Early to bed, early to rise?
September 19, 2011 7:33 AM Subscribe
I've never felt like the type, but as I get older I've been wondering - should I be one of those people who gets up early every day and has a few hours to do things before work? Is it unquestionably going to improve my life much more than staying up until 2 AM every day would? I think the morning time would be spent either going to the gym, or lounging around with breakfast and coffee and internet. Curious about who has tried this and decided it was or wasn't worth it to rise early, especially if you didn't think of youself as a morning person.
I'm an endurance athlete and life never used to be like this, but on days where I do a run in the mornings before work, I'm so much more productive. It also tends to snowball - I get back from my run, start laundry, pick up the kitchen a little, shower and am off to the races in the office. It's kind of great and I recommend it!
posted by floweredfish at 7:36 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by floweredfish at 7:36 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I get up about an hour or so early every morning to do exactly what you suggest - work out and lounge around a bit with coffee. Even though I'm really a night person, there's something special about the feeling of hitting the road to jog in the morning, and then have the few minutes to myself drinking coffee. In the morning, I really appreciate having this time to myself before everything gets busy. By contrast, it's just not quite as satisfying to have time by myself after work -- that's when I want to be with friends! Also, it's much easier to control those AM hours -- if I try to work out after work, something inevitably comes up.
posted by yarly at 7:40 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by yarly at 7:40 AM on September 19, 2011
Best answer: I used to be nearly completely nocturnal when I was younger. Now I'm up usually around 6 a.m.
Sometimes, yes, that is lounging time! Sure, it's as easy to waste daytime hours as it is nighttime. But the remarkable thing about being up early is that you end up going to bed when you're tired. That changes everything: we stay up late over and over because we stay up late.
A lot of this depends on what you get done. I find I get lots of little projects done in the morning. Sometimes it's exercise, sometimes it's chores, sometimes it's cleaning out the inbox. The other benefit is I never feel panicked about getting to work; I almost always feel prepared.
I do like the sense of isolation that staying up late gives. It's nice to have the quiet nights to yourself. But the morning is a whole different kind of satisfying. Also I just feel better now: having time to have coffee, then snack, I just feel off to a better start than dragging my ass out of bed.
HUGE BONUS: I have not set an alarm clock in years. I wake up on my own now, and that's a HUGE change for someone who used to be always late and being awoken by an annoying alarm and rumpled and tired for a job that started at like 11 a.m.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 7:40 AM on September 19, 2011 [7 favorites]
Sometimes, yes, that is lounging time! Sure, it's as easy to waste daytime hours as it is nighttime. But the remarkable thing about being up early is that you end up going to bed when you're tired. That changes everything: we stay up late over and over because we stay up late.
A lot of this depends on what you get done. I find I get lots of little projects done in the morning. Sometimes it's exercise, sometimes it's chores, sometimes it's cleaning out the inbox. The other benefit is I never feel panicked about getting to work; I almost always feel prepared.
I do like the sense of isolation that staying up late gives. It's nice to have the quiet nights to yourself. But the morning is a whole different kind of satisfying. Also I just feel better now: having time to have coffee, then snack, I just feel off to a better start than dragging my ass out of bed.
HUGE BONUS: I have not set an alarm clock in years. I wake up on my own now, and that's a HUGE change for someone who used to be always late and being awoken by an annoying alarm and rumpled and tired for a job that started at like 11 a.m.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 7:40 AM on September 19, 2011 [7 favorites]
I've been doing this more and more lately, but my catalyst was getting on a set schedule to help curb my ADD. I get up at around 6 no matter what my grad school schedule looks like for the day, I write my Morning Pages (only 2 handwritten, because I'm slow), meditate for 10 minutes, and go to my apartment's gym and run/walk for 30 minutes. The mental boon I've been getting lately amazing, honestly. Even if I do stay up late, I still force myself to get up (or my wife does), so it sort of self-corrects itself the next evening.
