We have always used the 9am, 5pm & 1am schedule, and it works very well for us. I usually wake up around that time all on my own (often needing a trip to the bathroom anyway!), and my almost 5 yr old daughter never wakes up at all, either, when we give it to her. We have always felt strongly that the medication would work more effectively if given every 8 hrs, at regular intervals (like most medications), and have always done it this way even though several endos told us it was not necessary (I still don’t believe that!). Blessings.