6 ms·

Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?

96 points by alexitosrv 18y ago

The life is too short to be sleeping a major part of it. What do you do to getting up early, or do you think it is not really important at all?

csuper 18y ago
If you’re able, you should do what comes naturally. Are you a night-owl or a morning person? If you’re asking about how to wake up earlier, I’d guess the former. I’m simply more productive and creative in the AM, so I rise each day at 5:30. For me, knowing when I'm the most please with my own production is my motivation. But, by the time 2 or 3 rolls around in the afternoon I’m all out of juice. And truth be told if I wasn’t in a corporate environment I would likely take a nap at this time to recharge.
- jwilliams 18y ago
  If you’re able, you should do what comes naturally Not sure I agree with this - For me, sleeping is just a habit. I get into the habit of staying up late, or the habit of getting up early. This makes it sound trivial - but it's not - habits take work to form and work to change. Naturally everyone is different. I'm sure there is research that disagrees with me :-) But that's my experience anyway.
  - ciupicri 18y ago
    You might find this interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome
    - jwilliams 18y ago
      Absolutely. e.g. I know there is a lot of research around teenagers having distinct sleep patterns/requirements. I guess my point was - don't necessarily pigeon-hole yourself as a "night owl" or "morning person".
jacoblyles 18y ago
These things work for me: Go to bed earlier at night. Leave your blinds open to let natural light come in in the morning. Have a deadline due the next day.
- SwellJoe 18y ago
  Deadlines work the opposite for me. Procrastinators can do anything other than what they're supposed to be doing...including sleep. At least, I can. The less I want to do something, the more exhausted I feel; and deadlines damage my desire to do something more than just about anything. On the other hand, if I'm excited about something, and feeling really interested in what will happen that day it definitely helps. So, if I open a bug on a project that I need for my work...and I think about it some the night before, I'll wake up excitedly thinking, "I wonder if my bug has been answered?" Likewise if I email someone about some work I need done; requesting quotes, whatever, for projects that I'm enthusiastic about. Today I woke up thinking about the RFQs I sent out to three designers yesterday (nothing! this is why crowdsourced design is winning...), and a bug I opened about the Drupal Project module.
  - jacoblyles 18y ago
    I am totally different. I am a horrible procrastinator, but give me a deadline every day and I will move the world. Need that pressure. Love that pressure. I'll probably have a heart attack when I'm 40.
    - mannicken 18y ago
      I think I'm starting to sweat up as I'm thinking about that pressure. Hate the pressure.
Xichekolas 18y ago
I'd recommend sleeping in a room that gets sunlight as early as possible. As the room warms up (and gets brighter), you'll naturally wake up less groggily. If your schedule can handle it, try just going to sleep when you are tired and seeing when you wake up (ie. don't use an alarm at all). I tried this for about six months, and the following happened. The first week or two I slept upwards of 10-11 hours a night, and woke up in the afternoon. The next couple months, my schedule kind of rotated around the clock (I'd wake up about 30-45 mins later each day), but I only slept 8-9 hours. By month four, I was only sleeping 7-7.5 hours at a time, and my schedule rotation had slowed to where it was only shifting about 15 mins a day. The best part was that I always woke up extremely fresh and ready to go. I never felt like the walking dead, and generally was happier. Before I tried this, I thought I was a night person, just because I always seem to stay up too late and dislike waking up... but I realized what I really liked was the quiet, and found that early morning quiet time (4-7am) was actually more productive, just because I wasn't worn out from a whole day of being awake. Sadly I had to return to a day job for a bit before grad school, so now I survive mostly on coffee, but it was fun to try when I had the chance.
- jwilliams 18y ago
  I'd recommend this as well - particularly waking with the sun. I've been in some light-deprived places, and then I got a wake-up light (basically it slowly lights up the room, rather than an alarm). Instead of having an alarm BAM wake up, it's much more natural - you'll find yourself thinking "hey I'm awake". Much, much more pleasant. I used to wake up to my nokia mobile phone alarm (which are excruciatingly loud). I'd snooze it about 4-5 times... Terrible habit. It would totally wreck me for the morning. I also tend to exercise in the morning. I find this motivating. Doing this, or taking a walk, or something similar - you hit the day in peak form.
- StrawberryFrog 18y ago
  I wouldn't say "get light as early as possible." (Ideally) I go to bed at 11pm and wake up rested (I said ideally, ok?) at 7am. So in London in the middle of summer it's light from 5am or so and I have to use an eye-mask. That early light was not my friend. On the other hand in winter the dark at 8am wasn't my friend either. A "wake-up light" (google for "sunrise alarm clock" or "daylight simulator") for winter might help.
andhapp 18y ago
Sleep on the couch...you will be uncomfortable and definately get up early.
- andhapp 18y ago
  That was a joke...
- ryanwaggoner 18y ago
  You laugh, but I've done this when I stayed up way too late and really wanted to be up early the next morning. When I started my first company, I spent many nights sleeping on the floor with just a small blanket that was too small for me. Miserable, but pretty easy to get up when my alarm went off.
HeyLaughingBoy 18y ago
I have two Rhode Island Red roosters that are both quite loud. I only need one; do you want the other?
- tptacek 18y ago
  Can I slaughter and eat it?
  - nitrogen 18y ago
    I wouldn't recommend it -- from what I've heard, rooster meat is really tough.
    - ninguem2 18y ago
      You have to boil the shit out of it. Try Coq au Vin.
pg 18y ago
Go to bed earlier at night.
- icey 18y ago
  This plus consistency (i.e. Don't try to wake up at 5AM M-F and then sleep til noon every Saturday and Sunday).
  - kingkongrevenge 18y ago
    Consistency is for assembly lines. Sleep when you're tired. Eat when you're hungry. Just as importantly, don't eat or sleep when you're not hungry or tired.
    - randallsquared 18y ago
      ...and by following that strategy, you will soon find yourself out of sync with everyone around you, to both your annoyance and theirs. However, if you start getting up at the time you want to be getting up whether or not you feel like it, then sleeping when you're tired will eventually work. Unless you have some medical problem, I guess.
      - wheels 18y ago
        I think that's part of why I do it, actually. I've noticed that in times where I'm very busy I tend to drift to a sleep pattern that gives me the most time to work undisturbed. Like, in real crunch times, I'll start going to bed at 8:00 p.m. and getting back up at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. Sometimes being out of synch with everyone can be a boon to productivity.
        minalecs 18y ago
        I do the same..my schedule is quite weird.. I will wake up around 9:30 AM go to sleep around 11 or 12 PM , quick power nap till about 1 AM , work more till about 4 or 5 AM , sleep and do it all over again. I find I'm most productive at night. so this is the schedule I work around.
jwilliams 18y ago
Wake up early. Go to bed when you're tired. Don't work on a computer past "X" at night (X varies for a lot of people, but usually an hour- from when you want to sleep). Not sure what it is, might just be not winding down -- but the light of the screen probably doesn't help imho.
apgwoz 18y ago
Drink lots of water a few hours before you go to bed, and use an alarm clock. I often find that I'm up before it goes off, but if for some reason that doesn't happen, the alarm clock wakes me up.
codeodor 18y ago
If you do not sleep enough, your life will be shorter!
- axod 18y ago
  Is there real evidence for this?
  - eru 18y ago
    At least in the extreme. If you do not sleep at all.
    - axod 18y ago
      In the extreme, eating can kill you also :/
  - codeodor 18y ago