I had to work really hard to get out of the "Internet... FOREVER" mindframe, and I still fuck up occasionally, but man, life is so much better. I'll never be a true morning person, and if I can get a teaching gig that doesn't start until 11am, even better. Right now, though, this is working.
posted by SNWidget at 7:46 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I had to work really hard to get out of the "Internet... FOREVER" mindframe, and I still fuck up occasionally, but man, life is so much better. I'll never be a true morning person, and if I can get a teaching gig that doesn't start until 11am, even better. Right now, though, this is working.
posted by SNWidget at 7:46 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
HUGE BONUS: I have not set an alarm clock in years.
Same here. Think how much you hate waking up to an alarm and imagine never having to do it again.
Switch to mornings if you can force yourself to go to bed early. Mornings are especially great for doing solitary things when the rest of the world is too lazy to move. You don't have to be getting up for anything special; it could be the shows you recorded the night before while you were asleep.
But if you have certain nights every week when you socialize until late because everyone else is a late riser, you're suddenly going to be the dork who has to go home early or can't make it at all because the party doesn't even start until after your bedtime.
posted by pracowity at 7:50 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Same here. Think how much you hate waking up to an alarm and imagine never having to do it again.
Switch to mornings if you can force yourself to go to bed early. Mornings are especially great for doing solitary things when the rest of the world is too lazy to move. You don't have to be getting up for anything special; it could be the shows you recorded the night before while you were asleep.
But if you have certain nights every week when you socialize until late because everyone else is a late riser, you're suddenly going to be the dork who has to go home early or can't make it at all because the party doesn't even start until after your bedtime.
posted by pracowity at 7:50 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I love being the only one up and about in the house in the early morning. I started doing it when my kids were small and I was telecommuting & freelancing. Doing my work in the evening after the kids were in bed meant the day never ended; doing it in the morning gave my day a manageable structure that included some quiet "me" time.
I realized how important that solitary time was when my partner moved in & started getting up with me (and chatting and wanting to have coffee together and walk the dogs and etc.). I love him but nixed that right away. Sometimes it's stretching & meditation, sometimes it's coffee and metafilter, sometimes it's bills & paperwork, sometimes it's just quietly watching the sun come up. But it's mine, all mine, and I don't want to share it with anyone.
posted by headnsouth at 7:50 AM on September 19, 2011 [5 favorites]
I realized how important that solitary time was when my partner moved in & started getting up with me (and chatting and wanting to have coffee together and walk the dogs and etc.). I love him but nixed that right away. Sometimes it's stretching & meditation, sometimes it's coffee and metafilter, sometimes it's bills & paperwork, sometimes it's just quietly watching the sun come up. But it's mine, all mine, and I don't want to share it with anyone.
posted by headnsouth at 7:50 AM on September 19, 2011 [5 favorites]
I get up at or before 5am for six months of the year. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I have already done so much with my day and my room-mates are just waking up at 11 after going to bed at 2 or 3. It also helps you go to sleep earlier, and as my grandmother tells me: an hour of sleep before midnight if worth two after.
posted by hepta at 7:52 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hepta at 7:52 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
6-7 in the morning is also the best time to pop over to the grocery store for one or two things. It's even better timing for a big shop, because nobody else is there, except employees and other early birds.
No clogged aisles. No huffy 26 item express lane hoggers.No few toddler meltdowns.
Additionally, driving earlier is generally more pleasant than driving later. This is very dependent on your area, but shifting your commute time 15 minutes might be a big stress reducer.
I do consider myself a morning person, and currently am drifting toward night owl tendencies. Miserable! Need to ask my own question about this but can't really formulate what I need help with.
posted by bilabial at 7:58 AM on September 19, 2011
No clogged aisles. No huffy 26 item express lane hoggers.
Additionally, driving earlier is generally more pleasant than driving later. This is very dependent on your area, but shifting your commute time 15 minutes might be a big stress reducer.
