Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with morning

Sleeping through 100mg of caffeine.

brenton — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:12:26 -0800

Why doesn't 100mg of caffeine wake me up in the morning? I have a lot of trouble waking up in the morning. I have multiple alternating alarms, a dawn simulator wake up light... and now crackheads.

Crackheads are these caffeinated dark chocolate covered espresso beans with 600mg of caffeine per box (which works out to 100mg of caffeine for 6 beans.)

I put the beans by my bed and I eat them when my alarm goes off.. I started with 5 beans a few days ago, but I fell back to sleep. I've been increasing the 'dosage' and this morning at 6am I ate 9 or 10 (I may have dropped one) but I then promptly fell back asleep until 10am. I slept 11 hours, having gone to bed at 11pm last night!

Is there something wrong with me? Caffeine normally makes me all awake and alert, sometimes jittery. Is there some secret property to caffeine that requires water, or that doesn't work while you're asleep? What's the deal?

(What's the Story) Morning blurry?

XiBe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:29:21 -0800

IKnowYouAreNotMyDoctor-filter: one blurry eye in the morning. Hello,

I've had a new eye behaviour since this Monday. Waking up, I quickly opened my eyes, only to discover a slight change of perception to my right eye, and a feeling as if opening my peeled something off my cornea - but it might just my brain trying to adapt a blurry right eye to a perfect left eye.

Yes, because I don't wear glasses or lenses - never have. I used to have very clear vision in both eyes (not perfect, mind you, but I could read easily some very far texts).

I slowly regained focus on my right eye, but since then I have a slightly blurrier vision in the right eye than my left. Next morning (yesterday), I woke up with no noticeable change. This morning, I again woke up with a blurry right eye, which improved in the next few minutes.

Yes, I am planning to see an ophthalmology, but it can take months before I get a appointment, so in the meantime I'm asking The Hive: have you ever witnessed such a behaviour (both the morning blur, and the slight loss of focus from one day to the next)? Should I be worried?

Details: I'm 32 and healthy, I work on a computer all day (have been for years with no issue)... and have slightly lacked sleep these last few days (what with being single again, y'know).

Thanks a lot for any insight.

How do I made delicious coffee?

InsanePenguin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:58:32 -0800

Coffeenewbfilter: Good, cheap coffeemaker? Instead of drinking Coke in the morning (irritates my acid reflux,) I've taken to drinking coffee (which I sort of had to force myself to like, but now I do.) Instead of spending money at Dunkin Donuts every morning, or god forbid, Starbucks, I've decided to buy a coffeemaker.

Problem is, I don't know anything about coffee or coffee makers. I like black coffee from Dunkin Donuts. That's pretty much the only coffee I've ever had, but I really enjoy it. How can I get this experience at home for less than $50? I don't need fancy, but I'd like a programmable one so I don't have to wake up earlier than I already have to for work.

Husband-wife morning activities?

jennyhead — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:43:22 -0800

What kinds of quality-time activities can my husband and I enjoy in the morning before we go to work? I'm starting night classes and he works during the day, so our schedules are pretty well incompatible. So I'd like to make the best of our midweek mornings together (6:00 to 8:00 am). Thoughts?

Help me wake up

cmar618 — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:34:39 -0800

I have a tough time waking up in the morning and it is making my wife crazy! How do I wake up before my wife while disturbing her as little as possible? I need to wake up before my (very light-sleeping) wife almost every morning. I have never been good at waking up to an alarm the first time it goes off. I quite often hit the snooze button without knowing. It is as if I am subconsciously doing it. I want to be able to get up the first time it buzzes. Can anyone help with some ideas? Anyone in a similar situation?

Extra internet points if you can help me get up without an alarm clock at all.

Please help, for the sake of my marriage!

What is the Name of this Indian/New Age CD?

watercarrier — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:40:19 -0800

CD of Indian New Age-y Music? Had a cassette (end of 90's), with a flowery colorful cover. IIRC the name was Morning Ragas or ~something to that effect~. It definitely had the word *Morning* in it. Was bansuri and tabla in ragas but also had some New Age orchestration as well. Lots of slow build ups to crescendos. No vocals that I recall. It was great wake up music. Lost the cassette and can't find the name of the (now) CD. Long shot. But maybe someone, somewhere knows what great music this is/was.

Help me sleep better and wake up earlier!

phrakture — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:45:02 -0800

I am in need of advice for waking up early So I really really want to be able to wake up earlier. I've discovered that waking up well before I need to, doing things around the house, and then taking a slow time getting ready for work makes me feel great during the day - but I can't do it all the time.