    There is some discussion in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10...) from 2005. Here is some stuff about it on WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-habits http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-h...). This one does not outright link it to death, but many things which help death come knocking. I thought this was well known, so sorry about the lack of links in the first assertion. Is that why I'm gaining negative marks, or are you shooting the messenger for the news you don't like?
jamroom 18y ago
have children - you will quickly become an early riser ;)
- eru 18y ago
  Or find an early rising spouse. Works for me.
  - massa 18y ago
    My case is the exact opposite: I have a late-rising espouse and two kids (10 and 3). The younger one wakes at 6am and I have to take care of her. :-P
    - eru 18y ago
      We don't have kids, yet. My fiancée just nags me until I get up.
      - ralph 17y ago
        As someone who has to nag someone else to wake up and get up, can I just say how disruptive it is to what I'm trying to do. Instead of concentrating I'm constantly checking back to see if they need another nag. So the sleeper isn't just consuming their own time, they're affecting the quality of mine too.
- donniefitz2 18y ago
  And that is my future. I'll be enjoying sleeping in for the next 7 months (every chance I get), because the party's over for me soon.
- gaoshan 18y ago
  For me it is, asleep from 1-4:40am, wake up at 7:30am to get the kids off to school, back asleep by 8:30am wake up at 11:00am-12:00pm. I then start work (I can work any hours I like as long as I do the work). Frankly, it kind of sucks. I've always wished I could get up early, chipper and fresh but even when I was a little kid I couldn't (well, when I was 8 I could). Even by the age of 10, when I had to get up at 5:00am to deliver a paper route, I was an absolute wreck in the morning. By the time I was a High School student I would essentially spend the entire first half of the day in a sleepy haze even falling asleep in the midst of taking tests (I would jump with a start and find pencil trails running down the sheet where I had passed out). Teachers would yell at me for sleeping in their class all the time. No I don't have narcolepsy... I was tested. Most they came back with was I have mild sleep apnea but the stupid breathing machine they give you just prevents me from sleeping even more so I quit wearing it... so I could actually get SOME sleep. ARGH!!!
Kirby 18y ago
It depends on your biochemistry to a large degree. Some people need hardly any sleep, some do _much_ better work if they sleep a full night's sleep, which can be defined anywhere between 6 and 10 hours. Some people do well on a 24-hour clock, some don't. Minor sleep disorders are common and often not diagnosed. Don't worry about anyone else (one of the luxuries of a lot of tech jobs), find the schedule that leaves you feeling alert and awake and able to get things done. If you need 8 hours of sleep to be able to code the next day and not walk through the day in a haze - that's you. If you do well keeping a fixed schedule and not deviating, that's great. But if not, don't fight it, listen to your body. Similarly, some people can code for 10, 12 hour stretches. Some people stop doing useful things after 4 hours without a serious break. Experiment, find what works for you, and _do not_ expect other people to work like you do. Focus on end goals, not processes.
- eru 18y ago
  What do you mean by "Some people do well on a 24-hour clock, some don't."?
  - hollerith 18y ago
    He means that some people do well going to sleep and getting up around the same time every day and some don't. (My hackers go to bed later every day, so their bedtime wraps around the clock often.)
adityakothadiya 18y ago
1. Plan in the evening what exact tasks you are going to do in the morning. Come up with detailed tasks - code this function, debug this issue, write follow-up emails, etc. If the tasks are not defined, then it's hard to push yourself to wake up early in the morning. Basically you need a reason to wake up in the morning. If we don't have reason, then even if alarm rings, we snooze it and procrastinate waking up at the decided time. Do all brainstorming, planning, HN/news/blogs reading in the night. And decide a clear action plan for the morning. 2. Sleep early. One of my advisers sleeps at 10-10:30 in the night, and wakes up at 4am. I tried following same pattern, and it worked flawlessly. I used to get solid work done in 4am-8am before I go to my day job.
sprsquish 18y ago
My wife is out the door very early in the morning. I make sure I get out of bed when she comes in to say goodbye for the day. My alarm clock has proven ineffective. I'll wake up an hour after it should have woken me up and realize I turned it off in my sleep
SwellJoe 18y ago
Do it consistently. I just started rising at 9:30 (this is early for me) every day a few weeks ago, and I now wake up naturally without the alarm, and usually by 9. It only took about four or five days with the alarm and going to bed at a reasonably consistent time (between 1AM and 2AM) every day before I was comfortable waking at this time. I even "slept in" this morning after waking naturally at about 7:30...I rolled over and went back to sleep and got up again at 9:15 feeling pretty well rested. I often take a 20 minute nap between 4 and 6 in the afternoon. I'm a lifetime overachiever in the field of sleep. If I can convert to a 7-8 hour sleep schedule, anybody can. And I've found that consistency is about the only way I can do it without feeling like crap during the day...so no more all-nighters, no matter how awesome whatever I'm working on is.
breck 18y ago
Exercise, get to bed earlier, and move someplace where it's not 20 degrees in the morning.
axod 18y ago
Have kids.
sounddust 18y ago
I had this problem for nearly my entire life, and I finally solved it about 3 years ago. For me, I had to fix every problem that was affecting my sleep at the same time. If any one of those problems crops up again, then I won't be able to sleep properly until I resolve it. Anyway, for me, it involved the following changes in my life: 1) No caffeine after 5-6 PM, and generally less than 100mg of caffeine per day. 2) Exercising for at least 30 minutes/day, 3-4 times/week (but not right before sleeping). Although in my case, it's closer to 5 hours total/week. 3) Avoiding too much artificial sugar in a given day. I limit it to one "thing" (pastry/small piece of pie/etc) per day. After that, just eat fruit. 4) Keeping the area in which I sleep completely free of things that would distract me from sleeping. That is, I absolutely never use my laptop, watch TV or do anything similar while laying in bed. At least for me, this has turned out to be really important (and something my doctor recommended). Also, some things that might help: * Create a routine; start each morning with something you enjoy (coffee or watching tv or catching up on your news).. You'll find it gives you an incentive to wake up, rather than if you knew you were just immediately getting ready and leaving * If you feel less tired than normal on a particular day, you can drink chamomile tea, or warm milk, both of which seem to mildly increase sleepiness. * If you're overweight or in bad physical shape, then you will sleep much better after getting in shape. So if this is the case, you should work to make it a priority.
kingkongrevenge 18y ago
There's no reason to get up early in the morning. This is one of those things like marathon running and vegetarianism. For totally irrational reasons people think they're doing something worthwhile just because doing it sucks.
- mannicken 18y ago
  I disagree. Running is pretty damn exciting, even more than video games. Don't believe me? Go on track, run a lap in under 1:45. Now imagine you can run at that speed for a long long time, without getting tired, in the trails, near lakes, on the tiny bridges -- running rules. Once you actually can run (not jog like many do: took me a year or so) it is great.
  - maximilian 18y ago
    Thats pretty freakin' fast. 6 minute miles are fast. I need to learn to run 6 minute miles..that'd be awesome.
  - kingkongrevenge 18y ago
    > run a lap in under 1:45 A 1:45 400m is fucking pathetic. I only criticized the absurdity that is long distance running.
    - mannicken 18y ago
      I'm not talking about an all-out 400m, I just said how it's pretty fun to run that fast while not getting out of breath for 6-7 miles.
- JeffL 18y ago
  I think you might be right, but I do wonder. Has anyone seen any scientific evidence one way or the other?
tptacek 18y ago
