4 ms·

I'm one of those unlucky types that have the hardest time waking up and getting going in the morning. Mentally I'm at 50% or less. Is there anyone else like thi

by jameslk 10y ago

I'm one of those unlucky types that have the hardest time waking up and getting going in the morning. Mentally I'm at 50% or less. Is there anyone else like this who's found techniques or other methods of overcoming the slow start?

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
mixmastamyk 10y ago
Coffee, exercise.
jewel 10y ago
I am like you. Here's what's worked for me: * Get up at the same time every day, even if you've had a late night * Wind down by avoiding electronics an hour before bedtime * Put a loud alarm clock on top of the fridge * Get a big drink of water as soon as you wake up * Turn on all the lights (or go outside, but that obviously won't work at 4am at most latitudes) * Have a morning routine that you can do on autopilot while your mind fully awakens. For me that's cereal and a shower.
artursapek 10y ago
Get a good espresso machine. Then get hooked on caffeine. Then wake up looking forward to your first hit of the day. Before you know it, you're getting shit done.
readhn 10y ago
What time do you go to sleep and when do you go to bed?
- jameslk 10y ago
  Right now it's bed at 2-3am and up at 10am due to my current work. I've varied that quite a bit in the past. I've done different hours of sleep as well. I've even seen a sleep medicine doctor who seems to suspect a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. So far the best method I've found is being consistent with the time I wake up, although that only makes it marginally better in the morning.
Broken_Hippo 10y ago
I'm the same way. I have simply made peace with the fact that I just am a slow starter in the morning, and try to take advantage of natural times of production. It takes 30 minutes to 2 hours for me to "wake" properly, so I just do stuff that doesn't take much thought when I can. Instead of overcoming it, I just made peace with it and do things to help it not be such a drag. The first 20 minutes of a too-early waking might be groggy enough that I can't manage to shower yet (I get 'sleep drunkenness' occasionally). I give myself extra time to get ready. I know certain activities take longer in the morning. If possible, I schedule low-energy activities for the morning. Sleep maintenance seems to help me physically wake, but not with the slow start. Coffee doesn't seem to do much either way, but I do drink it. Exercise first thing in the morning? Forget it. It feels harder then. On the other hand, I get this wonderful uptick when some others are starting to tune out, so there is that.
monknomo 10y ago
I used to be like you, then I had a baby. Now I go to bed at 8 and get up between 4 and 5. A little human screaming and kicking you in the balls every morning is a power incentive to get up and do stuff. Turns out it isn't even that bad. I get to play with the kid, I give him a bath and have some breakfast, and get some reading in when he has his first morning nap, then off to work. Going to bed at 7:30 or 8 seems to be key, though
- cortesoft 10y ago
  I was thinking all these people talking about their night owl schedules and sleeping whenever they were tired clearly don't have kids. When you HAVE to get up early, you start getting tired more early, too. I had a similar experience, where I used to hate the mornings, but now love the bonding time with my daughter.
enraged_camel 10y ago
A room facing east that gets plenty of natural sunlight is key for waking up early. For a while I lived in an apartment where my bedroom faced east, and my bed was placed such that the first rays of light hit me straight in the eye. During that time, I miraculously became what's called a "morning person." Then I moved to a house where my bedroom faced north, and the blinders on the only window in my room were a pain in the ass so I left them shut most of the time. I quickly reverted back to being a late-riser/night-owl. Not everyone has control over the direction their room is facing, but you can still simulate daybreak using artificial sunlamps that are programmed to start lighting gradually at a designated time.
k_sh 10y ago
I was like this until I had sinus surgery. Turns out I had a deviated septum and chronic sinus infection that made my breathing pretty shitty while I slept.
- TheCoelacanth 10y ago
  Were there any symptoms of this while you were awake?
  - k_sh 10y ago
    Yes- in retrospect, my nasal breathing was unpredictable... I would breathe unevenly through my nostrils, and sometimes have difficulty with both. I was also prone to sinus infections... sometimes low-grade ones that just hung around for weeks and felt like allergies. I thought this was how it was for everyone for years. After my surgery it was night and day.
shin_lao 10y ago
How many hours do you sleep per day? Do you go to bed and wake up at the same hour every day? At which time do you drink your last cup of tea/coffee? What do you eat for diner? Do you exercise regularly? What is the last thing you do before going to bed?
dsego 10y ago
Modafinil, from my limited experience, corrects my sleep-wake cycle. Also something exciting to look forward to, or a great pressure, like an important meeting or appointment. Also, social pressure, e.g. camping in the mountains with friends, the sun wakes me up at 5am eager to start the day. Otherwise I could sleep till noon.