I do consider myself a morning person, and currently am drifting toward night owl tendencies. Miserable! Need to ask my own question about this but can't really formulate what I need help with.
posted by bilabial at 7:58 AM on September 19, 2011
I was never a morning person for the majority of my life (actually I worked nights for many years) but these days I get up at about 530-6 every morning to work out, go for a walk, or just derp around the house a bit. As someone above mentioned, this is to regulate my ADHD medication schedule, but it is seriously a Whole New World for me, one that is far more productive and less riddled with random moments of ennui. Even on weekends, I'm usually up by 7-8, unless I go out the night before and let myself have a 930 lie-in.
Aside from current ghastly life stress, I now sleep much better at night as well. It's weird to think that the rest of the world knew about this the entire time but I'm just learning it.
posted by elizardbits at 8:07 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Aside from current ghastly life stress, I now sleep much better at night as well. It's weird to think that the rest of the world knew about this the entire time but I'm just learning it.
posted by elizardbits at 8:07 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Training myself to get up at 6 AM (or sometimes even earlier!) has worked wonders on my mental and physical health. From my own experience (and a few others) I'm now convinced that Benjamin Franklin was right about "early to bed and early to rise!" I wake up so much more easily (no alarm, as others have noted), I get that lovely early-morning peaceful quiet time, I get a lot more done in the AM's than I ever did staying up late! Plus I'm never late for work, and I don't have to rush around trying to put on makeup, feed the cat, and slurp down a double latte all at once.
And I don't mind being that dork who has to get home and go to bed early because these days almost all my friends are similar dorks.
Early rising is better for you all around, I now believe. Better for your health, better for your career, and better for your peace of mind. Plus sunrises with birdsong as accompaniment is one of the most beautiful sights/sounds nature has to offer.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:12 AM on September 19, 2011
And I don't mind being that dork who has to get home and go to bed early because these days almost all my friends are similar dorks.
Early rising is better for you all around, I now believe. Better for your health, better for your career, and better for your peace of mind. Plus sunrises with birdsong as accompaniment is one of the most beautiful sights/sounds nature has to offer.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:12 AM on September 19, 2011
I do not enjoy the 5:30 wakeups, having tried it. I didn't end up regularly going to sleep early, and I enjoy my time in the evening more than my time in the morning.
I wake up between 7-7:30 to leave the house by 8:45 (by which time traffic here is much lower than it was 30 minutes earlier), which is more than leisurely enough for me. I usually wake up at around the same time on weekends, certainly before 9 (with rare exceptions if I am sick or after I am up very late, like the recent wedding where I came home at 3).
I know many people like the early mornings, and when it happens it's pleasant enough, but I am happy with my not very early mornings -- you might be, too.
posted by jeather at 8:26 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wake up between 7-7:30 to leave the house by 8:45 (by which time traffic here is much lower than it was 30 minutes earlier), which is more than leisurely enough for me. I usually wake up at around the same time on weekends, certainly before 9 (with rare exceptions if I am sick or after I am up very late, like the recent wedding where I came home at 3).
I know many people like the early mornings, and when it happens it's pleasant enough, but I am happy with my not very early mornings -- you might be, too.
posted by jeather at 8:26 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: So long as you also go to bed early, then sure, give it a whirl. That's the key -- the mornings that I've gotten up early, but did so after staying up until midnight, they killed me; however, getting up early after going to bed early did help a lot.
As an online friend of mine recently observed-- "going to bed early is like sleeping in late, only in the other direction."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:33 AM on September 19, 2011 [9 favorites]
As an online friend of mine recently observed-- "going to bed early is like sleeping in late, only in the other direction."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:33 AM on September 19, 2011 [9 favorites]
I've also found that if you're bad about getting stuck in an internet loop, like I am, having the morning as your internet time works wonders. When I'm online at night I can stay up until 4 A.M. reading about ARGs and looking through old logs on Cloudmakers.org (like I did last night). But having a set end time with a real commitment on the other end gets me to be more judicious about my internet time.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 9:09 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by daniel striped tiger at 9:09 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wanted to be a morning person for years and finally made it work. I had a 2x/week 8AM commitment - struggled with it at first but got used to it and am now up early almost every day. As everyone else has said, I love
- having time and space all to myself (this is especially great if you, like me, live in a dense and crowded environment)
- waking up without an alarm clock
- how much easier it is to go to bed / fall asleep when I'm tired.