I've had this problem forever. When I was in high school, I'd stay up all night, go to school at the end of my day, come home and sleep until midnight. To the extent that I've solved it, I solved it after I had kids, and sleeping until 1PM became untenable for the family. The answer for me? Wait for it: waking up early every morning. I've learned that there is absolutely no way to predict when I'm going to fall asleep at night (even if I eliminate caffeine, use-bed-only-for-sleep, avoid stimulating reading before bed, etc); the only habit I've deliberately changed is that I never code after 10PM (a surefire way to look up and have it be 4AM). Nope, what works for me is, whether I got to bed at 12:30A or 4:45A, I'm out of bed with the kids at 7A. If I have a bad night, I'll fall asleep the next night before 12A. Won't have any choice. A day, a couple days, a week in sleep dep, not worth the life stress of starting the day in the afternoon.
sjs382 18y ago
Have something to do once you get up, a reason to get up. I had the same issues before I started to go to the gym in the morning. This has really fixed my sleeping routine. If I don't have a reason to get up in the morning, I'm much more likely to stay in bed before I go to sleep again.
- jlees 18y ago
  Yes, this is my biggest tip as well. All the best intentions in the world won't help you change for good - in my experience. Though having said that, even something voluntary like going to the gym might not be enough... The two things that worked best for me were: Organise every meeting you possibly can to be in the morning, and don't allow yourself to cancel. Go to bed with something unfinished, i.e. have something to do that really propels you out of bed. An example would be leaving a piece of code not quite done, but with a good idea of how to finish it (if you haven't got a clue, it's more likely to make you want to stay in bed and make it go away, no?). Thinking about the problem while dropping off and waking up makes me just want to leap up and fix it. Other tips, potentially irrelevant to most commenters, but that worked for me: Give up WoW. Or at least stop playing it late at night. Seriously. The difference in sleep quality, for me, is night and day. Hack your nutrition. Eat low-GI. Cut out soda and junk food. Let caffeine be a treat, not a staple. Have a flatmate or loved one poke you awake. Even if they're not geographically present, having someone you love call you or tuning yourself to wake up to the sound of an incoming IM can help you boot up faster in the morning. Read in bed, but don't read anything too interesting. I still have this backfire when I open a new book at 11pm and don't sleep 'til it's finished. Others love to journal instead, which can be a great relaxer, but I end up making todo lists which has the opposite effect.
shard 18y ago
Sleep is a important component of health, along with nutrition and exercise. Life's too short to be unhealthy for a major part of it. You should get all the sleep your body needs.
ryanwaggoner 18y ago
Getting up in the morning used to be one of the central struggles of my life (seriously), but I rarely think about it now and I'm almost always up by 430am, which is something I never thought would happen. Here's my story, if anyone is interested. I've struggled with getting up my entire life, and so has my entire family, immediate and extended. My 18-year-old brother regularly sleeps until 1pm, as do many of my cousins and their parents. I was homeschooled growing up and the day didn't typically start until 11am. In high school, I got suspended numerous times for missing my first few classes. I joined the Navy out of HS and I pretty rarely had issues with being late because I overslept, because the military is very effective at putting the fear of God in you regarding the consequences. I still always slept until the last possible minute before getting up. After the Navy, I went back to finish college and ended up taking about 30 hours worth of classes every semester, which helped some, but I still overslept and was always jumping out of bed and rushing to class at the last second. I very often would sit down in class about 5-10 mins after having been sound asleep before. My wife was very frustrated, and I was frustrated with myself. I was sure that I had some kind of sleep disorder, especially since my whole family is like this. So what changed? Mostly what changed is that I realized what you've realized: life is too short to sleep it away. My central problem has always been the actual act of getting up; once I'm up and awake, I'm fine. So I started looking around and I found this article by Steve Pavlina: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Basically, his method is to practice getting up, in the middle of the day. Bizarre (and embarrassing), but it works. I did this every day for a few weeks, and I immediately noticed a difference. The other big thing I did was go to bed early. Not earlier, as I typically went to bed at 1am or 2am, but early. Like 8pm. I'd go to bed at 8pm for a week and get up at 5am. That was more sleep than I usually got, and since I was doing it consistently, it got easier over time. Then I started going to bed a little later and now I usually get to bed between 9pm and 10pm. Because I'm consistent, I get better quality sleep and I can get by on 7 hours consistently. I know it's frustrating to have someone tell you to just go to bed early, but I found that it's a lot harder than it looks, especially because you've almost always got way more to do than you have time for and it feels like you should work on some of it rather than go to bed. The key for me was realizing (after some "split-testing") that I get probably 2-3x more accomplished in the four hours from 5am - 9am that I do from 10pm - 2am. A few other things that I found vital: - no caffeine after noon - no computer or tv within an hour of bed - keep room as dark and quiet as possible while sleeping - try to keep the same schedule on weekends - alarm clock in different room - once you're up, immediately splash water in your face - exercise several times per week - track your progress! Try this for a month. Most people I know who have become early risers would never go back. There's something incredibly rewarding about hitting 8am having already had breakfast, worked out, showered, knocked out a bunch of emails, read all your blogs, and built two new features. In San Francisco, that means you're about two hours from when most folks even start working :) Good luck!
DanielBMarkham 18y ago
Life is too short to be muttering through the day like a zombie, either, so you're going to need to sleep as much as you need. Keep going to be earlier until you wake up when you want. Stop using an alarm clock. Be consistent. I haven't used an alarm clock in years, and when I need to get up at 3:30 to hit the gym, its not a problem. Of course, I'm going to bed 8 hours before that too. You can't cheat the math. If you want to get up earlier, as pg and others said, go to bed earlier. EDIT: By nature, I have the damnedest time going to bed. I'm always immersing myself in a programming problem or a TV show or some other time sink (worthwhile or not). To fix this, I started taking melatonin an hour or so before I plan to go to sleep. I know its helped me adjust my sleep/wake cycle.
hairic 18y ago
I fast to reset my sleep cycle. I can only tolerate 10-12 hours of no calories, but longer supposedly works better. I try to maintain it by not eating during my desired sleep schedule. So if I'm up all night coding, no calories are allowed. Story about it was even posted here almost a year ago. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=199394 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=199394
mping 18y ago
Find something cool to do the next day. Regulate your body and mind so you can sleep well and wake up early.
FreeRadical 18y ago
Do something you enjoy. Look forward to the next day. Sometimes I find myself going to sleep earlier just so the next day will arrive ( :
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]
markessien 18y ago
Travel to a country that shifts your waking up time by the correct amount, and stay there for a couple of months. It's the most painless method, but it's a bit expensive.
chris11 18y ago
Personally, I have noticed that watching tv and using the computer late at night keeps me up later. There have been studies that link tv watching and reduced melatonin levels. So don't use either before you want to go to bed. Steve Pavlina has written a couple good articles. Overview. 1. Go to bed when tired 2. Get up at the same time every morning. So if you don't get enough sleep one night, you'll go to bed earlier the next. 3. Don't do anything very stimulating late at night. Don't drink caffeine, or exercise late at night. Stimulating activities will keep you up to late. 4. Don't turn getting up into a problem with self-discipline, turn getting up into a habit. It's kind of corny, but practice getting out of bed during the day. Match the conditions where you get up, turn out lights, take off your work clothes, and get into bed. When your alarm goes off, jump out of bed, thrown on clothes, and do a little bit of exercise or do something else to wake you up. It doesn't matter really what you do, it just has to be consistent. After practicing a few times, it should be a habit, and you will be able to get up with your alarm when it goes off. Part 1:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Part 2:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser-part-ii/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Getting up with an alarm clock: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right...
