Sleeping - how do I learn to wake up early/go to bed early?????!!

Anna Kubit · 04-07-2008, 06:38 PM

Hi!

I am a night person, but I do not want to be one!

I would prefer to wake up at about 6 a.m. and get my workout in before I start my business day. Right now I do not fall asleep until 3 a.m. or so on average and wake up at about 10 or 11 a.m. (I sleep about 8 hours per night).

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I really dislike feeling tired in the morning so I usually sleep until I feel ready to awake. Just that once I get my workout in, get ready for the day, etc. it's the afternoon. That does not leave me with much time for business.

Thank you!!!

Anna

Mahler · 04-07-2008, 07:04 PM

I don't know the science behind it, but have adjusted my internal clock to get up at 4:30 am for workouts and to bed around 9-930 pm. The first weeks are killer. You WILL be tired frequently during the day. Regardless of how much sleep you get, set the alarm for the time you would like to get up and force yourself to do so. If you are working out, you may want to take it easy those first few weeks, so as not to injure yourself. As your body adjusts, you will find that you more naturally want to get to bed earlier. At least, that is how I did it. It's been almost 7 years now.

BTW, if that is you in your avatar, you are quite a good looker.

Willie · 04-07-2008, 07:31 PM

I'm with Mahler. I get up at 4:30am every day, and it just took about 3 weeks of alarm-setting and purposefully going to bed early to get used to it. Your body will fall into a rhythm, but you might have to introduce that rhythm a little forcefully, at first.

Biskit · 04-08-2008, 09:06 AM

You just have to DO IT! Make up your mind, set the alarm, and go to bed 8 hours before you want to rise. In your case, 10PM.

Not magic, not rocket science. Just dedication to self.

:}

Aoife · 04-08-2008, 09:23 AM

I've found that it starts with getting up earlier, not going to be earlier. The few times I've shifted my pattern (I'm a night person, but prefer it), trying to just go to bed early doesn't work because I'm not tired so don't fall asleep. I just get up early, do something physical right away to wake the rest of me up, and then try not to fall asleep during the day, and let myself fall asleep when I'm tired at night. (normally I might ignore being tired at 8 and then get over the hump and not be tired again till 1am).
Then, through all that, going to bed early follows.
Melatonin at night may also help.