I am far more productive early in the morning than at any other time of day. I use the time more efficiently, get less distracted, retain information better, eat better, and get so much more done.
I still stay up late, sparingly. I definitely wouldn't miss a friend's birthday or a great late-nite event . . . I'm just much less likely to stay up until all hours with stupid stuff (internet wormhole, watching crap TV, etc.)
posted by Signed Sealed Delivered at 9:22 AM on September 19, 2011
- having time and space all to myself (this is especially great if you, like me, live in a dense and crowded environment)
- waking up without an alarm clock
- how much easier it is to go to bed / fall asleep when I'm tired.
I am far more productive early in the morning than at any other time of day. I use the time more efficiently, get less distracted, retain information better, eat better, and get so much more done.
I still stay up late, sparingly. I definitely wouldn't miss a friend's birthday or a great late-nite event . . . I'm just much less likely to stay up until all hours with stupid stuff (internet wormhole, watching crap TV, etc.)
posted by Signed Sealed Delivered at 9:22 AM on September 19, 2011
I hate Hate HATE getting up in the mornings. However, when I have to do so on a regular basis, I find myself more organized throughout the day.
I currently have a dog, who has to be walked before I can go to work. Ergo, I have to get up at least 30 minutes earlier, for him. And I'm finding that enforced exercise every morning adds a lot to my life - something that all the promises to myself to "start tomorrow" or "do it when I come home from work" don't do.
Granted, it's as much because Dexter needs it, instead of just being a result of early rising, but nonetheless: making time in my early morning for my/our health is easier than making time later in the day.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:31 AM on September 19, 2011
I currently have a dog, who has to be walked before I can go to work. Ergo, I have to get up at least 30 minutes earlier, for him. And I'm finding that enforced exercise every morning adds a lot to my life - something that all the promises to myself to "start tomorrow" or "do it when I come home from work" don't do.
Granted, it's as much because Dexter needs it, instead of just being a result of early rising, but nonetheless: making time in my early morning for my/our health is easier than making time later in the day.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:31 AM on September 19, 2011
6-7 in the morning is also the best time to pop over to the grocery store for one or two things. It's even better timing for a big shop, because nobody else is there, except employees and other early birds.
No clogged aisles. No huffy 26 item express lane hoggers. No few toddler meltdowns.
2-3 or 3-4 in the morning gets you the same shopping experience. I've been a night owl for most of my life, and I'm lucky enough now to have a job that allows me to sleep in in the mornings and work late at night. Try as I have many times over the years, I just cannot enjoy or function at full throttle on a schedule of going to bed by 10 and getting up at 5 or 6. My Dad, however, worked the afternoon shift for almost 30 years and after he retired somehow got into the habit of arising at 5:30 or 6:00 every morning. He had coffee, did the newspaper crossword puzzle, and then went outside and worked in the garden. "You're missing the best part of the day!" was his constant refrain whenever I mentioned sleeping until 11:00 or noon.
posted by Oriole Adams at 9:39 AM on September 19, 2011
No clogged aisles. No huffy 26 item express lane hoggers. No few toddler meltdowns.
2-3 or 3-4 in the morning gets you the same shopping experience. I've been a night owl for most of my life, and I'm lucky enough now to have a job that allows me to sleep in in the mornings and work late at night. Try as I have many times over the years, I just cannot enjoy or function at full throttle on a schedule of going to bed by 10 and getting up at 5 or 6. My Dad, however, worked the afternoon shift for almost 30 years and after he retired somehow got into the habit of arising at 5:30 or 6:00 every morning. He had coffee, did the newspaper crossword puzzle, and then went outside and worked in the garden. "You're missing the best part of the day!" was his constant refrain whenever I mentioned sleeping until 11:00 or noon.
posted by Oriole Adams at 9:39 AM on September 19, 2011
I'm a morning person, always have been, and I love it.