Some nights I fall asleep on the couch at like 10 or 11, wake up an hour before my alarm feeling great. Other nights I'm in my bed by 9:30 and wake up with my alarm exhausted. These are just two extremes. As far as I know it has nothing to do with couch/bed.

I'm not sure what causes this discrepancy, but I want to fix it. I want to be able to wake up early. Any advice would be helpful.

Me regimen so far: TV and computer go off between 9 and 10 - no more staring at light bulbs; no coffee after 4 or 5pm; in bed between 10 and 11 (possibly reading); alarm goes off at 7 currently, but I don't _have to_ get up until 8:15 to shower and scramble to work.

Bzzzzzzzzz Help me find a alarm clock

DJWeezy — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:11:41 -0800

Help me find a clock radio. Here is a list of things it must have:

digital fm tuner
decent sounding speaker(s)
sleep function where i can go to sleep to the radio
alarm to wake up to a buzz or something loud

and here are the things i would like

internet radio capability (hard wired or wifi wpa, doesn't matter)
military or standard time

thank you oh great people of the green.

Wake Up Fun

parallax7d — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:51:58 -0800

Looking for a streaming radio station, or podcast that has upbeat music, funny samples and dj's, so I can laugh first thing in the morning during my morning routine. But here's the rub, I'm not looking for comedy shows, or vapid commentary. Something a little more tasteful and subtle than your run of the mill morning crap that pollutes the airwaves and makes me depressed about humanity.

Espresso and turning pages

Happy Dave — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:18:56 -0800

Books, sofas, coffee and the Sunday papers - good independent bookshops in London that are made for relaxing of a Sunday morning? Me and the dear wife recently visited some friends of mine in Aberdeen, where I went to university, and we had a lovely morning in Books and Beans, an independent second hand bookshop/cafe hybrid. Now we're back in London, and looking for similar things in London. So far, we seem to be stuck in between the extremes of corporate bookshops with built-in Starbucks and musty Charing Cross Road places that smell faintly of mildew.

South London would be awesome, but we're willing to travel a bit for that perfect books, newspapers and coffee feeling.

One thing - we know about both the Waterstone's Picaddilly bar (not comfy enough) and the Foyle's Jazz Bar (also not comfy enough). Sofas and such are a definite plus.

Is the Sleeptracker for me?

jacquilynne — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:27:48 -0800

Does the Sleeptracker watch actually work? I've searched and found countless links on MeFi to the Sleeptracker watch, as a suggestion for people struggling to get up in the morning. That's all well and good, but I didn't get the impression that anyone had actually, you know, tried it.

So, has anyone tried it? Did it work?

I find there are definitely spots in my morning when I'm already awake, or at least more awake than other times. If I get up during those times, my day goes better than if I wait for my alarm or snooze to go off. If the Sleeptracker is successful at finding those times, I think it could really help me. But is it?

And on the 7th day, he finished the kitchen

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:06:25 -0800

What time is it ok to use a power saw in the driveway on Sunday morning? So my wife and I are in the middle of a home improvement project that has, of course, run way beyond its budgeted amount of: 1.) trips to Home Despot; 2.) money; and most importantly, 3.) time.

I can finish it today, if I get some cabinets built this morning. It's 9:00 now, and I'm thinking of firing up the power tools. We live in an older, close-in neighborhood of our city.

Is there a generally-accepted appropriate time to make noise like that on a Sunday morning? Will I incur the wrath of my neighbors? Will I ruin Sunday morning newspaper-reading or other rituals?

Cicadian or Sunrise Alarm Clocks?

Alabaster — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:54:48 -0800

Anybody have experience with cicadian rhythm alarm clocks or "sunrise" alarm clocks? More inside... I'm a gadget lover with a snooze-button addiction and I'm curious about whether the right alarm clock would help me feel less miserable about dragging myself out of bed in the morning. I've read about alarm clocks that measure your cicadian rhythms to wake you up at a time when your body feels well rested and wondered if anyone has had any experience with them (specific brand/model recommendations are welcome, but I'm happy with general advice as well).

I'm also curious about alarm clocks that wake you up by simulating a sunrise (I love being woken up naturally by the sun, but my career requires me to wake up before sunrise). My wife suffers from seasonal effective disorder and uses light therapy, so this might be nice for her, especially compared to my annoying 6-times-per-morning snooze button routine.

Any suggestions on these types of alarm clocks would be appreciated. (I already have an alarm clock which wakes me up by playing music or nature sounds with gradually increasing volume, so I don't need suggestions on this type).