djahng 18y ago
set an alarm and be disciplined enough to get up and not hit snooze.
- thenduks 18y ago
  Unfortunately I sometimes wake up with no alarm going off, think to myself "hmm, where's the alarm? what time is it?", look at the clock and realize that it's 4 hours later than I intended and the alarm has been turned off. Since I have no recollection of turning off the alarm, it isn't really a matter of discipline :( Edit: Of course, I'm not suggesting that this is a deal breaker, or that I've 'given up', just that it's not always as simple as "just get up when the alarm goes off." I also have been known to pass the turing test in my sleep. I once convinced my wife that I had the day off when she tried to wake me up... Yea, I was really late that day.
  - boundlessdreamz 18y ago
    that's the case with me too. I can talk sense even while I'm fast asleep.
    - thenduks 18y ago
      I once got up, ready, into the elevator, down to the street, bought a coffee and took a sip, looked around (dark, busy intersection not so busy), swore and then went back to bed. As far as I know I was totally coherent the whole time to everyone around (wife, doorman, coffee-shop-girl, etc). Stress factors a lot into it for me. If I'm having a good week hardly anything strange happens in my sleep.
asnyder 18y ago
I recommend using the "screaming meanie", this 120db alarm will wake both you and your neighbors in the morning, http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Meanie-220/dp/B000RZLWR8 http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Meanie-220/dp/B000RZLWR8
Killjoy 18y ago
Exercise at least 1 hour per day, 4-5 days per week. You may begrudge the time in the gym, but I've found that an hour of exercise can replace an hour of sleep -- so you're not really out any time, you're just in pain for that hour ;).
mahmud 18y ago
Do something interesting. My project consumes the whole of me. I go to bed thinking about it, sometimes I get ideas in my sleep, and I wake up eager to implement or research whatever I "dreamed" up :-) It also helps that my girlfriend is on a different time zone and calls me early in the morning for her good-night kiss and chit chat.
datico 18y ago
I swear by this concept: http://www.homedics.com/products/soundspa-sunrise.html http://www.homedics.com/products/soundspa-sunrise.html Even just a simple timer on a lightswitch or lamp works for starters. I find the natural sunrise effect to be less jarring however. I used to use an X10-type system as well, controlled by a server to dim lights at night and brighten them in the am. This was ideal but X10 was flaky so I'm using the SoundSpa Sunrise until I can upgrade to something more reliable.
- datico 18y ago
  I forgot to mention...for those occasional must-get-up-very-early mornings, I drink a coke before bed (usually I'm tired enough it doesn't phase me) and sleep with the light on. 4-5 hours later, I'm up.
p47 18y ago
Well you all may missing the point. It's not important at what hour You get up. The matter is how long did You sleep. Normal person needs up to 4 circadian cycles. We make one every 1.5h, it varies individually. Here is real catch, if You sleep over this four cycles. Your brain starts to use some proteins produced during sleep. Its big waste because catecholamine is produced only during sleep. So if You over sleep, You loose energy, and You may wake up tired. To start wake up earlier, this was tested by myself. You need to reset your brain. So don't sleep for night or two. And after go sleep on proper time. For 6-6.5h. You will be fresh as new born. Interesting about the sleeps starts when You have idea about, training polyphasic sleep :-). Well its different story.
davidw 18y ago
My wife and I had a baby. Now I get up at 7 every day.
ktharavaad 18y ago
One word: Modafinil
PonyGumbo 18y ago
I'll let you borrow my cat.
- indiejade 18y ago
  I was going to suggest: get a cat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q
  - sketerpot 18y ago
    The problem is that cats will wake you up when they feel like it. Sometimes that means 4:00 AM.
bandris 18y ago
The alarm device should play pleasant music you enjoy, but not too soft. And placed out of reach.
gord 18y ago
I'm thinking the real answer is "Do whatever it is that your so fired up about, it makes you get up at 5am."
danbmil99 18y ago
wrap around.
zaius 18y ago
If I go to bed at midnight, I wake up after 10 hours of sleep. If I go to bed at 5am, I wake up after 7. If you're really looking to maximize your waking time, it's not about getting up early, it's about finding your most productive pattern. My work output doubled once I realized this and stopped setting alarms.
froo 18y ago
I've always been the kind of person who loves sleeping in. I've got several alarm clocks strategically placed in my room so that I can't simply turn them off without having to actually get out of bed and because there are several of them, the resulting dissonant noise is usually enough to wake me up.
mhb 18y ago
Find people to work out with and establish a time to meet early in the morning. Make sure they will be pissed off if you don't show up. Rowing is ideal for this.
frosty 18y ago
Its not like somebody will pay me if i get up early :) I say stay up as long as required and try to get as much done as possible. But one important thing is to maintain atleast a 12 hour overlap with other people in your team if you are in a startup. An added advantage is, there is somebody to monitor the servers round the clock ;).
hugs 18y ago
Get a kid, particularly the infant kind. They'll wake up at 5am without fail everyday for the first several years and are impossible to ignore when they're awake. When they start sleeping in late, get a another one.
chanux 18y ago
I love the way my mom's younger brother wakes me up. This is a memory of my kid time. He softly talk to me saying "it's better to wake up" while providing some dim light with his little torch. It gives me a comfortable wake up. I wish I can have that smooth wake up all the time but now he has his own kids to worry about and he's so far away from me. It'll be good if there's something emulates that feeling. My story won't mean you anything. But I enjoyed reminiscing those nice wake ups & if I ever have to wake some one up I'll definitely do it my uncles way.
ciupicri 18y ago
I wonder how Paul Buchheit (the guy who started GMail) got around this problem. He mentioned that he's not an early riser in the book "Founders at Work". When searching more on the subject, I found this interesting text: "This sort of smugness is prevalent among morning people, who count among their ranks Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, nearly every American president, and even Jesus. (See Mark 1:35: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.") Night people are stuck with psychopaths like Adolf Hitler and Juan Arreola, the guy in Pennsylvania who nearly killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old last year, explaining to a judge, "I'm not a morning person."" http://friendfeed.com/e/cc0e9eb4-39ff-11dd-9d6f-003048343a40/Can-a-night-owl-become-a-morning-person-A-Slate/ http://friendfeed.com/e/cc0e9eb4-39ff-11dd-9d6f-003048343a40...
DTrejo 18y ago
These help me with early wake-ups (3:00am): * My pre-alarm goes off 15 minutes early. After this alarm, I start thinking and worrying about what I need to do. When the real alarm sounds I'm ready to jump out of bed. * I don't use the bathroom in the morning when I'm sleepy. A full bladder helps me stay awake. * I nap whenever I can't work. * Also, drink some water before you go to bed and don't use the bathroom, this will help you wake up in the morning.
ninguem2 18y ago
I will be more flippant than pg: Just get up already. Now I will explain my reaction so I don't just get downvoted and if you disagree with me, reply. Most people in the world have responsibilities. Kids to feed and to take to school, chores and errands to do plus a (sometimes long) commute to a job where they cannot afford to be late (responsibilities, a boss, or both). Yet, they all manage just fine.

