnathan Crary

Sleep Around the World: Anthropological Perspectives (2013) ed. Glaskin and Chenhall

Sleep and Society: Sociological Ventures into the (Un)Known (2005) by Simon Williams

At Day's Close: Night in Times Past (2006) by Roger Ekirch

Sleep in a cold environment that's as dark as possible (blackout curtains or sleep mask). Ear plugs work wonders. The less light after dark the better. Use [blue blocking lenses](Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Computer Glasses with SCT-Orange Lens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000USRG90/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yfq7xbPD6Z8GG) after dark. Episodic unwind is a great way to ease your mind for bed (Watch a Netflix series or read fiction). Don't eat or drink near bedtime.

This:
https://www.amazon.com/LectroFan-Fidelity-Machine-Unique-Non-Looping/dp/B00E6D6LQY

plus earplugs is probably your best bet.

Read the book Why we sleep by Matthew Walker https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316
It might help,it’s a great book

I like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Macks-Ultra-Soft-Foam-Earplugs/dp/B0051U7W32

roll them the whole length, insert them, hold your fingers over them until they fully expand

Sleep Master

A bit different as it covers the ears too. I enjoy this one.

it can dehydrate the room and yourself. Not a problem if you live in a humid area really, but it will absolutely affect you otherwise. Some people have both a fan and a humidifier going at the same time 🤷🏻‍♀️ there are also sound machines built in a way similar to fans - not just recorded noise - that won't circulate the room

This book could be really helpful
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/081298160X

http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90

These ones, yes?

This is a classic case of shift work sleep disorder. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_work_sleep_disorder)

Do what you can to control lighting and temperature in your bedroom.

1. Get cheap blackout curtains or something to reduce room light. What I bought to help: http://amzn.com/B000SDTEAG Also, I have used this sleep mask: http://amzn.com/B0015NZ6FK. I bought a cheaper one once, but it wasn't big enough and hurt my ears.
   
   
2. Keep your bedroom cool if possible.
   
   
3. Avoid computer, TV & cell phone screens (my personal reoccurring issue)
   
   
4. Don't abuse melatonin & when you use it, make sure you're in a dark room with the steps from above.
   
   
5. If you run out of those options, Tylenol PM (Diphenhydramine HCl) is safe in the short term.
   
   
6. Stop caffeine intake by your lunch time (which I would guess is around 6PM).
   
   (I've worked night shift for nearly 8 years. It's taken me a long time to figure it all out. I feel your pain.)

I also have a TON of trouble. Doesn't matter the amount or quality of sleep I get, I have great difficulty waking up any time before 9 AM.

Basically my idea is just as you should make your room conducive to sleep at night (quiet, dark), make it conducive for waking up in the morning. Here are some of the things that have helped me. They might seem silly or pricey, but they have helped.

-Get a sunlamp alarm clock

-Get a space heater with a timer, so your room is warm when you get out from your covers

-Set up motorized curtains or blinds with a remote control, to let the sunlight in without leaving the bed

-Put a coffee machine with a timer next to your bed (and an empty coffee mug)

So what happens is at 6:55 AM, the sunlamp begins to turn on, the space heater starts going, and my coffee machine starts brewing next to my bed. Then at 7 AM, the radio on the sunlamp turns on and my alarm on my phone goes off. I sit up to a warm, bright room. I open the motorized curtains with a remote control, and sunlight streams in. Then I pour myself a cup of coffee and drink it in bed for 5-10 minutes while I listen to the radio.

Even with all this, I still have trouble getting out of bed sometimes, but it is far easier then trying to get out of bed to a dark, cold, coffeeless room.

Def recommend the LectroFan. Although now I have to travel with it because the silence in hotel rooms is deafening. I've heard you can detect the "loop noise" on the one you posted.

https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Sound-Technologies-LectroFan-Non-Looping/dp/B00E6D6LQY/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1543427736&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=white+noise&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316

By far, this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KUHFGM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1420424603&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

> By far, this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KUHFGM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1420424603&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Thank you. This is exactly what I ordered today.

Read it in this book. https://www.amazon.com/Take-Nap-Change-Your-Life/dp/0761142908.

yes
Use camel camel or something to check price history though.

Non-mobile:

• http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CKCX9K/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1425573706&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=ear+plugs
  
• http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003A28OW6/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1425573706&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=ear+plugs
  
  ^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

I swear by this: Marpac Dohm Classic White Noise Sound Machine, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HD0ELFA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7MU.BbT767VD8

I use this and although I don't always sleep on my side I just tested it out and it doesn't poke me. https://www.amazon.com/Nidra-Dreams-Mask-Face-Fitting-Sleep/dp/B01NCAA58U/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1482468689&sr=8-5&keywords=sleep+mask Not sure if it's available in Canada.

Get a white noise machine. They're louder than an ipod or phone generator, but do not need to be right in your ear to work. My husband uses one to deal with the fact that I watch TV late at night when he is sleeping (I'm up at work). This is the one we have. I can not watch an action movie at loud volumes, but he says it completely blocks out TV and all normal conversation noise. It also blocks the screaming fights my upstairs neighbors like to have when I am sleeping.