Thanks

"Wow, that was quick."

proj08 — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:22:39 -0800

A google search confirms: "Time flies when you're having fun" is actually true, because the body's internal clock is influenced by dopamine. However, when the alarm goes off and I groggily stumble out of bed, it has been my life-long experience that times passes quickly. This seems like a contradiction. On those mornings when I need to have some kind of food or drink in order to get moving, it seems like the minutes are only 30 seconds long. Of course this is just a perception, so I can't say any more than that. Could there be dopamine left over from happy dreams?

What time should I eat breakfast?

Faint of Butt — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:08:44 -0800

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." "Breakfast improves your metabolism." "Breakfast makes you work, think and feel better." Okay, fine, you've convinced me to eat breakfast. But what time, smart guy? If I wake up at 6:00 AM and eat my first meal at 2:00 PM, that's still technically breakfast, but I'm pretty sure that's not what people are talking about. So, for optimal health benefits, how long after waking up should I eat?

A wrinkle in my morning routine

dancinglamb — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:27:01 -0800

Why is it recommended that you use Topical Vitamin C in the morning and not at night? I've been using Philosophy's skin care line for the past several months and absolutely love it. I have a little sample sized bottle of Hope and a Prayer, which is their topical vitamin C powder (you mix it in with moisturiser *just* before you put it on your face). The few times that I have used it, I've seen a pretty dramatic difference in my skin. Since I bought it on drugstore.com, I couldn't ask anybody the following (and the lady at Sephora was pretty clueless):

The directions are very specific in saying that you're supposed to do it in the morning, and all other references I've seen regarding the use of topical Vit. C say the same. Why?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have it in your face at night when you don't have makeup over it to kind of muddle it up?

What could be causing morning leg soreness?

damn dirty ape — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:17:23 -0800

What could be causing morning leg soreness? For the last few months, perhaps last year and a half or so, I've been waking up with leg soreness, like I ran a couple miles before bed and didn't stretch. It usually disappears by the afternoon, but when its bad it may last longer. Sometimes its bad enough that I'm visibly walking a little funny. I'll bring this up next time I see a doctor but it happens infrequently enough that I keep forgeting.

Im in my 30s and have gained perhaps 10-15lbs in the last couple of years. I dont have restless leg syndrome. I'm not really doing any exercise other than walking around. Is this just a part of aging or is there another explanation?

My computer hurts my eyes in the morning.

jjbb — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:53:22 -0800

I'm looking for a mac program to gradually brighten my screen to full brightness after it is awoken or the screensaver is bothered. If possible, it would be awesome if it was only active at certain times. The idea is that my screen hurts my eyes in the morning.

Minty fresh puke

klangklangston — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:39:20 -0800

Help me stop puking in the morning (toothpaste). I looked here, but there didn't seem to be an answer. I'm a guy, so I know it's not that I'm pregnant.

But I've tried switching toothpastes, and all of them seem to give me this thick coating of mucous in my mouth. I've always been sensitive to mucous, and when it gets to the back of my throat, I start to gag and then inevitably vomit.

It sucks, and I don't want to do it anymore.

Variables I've controlled for:

Eating/not eating. Eating a little something that doesn't include dairy, bread or fruit seems to be better than not eating anything, but finding a breakfast food that includes none of those things is kinda tough. Salty stuff makes it worse, as does dairy.

Coffee: Coffee does not have an appreciable effect (sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse, I've been unable to control for variations in the coffee enough to tell if that has a significant effect).

Variables that seem to have an effect that I have not yet been able to isolate:

Cold weather: This seems to happen more as it has been getting colder.

Los Angeles: This seems to have become more frequent since I moved to LA, though I don't know if that's because I need to be up earlier in order to get to my job.

I have tried Tom's (Cinnamon, Peppermint, Spearmint, Mango Orange), Crest (Regular flavor, whitening/non-whitening, kids bubblegum), and just baking soda and water (which seems to have less of an effect, though it is vile).

What next? I know that I need to set up my first meeting with my new doctor soon, I imagine this is something that I should take up with him. There were many folks who seemed to have the same problem the last time this subject was broached—have any of you controlled for variables I've missed? Any success? I spent 15 minutes puking this morning, and I'd like to avoid that in the future.

Wakey wakey!

pdb — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:30:14 -0800

LoTechFilter: I need a clock radio. Recommendations? I detest my current clock radio, and want a new one. I don't want anything fancy - I don't want ipod dockability, I don't want a CD player, I just want a good, easy-to-use clock radio (I'm an NPR in the morning guy, that's really all I need). Here's my list of must-haves:

- two alarms
- digital-tuning radio
- not too much brightness (adjustable would be nice but if brightness isn't adjustable the lower the better)
- smallish form factor

Anybody have an alarm clock that they love and want to recommend?