Right now I get up at 6am, and I don't have to be at work until 9. It leaves a wonderful amount of time to take my dog on a long, leisurely walk through a mostly-sleeping town. I take care of all of my bills and paperwork at home before leaving for the day. I eat a good breakfast. I tidy up the house. I write down all of the things I need to do that day and carry it with me.
I'm actually considering a schedule modification that would have me coming in to work at 11am. I play the banjo and I'd like to start going to the gym before work - having 5 hours in the morning would allow for both (and allow my wall neighbors to leave before I start practicing the banjo, keeping me from being *that neighbor*). I live in far northern Minnesota...when the sun goes down at 4:00 I often don't feel like going out again in the evening. Since I HAVE to work anyway, it may as well be during the dark hours. I'll use the light hours to do my own stuff.
Give it a try! If you're the type of person who gets their best work done in the morning (at work), you might like having extra time in the morning to do stuff that YOU want to do. And if it doesn't work out, well, you can always change back to being a night owl.
posted by Elly Vortex at 10:07 AM on September 19, 2011
Right now I get up at 6am, and I don't have to be at work until 9. It leaves a wonderful amount of time to take my dog on a long, leisurely walk through a mostly-sleeping town. I take care of all of my bills and paperwork at home before leaving for the day. I eat a good breakfast. I tidy up the house. I write down all of the things I need to do that day and carry it with me.
I'm actually considering a schedule modification that would have me coming in to work at 11am. I play the banjo and I'd like to start going to the gym before work - having 5 hours in the morning would allow for both (and allow my wall neighbors to leave before I start practicing the banjo, keeping me from being *that neighbor*). I live in far northern Minnesota...when the sun goes down at 4:00 I often don't feel like going out again in the evening. Since I HAVE to work anyway, it may as well be during the dark hours. I'll use the light hours to do my own stuff.
Give it a try! If you're the type of person who gets their best work done in the morning (at work), you might like having extra time in the morning to do stuff that YOU want to do. And if it doesn't work out, well, you can always change back to being a night owl.
posted by Elly Vortex at 10:07 AM on September 19, 2011
I hate getting up at 6 AM. I am less productive for the rest of my day when I get up this early. I inevitably zone out mid-morning after my early morning adrenaline rush wears out, and it's really hard to recover from this early productivity lull.
I am most productive when I rise at 8 AM, leisurely breakfast and child preparation, depart 9:30 AM, work 10-6:30, arrive home to prepare dinner, child bath, and child bed, then do a yoga routine before my bedtime.
I work hard and I happen to enjoy a bit of R&R in front of the internet or the Netflix queue. I think that decompression time is important, and I miss it when I go to bed early. The yoga routine promotes the deep and restful sleep, much moreso than any morning walk. Also, the late work start allows me to just dispatch items or attend meetings until lunch, thus postponing doing hard work until my peak time for working (which is 5-6:30 PM). I am always motivated by the dinner time deadline.
I don't get this "never have to set an alarm" argument for 6 AM. I never set my alarm for 8 AM either and I always feel rested. It's all about flexibility in your schedule, not about your bedtime.
posted by crazycanuck at 10:14 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I am most productive when I rise at 8 AM, leisurely breakfast and child preparation, depart 9:30 AM, work 10-6:30, arrive home to prepare dinner, child bath, and child bed, then do a yoga routine before my bedtime.
I work hard and I happen to enjoy a bit of R&R in front of the internet or the Netflix queue. I think that decompression time is important, and I miss it when I go to bed early. The yoga routine promotes the deep and restful sleep, much moreso than any morning walk. Also, the late work start allows me to just dispatch items or attend meetings until lunch, thus postponing doing hard work until my peak time for working (which is 5-6:30 PM). I am always motivated by the dinner time deadline.
I don't get this "never have to set an alarm" argument for 6 AM. I never set my alarm for 8 AM either and I always feel rested. It's all about flexibility in your schedule, not about your bedtime.
posted by crazycanuck at 10:14 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
There was a previous thread with a more balanced perspective... The general trend was that there's nothing intrinsically better about one or the other, as long as you're sleeping enough over all. You should pick the one that works for your body right now! It might not have been what it was before, most people naturally wake up early as a child, late as a teen, and then back to early again in their mid-twenties and thirties. On the other hand, some people are late risers their whole life.