by jameslk 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

mixmastamyk 10y ago

Coffee, exercise.

jewel 10y ago

I am like you. Here's what's worked for me: * Get up at the same time every day, even if you've had a late night * Wind down by avoiding electronics an hour before bedtime * Put a loud alarm clock on top of the fridge * Get a big drink of water as soon as you wake up * Turn on all the lights (or go outside, but that obviously won't work at 4am at most latitudes) * Have a morning routine that you can do on autopilot while your mind fully awakens. For me that's cereal and a shower.

artursapek 10y ago

Get a good espresso machine. Then get hooked on caffeine. Then wake up looking forward to your first hit of the day. Before you know it, you're getting shit done.

readhn 10y ago

What time do you go to sleep and when do you go to bed?

jameslk 10y ago
Right now it's bed at 2-3am and up at 10am due to my current work. I've varied that quite a bit in the past. I've done different hours of sleep as well. I've even seen a sleep medicine doctor who seems to suspect a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. So far the best method I've found is being consistent with the time I wake up, although that only makes it marginally better in the morning.

Broken_Hippo 10y ago

I'm the same way. I have simply made peace with the fact that I just am a slow starter in the morning, and try to take advantage of natural times of production. It takes 30 minutes to 2 hours for me to "wake" properly, so I just do stuff that doesn't take much thought when I can. Instead of overcoming it, I just made peace with it and do things to help it not be such a drag. The first 20 minutes of a too-early waking might be groggy enough that I can't manage to shower yet (I get 'sleep drunkenness' occasionally). I give myself extra time to get ready. I know certain activities take longer in the morning. If possible, I schedule low-energy activities for the morning. Sleep maintenance seems to help me physically wake, but not with the slow start. Coffee doesn't seem to do much either way, but I do drink it. Exercise first thing in the morning? Forget it. It feels harder then. On the other hand, I get this wonderful uptick when some others are starting to tune out, so there is that.

monknomo 10y ago

I used to be like you, then I had a baby. Now I go to bed at 8 and get up between 4 and 5. A little human screaming and kicking you in the balls every morning is a power incentive to get up and do stuff. Turns out it isn't even that bad. I get to play with the kid, I give him a bath and have some breakfast, and get some reading in when he has his first morning nap, then off to work. Going to bed at 7:30 or 8 seems to be key, though

cortesoft 10y ago
I was thinking all these people talking about their night owl schedules and sleeping whenever they were tired clearly don't have kids. When you HAVE to get up early, you start getting tired more early, too. I had a similar experience, where I used to hate the mornings, but now love the bonding time with my daughter.

enraged_camel 10y ago

A room facing east that gets plenty of natural sunlight is key for waking up early. For a while I lived in an apartment where my bedroom faced east, and my bed was placed such that the first rays of light hit me straight in the eye. During that time, I miraculously became what's called a "morning person." Then I moved to a house where my bedroom faced north, and the blinders on the only window in my room were a pain in the ass so I left them shut most of the time. I quickly reverted back to being a late-riser/night-owl. Not everyone has control over the direction their room is facing, but you can still simulate daybreak using artificial sunlamps that are programmed to start lighting gradually at a designated time.

k_sh 10y ago

I was like this until I had sinus surgery. Turns out I had a deviated septum and chronic sinus infection that made my breathing pretty shitty while I slept.

TheCoelacanth 10y ago
Were there any symptoms of this while you were awake?
- k_sh 10y ago
  Yes- in retrospect, my nasal breathing was unpredictable... I would breathe unevenly through my nostrils, and sometimes have difficulty with both. I was also prone to sinus infections... sometimes low-grade ones that just hung around for weeks and felt like allergies. I thought this was how it was for everyone for years. After my surgery it was night and day.

shin_lao 10y ago

How many hours do you sleep per day? Do you go to bed and wake up at the same hour every day? At which time do you drink your last cup of tea/coffee? What do you eat for diner? Do you exercise regularly? What is the last thing you do before going to bed?

dsego 10y ago

Modafinil, from my limited experience, corrects my sleep-wake cycle. Also something exciting to look forward to, or a great pressure, like an important meeting or appointment. Also, social pressure, e.g. camping in the mountains with friends, the sun wakes me up at 5am eager to start the day. Otherwise I could sleep till noon.