[not a morning person-filter] how do you force yourself to go to bed when you're not tired and how do you get up when you are?

krautland — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:04:17 -0800

[not a morning person-filter] how do you force yourself to go to bed when you're not tired and how do you get up when you are? I am nocturnal and it's beginning to hurt me.

you know there is a problem when people at work smile and say you're just not a morning person. especially when they're right. I find it tough to fall asleep when I'm not really tired and nearly impossible to rise when I still am. the problem is that if I get tired tonight at midnight, it'll be three am tomorrow, perhaps five am the next night and to top it all off, I'm the kind of guy who can sleep twelve hours without waking up once. I need to force myself into a rhythm better suited for a professional life. even if I get a lot of work done at night (when the phones stop ringing), I need to make sure people see me as dependable for early morning meetings.

thus a threefold question:

(1) how do you get yourself to sleep when you have to but aren't tired? if you can recommend over-the-counter drugs for the occasional really important day, both to fall asleep and wake up, please let me know.

(2) how do you get yourself back onto a rise-and-shine-at-nine clock when you've been up to five in the morning that whole week? how do you get it done fast? forcing myself to rise when I am not awake seems to result in me going through the day on auto-pilot. I don't have many ideas in that state and that's a problem.

(3) what are your tricks for not oversleeping, forcing yourself out of bed when it's really hard?

caveat: I do not drink coffee and red bull, while effective, is tough on my stomach.

I want to feel that good all the time!

crewshell — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:14:03 -0800

I woke up this morning and felt GREAT. Not just physically well but emotionally too. I felt motivated to do my morning workout, actually spoke with my father instead of the usually morning grunts, sang aloud in the car to the slug line (HOV rideshare) and was in a general all-around-good mood. I kid you not. At one point while getting dressed I thought "today is the first day of the rest of my life" HA!! Crazy I know! I was actually thinking of ways to be productive and it wasn’t even 6 in the morning! My question is... How do I make that happen EVERYDAY, how can I enjoy such motivation and well feelings on a consistent basis? And just for some background, here’s what I did yesterday.

Slept till 11:30... drove a friend to their locked out car. Went home. Watched a Netflix DVD. Ate Lunch. Got Online. Played a game or two. Worked on a friends website. Watched last Comic Standing, ate dinner (pizza) and went to bed at 12:20. I also read for 10 minutes (how to win friends and influence people) and got up at 5:20. I did wake up once at 3am and drank some water and took off my socks and shirt (it was hot).

In general I am not a morning person... So that makes this odd sense of wellness even more strange.

Anyway... There's the background info & the question. Any insight? Anyone else have this happen?

Hand-typed translation on the cheap, preferably free?

vanoakenfold — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 06:41:12 -0800

I need a free or absurdly inexpensive English translation of a Japanese message board post page. It's a skosh long, but might make for a good exercise? All of the automatic web translators turn it into a grammar trainwreck. There was a recent "Sexy 8 Beat" concert by Morning Musume. I found, on good faith, a transcript of one section of the concert (where one of the members was graduating out of it, and the remaining members were saying their farewells). Anyone feeling benevolent?

Link .. post is No.38, the 2nd reply down. All of the free automatic translators don't make any sense, and even give the names of the speakers literal translations =P

Early morning NY

far flung — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:30:45 -0800

Where can I hang out in New York between 5am - 10am on a Monday? I'm travelling to New York this Monday for an interview that's scheduled for the early afternoon. My bus, however, is dropping me off at the Port Authority before dawn. What are some decent nearby establishments that will be open? I'm looking for someplace(s) where I could rest, prep and possibly grab a bite.

Good diet-friendly caffeinated drinks?

sprocket87 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:23:42 -0800

Any good diet-friendly caffeinated beverages out there? Looking for something convenient, cheap, and low/no-cal/sugar. Does anyone have any recommendations for a caffeinated beverage with which to start my day? I love a good cup of coffee but my hectic schedule makes it difficult to homebrew daily. I don't have the time to stop for coffee daily, and frankly I don't want to pay the premium for coffee from a shop.

I'm planning on entirely eliminating pop and sugary drinks from my diet, so I'll be drinking just bottled water throughout the day. I'll make one exception for my morning kickstart, but I'd like something sugarfree or at least low-cal/low-sugar if possible. It does need to be caffeinated however, and the more kick the better!

I love Red Bull and I'm sure Red Bull Sugarfree would satisfy me, but $20/case of 12 is a bit too rich for my blood. Forget anything labeled Starbucks, as it's equivalently overpriced. The cheaper the better!

Finally, I need something convenient. If I don't have time to brew my own pitcher of French Press (or kettle of hot tea), I'd like to be able to just grab a bottle or a can from the fridge and down it in the car during my commute.

So, what miracle beverages can you recommend? Thanks for the help, [wired] MeFites!