All that being said, I definitely switched from night owl to early bird somewhere in my early twenties. It was like someone flipped a switch, suddenly I was up at six even on no sleep (and couldn't fall asleep again), and staying awake past ten was at least as much work as getting up early used to be.
posted by anaelith at 10:19 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
All that being said, I definitely switched from night owl to early bird somewhere in my early twenties. It was like someone flipped a switch, suddenly I was up at six even on no sleep (and couldn't fall asleep again), and staying awake past ten was at least as much work as getting up early used to be.
posted by anaelith at 10:19 AM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Thanks to having children, I went from a night owl to an early riser. And I can say this: rising early and being able to take my time getting ready in the morning, lingering over breakfast and reading a book, is something I never realized I'd appreciate so much. However, I don't turn it into useful time; I'm just front-loading a bit of my leisure time.
posted by davejay at 10:53 AM on September 19, 2011
posted by davejay at 10:53 AM on September 19, 2011
I get more done when I get up early, because I am the sort of person who is wide awake within a couple of minutes of getting up, and by the time I've had my first cup of coffee I feel energetic and ready to get things done. I got up this morning and worked on decluttering my spare room for a hour or so before I had to get ready for work.
I am useless in the evening after work. My job is not strenuous but I'm still mentally tired when I get home and once I hit my front door, all I want to do is relax and have my head to myself for awhile. I'm lucky to get dinner on the table most nights.
Basically, I take advantage of my motivated, high-energy times to get done things I could procrastinate on and this leaves my evenings more or less free to fuck off, as suits my natural inclination.
I don't think the early morning plan would necessarily work for everyone, though. My husband doesn't come fully awake for a hour or more in the morning, and certainly isn't interested in getting cracking on chores or projects. He cleans the kitchen at 10:30 at night usually.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 11:04 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am useless in the evening after work. My job is not strenuous but I'm still mentally tired when I get home and once I hit my front door, all I want to do is relax and have my head to myself for awhile. I'm lucky to get dinner on the table most nights.
Basically, I take advantage of my motivated, high-energy times to get done things I could procrastinate on and this leaves my evenings more or less free to fuck off, as suits my natural inclination.
I don't think the early morning plan would necessarily work for everyone, though. My husband doesn't come fully awake for a hour or more in the morning, and certainly isn't interested in getting cracking on chores or projects. He cleans the kitchen at 10:30 at night usually.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 11:04 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I don't really think that early rising is necessarily better. I am planning to try to get myself up a little earlier to go for a walk or a run every morning, but it would entail getting up at 7:30 or 7:45, which I can handle.
6am, though? No, thanks. I am not a morning person, and find that my productivity tends to peak around mid-day, and then again in the evening, after dinner. I get home from work around 6:30pm usually, zone out for about half an hour, then make dinner. Eat around 7:30 or 8, work on side projects/do chores/socialize/whatever from about 8 to about 10 or 11, then read/watch TV/screw around on the internet for an hour or two, then bed around midnight.
I could not do these things early in the morning. Anytime I wake up before around 7, even if I got enough sleep the night before, I feel sort of groggy and foggy for the early part of the day and kind of tired and stressed for the rest of it. By all means try being an early bird if you want, but don't be surprised if it doesn't take. Some of us just aren't wired that way.
posted by breakin' the law at 12:24 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
6am, though? No, thanks. I am not a morning person, and find that my productivity tends to peak around mid-day, and then again in the evening, after dinner. I get home from work around 6:30pm usually, zone out for about half an hour, then make dinner. Eat around 7:30 or 8, work on side projects/do chores/socialize/whatever from about 8 to about 10 or 11, then read/watch TV/screw around on the internet for an hour or two, then bed around midnight.