96 points by alexitosrv 18y ago

The life is too short to be sleeping a major part of it. What do you do to getting up early, or do you think it is not really important at all?

csuper 18y ago

If you’re able, you should do what comes naturally. Are you a night-owl or a morning person? If you’re asking about how to wake up earlier, I’d guess the former. I’m simply more productive and creative in the AM, so I rise each day at 5:30. For me, knowing when I'm the most please with my own production is my motivation. But, by the time 2 or 3 rolls around in the afternoon I’m all out of juice. And truth be told if I wasn’t in a corporate environment I would likely take a nap at this time to recharge.

jwilliams 18y ago
If you’re able, you should do what comes naturally Not sure I agree with this - For me, sleeping is just a habit. I get into the habit of staying up late, or the habit of getting up early. This makes it sound trivial - but it's not - habits take work to form and work to change. Naturally everyone is different. I'm sure there is research that disagrees with me :-) But that's my experience anyway.
- ciupicri 18y ago
  You might find this interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome
  - jwilliams 18y ago
    Absolutely. e.g. I know there is a lot of research around teenagers having distinct sleep patterns/requirements. I guess my point was - don't necessarily pigeon-hole yourself as a "night owl" or "morning person".

jacoblyles 18y ago

These things work for me: Go to bed earlier at night. Leave your blinds open to let natural light come in in the morning. Have a deadline due the next day.

SwellJoe 18y ago
Deadlines work the opposite for me. Procrastinators can do anything other than what they're supposed to be doing...including sleep. At least, I can. The less I want to do something, the more exhausted I feel; and deadlines damage my desire to do something more than just about anything. On the other hand, if I'm excited about something, and feeling really interested in what will happen that day it definitely helps. So, if I open a bug on a project that I need for my work...and I think about it some the night before, I'll wake up excitedly thinking, "I wonder if my bug has been answered?" Likewise if I email someone about some work I need done; requesting quotes, whatever, for projects that I'm enthusiastic about. Today I woke up thinking about the RFQs I sent out to three designers yesterday (nothing! this is why crowdsourced design is winning...), and a bug I opened about the Drupal Project module.
- jacoblyles 18y ago
  I am totally different. I am a horrible procrastinator, but give me a deadline every day and I will move the world. Need that pressure. Love that pressure. I'll probably have a heart attack when I'm 40.
  - mannicken 18y ago
    I think I'm starting to sweat up as I'm thinking about that pressure. Hate the pressure.

Xichekolas 18y ago

I'd recommend sleeping in a room that gets sunlight as early as possible. As the room warms up (and gets brighter), you'll naturally wake up less groggily. If your schedule can handle it, try just going to sleep when you are tired and seeing when you wake up (ie. don't use an alarm at all). I tried this for about six months, and the following happened. The first week or two I slept upwards of 10-11 hours a night, and woke up in the afternoon. The next couple months, my schedule kind of rotated around the clock (I'd wake up about 30-45 mins later each day), but I only slept 8-9 hours. By month four, I was only sleeping 7-7.5 hours at a time, and my schedule rotation had slowed to where it was only shifting about 15 mins a day. The best part was that I always woke up extremely fresh and ready to go. I never felt like the walking dead, and generally was happier. Before I tried this, I thought I was a night person, just because I always seem to stay up too late and dislike waking up... but I realized what I really liked was the quiet, and found that early morning quiet time (4-7am) was actually more productive, just because I wasn't worn out from a whole day of being awake. Sadly I had to return to a day job for a bit before grad school, so now I survive mostly on coffee, but it was fun to try when I had the chance.

jwilliams 18y ago
I'd recommend this as well - particularly waking with the sun. I've been in some light-deprived places, and then I got a wake-up light (basically it slowly lights up the room, rather than an alarm). Instead of having an alarm BAM wake up, it's much more natural - you'll find yourself thinking "hey I'm awake". Much, much more pleasant. I used to wake up to my nokia mobile phone alarm (which are excruciatingly loud). I'd snooze it about 4-5 times... Terrible habit. It would totally wreck me for the morning. I also tend to exercise in the morning. I find this motivating. Doing this, or taking a walk, or something similar - you hit the day in peak form.
StrawberryFrog 18y ago
I wouldn't say "get light as early as possible." (Ideally) I go to bed at 11pm and wake up rested (I said ideally, ok?) at 7am. So in London in the middle of summer it's light from 5am or so and I have to use an eye-mask. That early light was not my friend. On the other hand in winter the dark at 8am wasn't my friend either. A "wake-up light" (google for "sunrise alarm clock" or "daylight simulator") for winter might help.

andhapp 18y ago

Sleep on the couch...you will be uncomfortable and definately get up early.

andhapp 18y ago
That was a joke...
ryanwaggoner 18y ago
You laugh, but I've done this when I stayed up way too late and really wanted to be up early the next morning. When I started my first company, I spent many nights sleeping on the floor with just a small blanket that was too small for me. Miserable, but pretty easy to get up when my alarm went off.

HeyLaughingBoy 18y ago

I have two Rhode Island Red roosters that are both quite loud. I only need one; do you want the other?

tptacek 18y ago
Can I slaughter and eat it?
- nitrogen 18y ago
  I wouldn't recommend it -- from what I've heard, rooster meat is really tough.
  - ninguem2 18y ago
    You have to boil the shit out of it. Try Coq au Vin.

pg 18y ago

Go to bed earlier at night.

icey 18y ago
This plus consistency (i.e. Don't try to wake up at 5AM M-F and then sleep til noon every Saturday and Sunday).
- kingkongrevenge 18y ago
  Consistency is for assembly lines. Sleep when you're tired. Eat when you're hungry. Just as importantly, don't eat or sleep when you're not hungry or tired.
  - randallsquared 18y ago
    ...and by following that strategy, you will soon find yourself out of sync with everyone around you, to both your annoyance and theirs. However, if you start getting up at the time you want to be getting up whether or not you feel like it, then sleeping when you're tired will eventually work. Unless you have some medical problem, I guess.
    - wheels 18y ago
      I think that's part of why I do it, actually. I've noticed that in times where I'm very busy I tend to drift to a sleep pattern that gives me the most time to work undisturbed. Like, in real crunch times, I'll start going to bed at 8:00 p.m. and getting back up at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. Sometimes being out of synch with everyone can be a boon to productivity.
      - minalecs 18y ago
        I do the same..my schedule is quite weird.. I will wake up around 9:30 AM go to sleep around 11 or 12 PM , quick power nap till about 1 AM , work more till about 4 or 5 AM , sleep and do it all over again. I find I'm most productive at night. so this is the schedule I work around.

jwilliams 18y ago

Wake up early. Go to bed when you're tired. Don't work on a computer past "X" at night (X varies for a lot of people, but usually an hour- from when you want to sleep). Not sure what it is, might just be not winding down -- but the light of the screen probably doesn't help imho.

apgwoz 18y ago

Drink lots of water a few hours before you go to bed, and use an alarm clock. I often find that I'm up before it goes off, but if for some reason that doesn't happen, the alarm clock wakes me up.

codeodor 18y ago

If you do not sleep enough, your life will be shorter!

axod 18y ago
Is there real evidence for this?
- eru 18y ago
  At least in the extreme. If you do not sleep at all.
  - axod 18y ago
    In the extreme, eating can kill you also :/
- codeodor 18y ago
  There is some discussion in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10...) from 2005. Here is some stuff about it on WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-habits http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/important-sleep-h...). This one does not outright link it to death, but many things which help death come knocking. I thought this was well known, so sorry about the lack of links in the first assertion. Is that why I'm gaining negative marks, or are you shooting the messenger for the news you don't like?

jamroom 18y ago

have children - you will quickly become an early riser ;)

eru 18y ago
Or find an early rising spouse. Works for me.
- massa 18y ago
  My case is the exact opposite: I have a late-rising espouse and two kids (10 and 3). The younger one wakes at 6am and I have to take care of her. :-P
  - eru 18y ago
    We don't have kids, yet. My fiancée just nags me until I get up.
    - ralph 17y ago
      As someone who has to nag someone else to wake up and get up, can I just say how disruptive it is to what I'm trying to do. Instead of concentrating I'm constantly checking back to see if they need another nag. So the sleeper isn't just consuming their own time, they're affecting the quality of mine too.
donniefitz2 18y ago
And that is my future. I'll be enjoying sleeping in for the next 7 months (every chance I get), because the party's over for me soon.
gaoshan 18y ago
For me it is, asleep from 1-4:40am, wake up at 7:30am to get the kids off to school, back asleep by 8:30am wake up at 11:00am-12:00pm. I then start work (I can work any hours I like as long as I do the work). Frankly, it kind of sucks. I've always wished I could get up early, chipper and fresh but even when I was a little kid I couldn't (well, when I was 8 I could). Even by the age of 10, when I had to get up at 5:00am to deliver a paper route, I was an absolute wreck in the morning. By the time I was a High School student I would essentially spend the entire first half of the day in a sleepy haze even falling asleep in the midst of taking tests (I would jump with a start and find pencil trails running down the sheet where I had passed out). Teachers would yell at me for sleeping in their class all the time. No I don't have narcolepsy... I was tested. Most they came back with was I have mild sleep apnea but the stupid breathing machine they give you just prevents me from sleeping even more so I quit wearing it... so I could actually get SOME sleep. ARGH!!!

Kirby 18y ago

It depends on your biochemistry to a large degree. Some people need hardly any sleep, some do _much_ better work if they sleep a full night's sleep, which can be defined anywhere between 6 and 10 hours. Some people do well on a 24-hour clock, some don't. Minor sleep disorders are common and often not diagnosed. Don't worry about anyone else (one of the luxuries of a lot of tech jobs), find the schedule that leaves you feeling alert and awake and able to get things done. If you need 8 hours of sleep to be able to code the next day and not walk through the day in a haze - that's you. If you do well keeping a fixed schedule and not deviating, that's great. But if not, don't fight it, listen to your body. Similarly, some people can code for 10, 12 hour stretches. Some people stop doing useful things after 4 hours without a serious break. Experiment, find what works for you, and _do not_ expect other people to work like you do. Focus on end goals, not processes.

eru 18y ago
What do you mean by "Some people do well on a 24-hour clock, some don't."?
- hollerith 18y ago
  He means that some people do well going to sleep and getting up around the same time every day and some don't. (My hackers go to bed later every day, so their bedtime wraps around the clock often.)

adityakothadiya 18y ago

1. Plan in the evening what exact tasks you are going to do in the morning. Come up with detailed tasks - code this function, debug this issue, write follow-up emails, etc. If the tasks are not defined, then it's hard to push yourself to wake up early in the morning. Basically you need a reason to wake up in the morning. If we don't have reason, then even if alarm rings, we snooze it and procrastinate waking up at the decided time. Do all brainstorming, planning, HN/news/blogs reading in the night. And decide a clear action plan for the morning. 2. Sleep early. One of my advisers sleeps at 10-10:30 in the night, and wakes up at 4am. I tried following same pattern, and it worked flawlessly. I used to get solid work done in 4am-8am before I go to my day job.

sprsquish 18y ago

My wife is out the door very early in the morning. I make sure I get out of bed when she comes in to say goodbye for the day. My alarm clock has proven ineffective. I'll wake up an hour after it should have woken me up and realize I turned it off in my sleep

SwellJoe 18y ago

Do it consistently. I just started rising at 9:30 (this is early for me) every day a few weeks ago, and I now wake up naturally without the alarm, and usually by 9. It only took about four or five days with the alarm and going to bed at a reasonably consistent time (between 1AM and 2AM) every day before I was comfortable waking at this time. I even "slept in" this morning after waking naturally at about 7:30...I rolled over and went back to sleep and got up again at 9:15 feeling pretty well rested. I often take a 20 minute nap between 4 and 6 in the afternoon. I'm a lifetime overachiever in the field of sleep. If I can convert to a 7-8 hour sleep schedule, anybody can. And I've found that consistency is about the only way I can do it without feeling like crap during the day...so no more all-nighters, no matter how awesome whatever I'm working on is.

breck 18y ago

Exercise, get to bed earlier, and move someplace where it's not 20 degrees in the morning.

axod 18y ago

Have kids.

sounddust 18y ago

I had this problem for nearly my entire life, and I finally solved it about 3 years ago. For me, I had to fix every problem that was affecting my sleep at the same time. If any one of those problems crops up again, then I won't be able to sleep properly until I resolve it. Anyway, for me, it involved the following changes in my life: 1) No caffeine after 5-6 PM, and generally less than 100mg of caffeine per day. 2) Exercising for at least 30 minutes/day, 3-4 times/week (but not right before sleeping). Although in my case, it's closer to 5 hours total/week. 3) Avoiding too much artificial sugar in a given day. I limit it to one "thing" (pastry/small piece of pie/etc) per day. After that, just eat fruit. 4) Keeping the area in which I sleep completely free of things that would distract me from sleeping. That is, I absolutely never use my laptop, watch TV or do anything similar while laying in bed. At least for me, this has turned out to be really important (and something my doctor recommended). Also, some things that might help: * Create a routine; start each morning with something you enjoy (coffee or watching tv or catching up on your news).. You'll find it gives you an incentive to wake up, rather than if you knew you were just immediately getting ready and leaving * If you feel less tired than normal on a particular day, you can drink chamomile tea, or warm milk, both of which seem to mildly increase sleepiness. * If you're overweight or in bad physical shape, then you will sleep much better after getting in shape. So if this is the case, you should work to make it a priority.

kingkongrevenge 18y ago

There's no reason to get up early in the morning. This is one of those things like marathon running and vegetarianism. For totally irrational reasons people think they're doing something worthwhile just because doing it sucks.