I could not do these things early in the morning. Anytime I wake up before around 7, even if I got enough sleep the night before, I feel sort of groggy and foggy for the early part of the day and kind of tired and stressed for the rest of it. By all means try being an early bird if you want, but don't be surprised if it doesn't take. Some of us just aren't wired that way.
posted by breakin' the law at 12:24 PM on September 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm not a morning person by default but my husband gets up for work now at 5:30am, so I do too. I will say that exercising earlier in the day works much better for me; it wakes me up, pumps me up where I feel proud and invincible for the rest of the day, and tends to motivate me to eat better without being blue about it. Also, exercising too closely to one's bedtime can make it hard to fall asleep.
One big thing I'd say is if you go the early morning routine route, plan eating accordingly. You'll likely hit a slump by 10 or 11am if you don't make a point to eat a breakfast that keeps you energetic and on an even keel blood sugar-wise (for me that means lots of protein and veggies/fruit, not carbs or sugar or caffeine). Prepare to have the right sort of energy-fuel snack mid-morning too. I do feel more productive in the morning though, yes--maybe it's circadian, who knows.
The only other caveat I can think of is that you might want to examine your environment socially before committing to a change in sleep habits, because it's not going to work if every other weekend you and your friends stay out late at shows or bars or whatever, as a regular thing. I still go out for shows and socializing late at night, but it's not nearly as often as it was when I was younger. If I had to recover my sleep schedule after every single weekend I'm not sure it'd be worth the hassle of always getting back to my goal of an earlier bedtime and all that as it takes time to adjust. Also if you live somewhere with noisy neighbors or whatever that will make it harder to sleep at certain times of day, there's that too to consider.
posted by ifjuly at 1:30 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
One big thing I'd say is if you go the early morning routine route, plan eating accordingly. You'll likely hit a slump by 10 or 11am if you don't make a point to eat a breakfast that keeps you energetic and on an even keel blood sugar-wise (for me that means lots of protein and veggies/fruit, not carbs or sugar or caffeine). Prepare to have the right sort of energy-fuel snack mid-morning too. I do feel more productive in the morning though, yes--maybe it's circadian, who knows.
The only other caveat I can think of is that you might want to examine your environment socially before committing to a change in sleep habits, because it's not going to work if every other weekend you and your friends stay out late at shows or bars or whatever, as a regular thing. I still go out for shows and socializing late at night, but it's not nearly as often as it was when I was younger. If I had to recover my sleep schedule after every single weekend I'm not sure it'd be worth the hassle of always getting back to my goal of an earlier bedtime and all that as it takes time to adjust. Also if you live somewhere with noisy neighbors or whatever that will make it harder to sleep at certain times of day, there's that too to consider.
posted by ifjuly at 1:30 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
All the early birds will sing the praises of being up with the birds. Some will make you feel guilty for not being up at 5 a.m. with them. But if you regularly stay up till 2 a.m. comfortably, you will probably not enjoy the experience. When I am up at 6 a.m. (note: not voluntarily, the noisy neighbor wakes me up at 5-5:30 a.m. frequently), I stare at the nearest screen while plopped on the couch semi-catatonically, so it's not a productive time for ME. (I also don't like how there's an "end time" on getting shit taken care of. Like, "dammit, I'm almost done watching last night's Hulu show and there's five minutes to go, but I have to leave for work NOW...")
I don't see why you can't do the Early Morning Things from midnight to 2 a.m. if you like instead.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:46 PM on September 19, 2011
I don't see why you can't do the Early Morning Things from midnight to 2 a.m. if you like instead.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:46 PM on September 19, 2011
I wouldn't consider myself a morning person, but getting up at 6 AM (2 hours before I need to leave to get to work on time) feels way better to me than getting up at 7 and rushing through my routine. Also, I get nauseous really easily in the morning, and I need to eat breakfast slowly to avoid throwing it back up. This is probably not an issue for you, but in general taking the time to eat a proper breakfast seems better than scarfing down some caffeine and a banana/granola bar/toast and running out the door.
Also, even when I haven't gotten enough sleep, getting up earlier means I have enough time to become functional and alert.
posted by yasaman at 2:24 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, even when I haven't gotten enough sleep, getting up earlier means I have enough time to become functional and alert.
posted by yasaman at 2:24 PM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of following your natural sleep cycle if you can. It sounds like you can choose your own schedule, so why not listen to your body clock?