mannicken 18y ago
I disagree. Running is pretty damn exciting, even more than video games. Don't believe me? Go on track, run a lap in under 1:45. Now imagine you can run at that speed for a long long time, without getting tired, in the trails, near lakes, on the tiny bridges -- running rules. Once you actually can run (not jog like many do: took me a year or so) it is great.
- maximilian 18y ago
  Thats pretty freakin' fast. 6 minute miles are fast. I need to learn to run 6 minute miles..that'd be awesome.
- kingkongrevenge 18y ago
  > run a lap in under 1:45 A 1:45 400m is fucking pathetic. I only criticized the absurdity that is long distance running.
  - mannicken 18y ago
    I'm not talking about an all-out 400m, I just said how it's pretty fun to run that fast while not getting out of breath for 6-7 miles.
JeffL 18y ago
I think you might be right, but I do wonder. Has anyone seen any scientific evidence one way or the other?

tptacek 18y ago

I've had this problem forever. When I was in high school, I'd stay up all night, go to school at the end of my day, come home and sleep until midnight. To the extent that I've solved it, I solved it after I had kids, and sleeping until 1PM became untenable for the family. The answer for me? Wait for it: waking up early every morning. I've learned that there is absolutely no way to predict when I'm going to fall asleep at night (even if I eliminate caffeine, use-bed-only-for-sleep, avoid stimulating reading before bed, etc); the only habit I've deliberately changed is that I never code after 10PM (a surefire way to look up and have it be 4AM). Nope, what works for me is, whether I got to bed at 12:30A or 4:45A, I'm out of bed with the kids at 7A. If I have a bad night, I'll fall asleep the next night before 12A. Won't have any choice. A day, a couple days, a week in sleep dep, not worth the life stress of starting the day in the afternoon.

sjs382 18y ago

Have something to do once you get up, a reason to get up. I had the same issues before I started to go to the gym in the morning. This has really fixed my sleeping routine. If I don't have a reason to get up in the morning, I'm much more likely to stay in bed before I go to sleep again.

jlees 18y ago
Yes, this is my biggest tip as well. All the best intentions in the world won't help you change for good - in my experience. Though having said that, even something voluntary like going to the gym might not be enough... The two things that worked best for me were: Organise every meeting you possibly can to be in the morning, and don't allow yourself to cancel. Go to bed with something unfinished, i.e. have something to do that really propels you out of bed. An example would be leaving a piece of code not quite done, but with a good idea of how to finish it (if you haven't got a clue, it's more likely to make you want to stay in bed and make it go away, no?). Thinking about the problem while dropping off and waking up makes me just want to leap up and fix it. Other tips, potentially irrelevant to most commenters, but that worked for me: Give up WoW. Or at least stop playing it late at night. Seriously. The difference in sleep quality, for me, is night and day. Hack your nutrition. Eat low-GI. Cut out soda and junk food. Let caffeine be a treat, not a staple. Have a flatmate or loved one poke you awake. Even if they're not geographically present, having someone you love call you or tuning yourself to wake up to the sound of an incoming IM can help you boot up faster in the morning. Read in bed, but don't read anything too interesting. I still have this backfire when I open a new book at 11pm and don't sleep 'til it's finished. Others love to journal instead, which can be a great relaxer, but I end up making todo lists which has the opposite effect.

shard 18y ago

Sleep is a important component of health, along with nutrition and exercise. Life's too short to be unhealthy for a major part of it. You should get all the sleep your body needs.

ryanwaggoner 18y ago

Getting up in the morning used to be one of the central struggles of my life (seriously), but I rarely think about it now and I'm almost always up by 430am, which is something I never thought would happen. Here's my story, if anyone is interested. I've struggled with getting up my entire life, and so has my entire family, immediate and extended. My 18-year-old brother regularly sleeps until 1pm, as do many of my cousins and their parents. I was homeschooled growing up and the day didn't typically start until 11am. In high school, I got suspended numerous times for missing my first few classes. I joined the Navy out of HS and I pretty rarely had issues with being late because I overslept, because the military is very effective at putting the fear of God in you regarding the consequences. I still always slept until the last possible minute before getting up. After the Navy, I went back to finish college and ended up taking about 30 hours worth of classes every semester, which helped some, but I still overslept and was always jumping out of bed and rushing to class at the last second. I very often would sit down in class about 5-10 mins after having been sound asleep before. My wife was very frustrated, and I was frustrated with myself. I was sure that I had some kind of sleep disorder, especially since my whole family is like this. So what changed? Mostly what changed is that I realized what you've realized: life is too short to sleep it away. My central problem has always been the actual act of getting up; once I'm up and awake, I'm fine. So I started looking around and I found this article by Steve Pavlina: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Basically, his method is to practice getting up, in the middle of the day. Bizarre (and embarrassing), but it works. I did this every day for a few weeks, and I immediately noticed a difference. The other big thing I did was go to bed early. Not earlier, as I typically went to bed at 1am or 2am, but early. Like 8pm. I'd go to bed at 8pm for a week and get up at 5am. That was more sleep than I usually got, and since I was doing it consistently, it got easier over time. Then I started going to bed a little later and now I usually get to bed between 9pm and 10pm. Because I'm consistent, I get better quality sleep and I can get by on 7 hours consistently. I know it's frustrating to have someone tell you to just go to bed early, but I found that it's a lot harder than it looks, especially because you've almost always got way more to do than you have time for and it feels like you should work on some of it rather than go to bed. The key for me was realizing (after some "split-testing") that I get probably 2-3x more accomplished in the four hours from 5am - 9am that I do from 10pm - 2am. A few other things that I found vital: - no caffeine after noon - no computer or tv within an hour of bed - keep room as dark and quiet as possible while sleeping - try to keep the same schedule on weekends - alarm clock in different room - once you're up, immediately splash water in your face - exercise several times per week - track your progress! Try this for a month. Most people I know who have become early risers would never go back. There's something incredibly rewarding about hitting 8am having already had breakfast, worked out, showered, knocked out a bunch of emails, read all your blogs, and built two new features. In San Francisco, that means you're about two hours from when most folks even start working :) Good luck!

DanielBMarkham 18y ago

Life is too short to be muttering through the day like a zombie, either, so you're going to need to sleep as much as you need. Keep going to be earlier until you wake up when you want. Stop using an alarm clock. Be consistent. I haven't used an alarm clock in years, and when I need to get up at 3:30 to hit the gym, its not a problem. Of course, I'm going to bed 8 hours before that too. You can't cheat the math. If you want to get up earlier, as pg and others said, go to bed earlier. EDIT: By nature, I have the damnedest time going to bed. I'm always immersing myself in a programming problem or a TV show or some other time sink (worthwhile or not). To fix this, I started taking melatonin an hour or so before I plan to go to sleep. I know its helped me adjust my sleep/wake cycle.

hairic 18y ago

I fast to reset my sleep cycle. I can only tolerate 10-12 hours of no calories, but longer supposedly works better. I try to maintain it by not eating during my desired sleep schedule. So if I'm up all night coding, no calories are allowed. Story about it was even posted here almost a year ago. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=199394 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=199394

mping 18y ago

Find something cool to do the next day. Regulate your body and mind so you can sleep well and wake up early.