I'm so not a morning person, but spent years trying to become one for work. Unfortunately, I also spent years never feeling rested no matter how much sleep I got. When I got the chance to stop fighting my night owl tendencies, I finally found out what it was like to wake up refreshed and without an alarm clock. (I never actually thought that was possible.)
My hat's off to you if you can make it happen, but don't feel bad if you can't. It's not for everyone.
posted by Space Kitty at 3:43 PM on September 19, 2011
I'm so not a morning person, but spent years trying to become one for work. Unfortunately, I also spent years never feeling rested no matter how much sleep I got. When I got the chance to stop fighting my night owl tendencies, I finally found out what it was like to wake up refreshed and without an alarm clock. (I never actually thought that was possible.)
My hat's off to you if you can make it happen, but don't feel bad if you can't. It's not for everyone.
posted by Space Kitty at 3:43 PM on September 19, 2011
A big advantage of being up in the morning is that the sun is out and it's light for most of the year (certainly more-so than it is at midnight).
Sunlight is a powerful drug for the spirit.
posted by shew at 8:15 PM on September 19, 2011 [4 favorites]
Sunlight is a powerful drug for the spirit.
posted by shew at 8:15 PM on September 19, 2011 [4 favorites]
Also, early mornings are prime sexy time! I don't have to shed the weight of the day to get in the mood. I'm warm and toasty and loose from sleep!
posted by thinkpiece at 8:12 AM on September 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by thinkpiece at 8:12 AM on September 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like getting up early, but am naturally a night owl. When my schedule requires it I usually do get into a nice rhythm.
On the other hand, I used to love being a night owl, until adult guilt set in. The only reason I really enjoy mornings more than late nights is the unconscious baggage that I'm "doing something" just by being awake (rather than "frittering away" my nights by doing the same thing). Despite this, I'm much more creative at night. I think it's the lack of interruptions (also the case in the morning), lack of a set end-time (only the case in the mornings if I have no schedule for the day), and the sense of isolation which night brings. Also, I can drink three cups of coffee if I want without worrying about how to manage the jitters at work. But I do value the morning sunlight on days where I have to get things done with a minimum of creativity.
I used to work out from midnight to 1:00 AM when I lived in an apartment with a gym, and it was awesome. Maybe it's just that I hate morning sex.
posted by stoneandstar at 9:54 AM on September 20, 2011
On the other hand, I used to love being a night owl, until adult guilt set in. The only reason I really enjoy mornings more than late nights is the unconscious baggage that I'm "doing something" just by being awake (rather than "frittering away" my nights by doing the same thing). Despite this, I'm much more creative at night. I think it's the lack of interruptions (also the case in the morning), lack of a set end-time (only the case in the mornings if I have no schedule for the day), and the sense of isolation which night brings. Also, I can drink three cups of coffee if I want without worrying about how to manage the jitters at work. But I do value the morning sunlight on days where I have to get things done with a minimum of creativity.
I used to work out from midnight to 1:00 AM when I lived in an apartment with a gym, and it was awesome. Maybe it's just that I hate morning sex.
posted by stoneandstar at 9:54 AM on September 20, 2011
I'm a night person(also much more creative at night; agreed with the sense of isolation thing) but I usually get up at least an hour before I have to get ready for work or actually do anything. I don't like to talk to anyone during this time either. Usually I get up and do coffee/breakfast/internet for an hour or maybe some yoga, but I also hate getting up before 7am so if I need to be at work early, I will probably just get up at the same time and rush out the door - which is unpleasant now that I have been doing the coffee/internet thing for awhile.
posted by fromageball at 10:00 AM on September 25, 2011
posted by fromageball at 10:00 AM on September 25, 2011
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Exercise is a fine way to spend the morning, by the way. I assume you are doing it in the evening right now? So that would free up some time there in addition to giving you a nice boost when you most need it.
posted by michaelh at 7:35 AM on September 19, 2011 [1 favorite]