FreeRadical 18y ago

Do something you enjoy. Look forward to the next day. Sometimes I find myself going to sleep earlier just so the next day will arrive ( :

deleted 18y ago
[deleted]

markessien 18y ago

Travel to a country that shifts your waking up time by the correct amount, and stay there for a couple of months. It's the most painless method, but it's a bit expensive.

chris11 18y ago

Personally, I have noticed that watching tv and using the computer late at night keeps me up later. There have been studies that link tv watching and reduced melatonin levels. So don't use either before you want to go to bed. Steve Pavlina has written a couple good articles. Overview. 1. Go to bed when tired 2. Get up at the same time every morning. So if you don't get enough sleep one night, you'll go to bed earlier the next. 3. Don't do anything very stimulating late at night. Don't drink caffeine, or exercise late at night. Stimulating activities will keep you up to late. 4. Don't turn getting up into a problem with self-discipline, turn getting up into a habit. It's kind of corny, but practice getting out of bed during the day. Match the conditions where you get up, turn out lights, take off your work clothes, and get into bed. When your alarm goes off, jump out of bed, thrown on clothes, and do a little bit of exercise or do something else to wake you up. It doesn't matter really what you do, it just has to be consistent. After practicing a few times, it should be a habit, and you will be able to get up with your alarm when it goes off. Part 1:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Part 2:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser-part-ii/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-ea... Getting up with an alarm clock: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/ http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right...

djahng 18y ago

set an alarm and be disciplined enough to get up and not hit snooze.

thenduks 18y ago
Unfortunately I sometimes wake up with no alarm going off, think to myself "hmm, where's the alarm? what time is it?", look at the clock and realize that it's 4 hours later than I intended and the alarm has been turned off. Since I have no recollection of turning off the alarm, it isn't really a matter of discipline :( Edit: Of course, I'm not suggesting that this is a deal breaker, or that I've 'given up', just that it's not always as simple as "just get up when the alarm goes off." I also have been known to pass the turing test in my sleep. I once convinced my wife that I had the day off when she tried to wake me up... Yea, I was really late that day.
- boundlessdreamz 18y ago
  that's the case with me too. I can talk sense even while I'm fast asleep.
  - thenduks 18y ago
    I once got up, ready, into the elevator, down to the street, bought a coffee and took a sip, looked around (dark, busy intersection not so busy), swore and then went back to bed. As far as I know I was totally coherent the whole time to everyone around (wife, doorman, coffee-shop-girl, etc). Stress factors a lot into it for me. If I'm having a good week hardly anything strange happens in my sleep.

asnyder 18y ago

I recommend using the "screaming meanie", this 120db alarm will wake both you and your neighbors in the morning, http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Meanie-220/dp/B000RZLWR8 http://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Meanie-220/dp/B000RZLWR8

Killjoy 18y ago

Exercise at least 1 hour per day, 4-5 days per week. You may begrudge the time in the gym, but I've found that an hour of exercise can replace an hour of sleep -- so you're not really out any time, you're just in pain for that hour ;).

mahmud 18y ago

Do something interesting. My project consumes the whole of me. I go to bed thinking about it, sometimes I get ideas in my sleep, and I wake up eager to implement or research whatever I "dreamed" up :-) It also helps that my girlfriend is on a different time zone and calls me early in the morning for her good-night kiss and chit chat.

datico 18y ago

I swear by this concept: http://www.homedics.com/products/soundspa-sunrise.html http://www.homedics.com/products/soundspa-sunrise.html Even just a simple timer on a lightswitch or lamp works for starters. I find the natural sunrise effect to be less jarring however. I used to use an X10-type system as well, controlled by a server to dim lights at night and brighten them in the am. This was ideal but X10 was flaky so I'm using the SoundSpa Sunrise until I can upgrade to something more reliable.

datico 18y ago
I forgot to mention...for those occasional must-get-up-very-early mornings, I drink a coke before bed (usually I'm tired enough it doesn't phase me) and sleep with the light on. 4-5 hours later, I'm up.

p47 18y ago

Well you all may missing the point. It's not important at what hour You get up. The matter is how long did You sleep. Normal person needs up to 4 circadian cycles. We make one every 1.5h, it varies individually. Here is real catch, if You sleep over this four cycles. Your brain starts to use some proteins produced during sleep. Its big waste because catecholamine is produced only during sleep. So if You over sleep, You loose energy, and You may wake up tired. To start wake up earlier, this was tested by myself. You need to reset your brain. So don't sleep for night or two. And after go sleep on proper time. For 6-6.5h. You will be fresh as new born. Interesting about the sleeps starts when You have idea about, training polyphasic sleep :-). Well its different story.

davidw 18y ago

My wife and I had a baby. Now I get up at 7 every day.

ktharavaad 18y ago

One word: Modafinil

PonyGumbo 18y ago

I'll let you borrow my cat.

indiejade 18y ago
I was going to suggest: get a cat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q
- sketerpot 18y ago
  The problem is that cats will wake you up when they feel like it. Sometimes that means 4:00 AM.

bandris 18y ago

The alarm device should play pleasant music you enjoy, but not too soft. And placed out of reach.

gord 18y ago

I'm thinking the real answer is "Do whatever it is that your so fired up about, it makes you get up at 5am."

danbmil99 18y ago

wrap around.

zaius 18y ago

If I go to bed at midnight, I wake up after 10 hours of sleep. If I go to bed at 5am, I wake up after 7. If you're really looking to maximize your waking time, it's not about getting up early, it's about finding your most productive pattern. My work output doubled once I realized this and stopped setting alarms.

froo 18y ago

I've always been the kind of person who loves sleeping in. I've got several alarm clocks strategically placed in my room so that I can't simply turn them off without having to actually get out of bed and because there are several of them, the resulting dissonant noise is usually enough to wake me up.

mhb 18y ago

Find people to work out with and establish a time to meet early in the morning. Make sure they will be pissed off if you don't show up. Rowing is ideal for this.

frosty 18y ago

Its not like somebody will pay me if i get up early :) I say stay up as long as required and try to get as much done as possible. But one important thing is to maintain atleast a 12 hour overlap with other people in your team if you are in a startup. An added advantage is, there is somebody to monitor the servers round the clock ;).

hugs 18y ago

Get a kid, particularly the infant kind. They'll wake up at 5am without fail everyday for the first several years and are impossible to ignore when they're awake. When they start sleeping in late, get a another one.

chanux 18y ago

I love the way my mom's younger brother wakes me up. This is a memory of my kid time. He softly talk to me saying "it's better to wake up" while providing some dim light with his little torch. It gives me a comfortable wake up. I wish I can have that smooth wake up all the time but now he has his own kids to worry about and he's so far away from me. It'll be good if there's something emulates that feeling. My story won't mean you anything. But I enjoyed reminiscing those nice wake ups & if I ever have to wake some one up I'll definitely do it my uncles way.

ciupicri 18y ago

I wonder how Paul Buchheit (the guy who started GMail) got around this problem. He mentioned that he's not an early riser in the book "Founders at Work". When searching more on the subject, I found this interesting text: "This sort of smugness is prevalent among morning people, who count among their ranks Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, nearly every American president, and even Jesus. (See Mark 1:35: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.") Night people are stuck with psychopaths like Adolf Hitler and Juan Arreola, the guy in Pennsylvania who nearly killed his girlfriend's 2-year-old last year, explaining to a judge, "I'm not a morning person."" http://friendfeed.com/e/cc0e9eb4-39ff-11dd-9d6f-003048343a40/Can-a-night-owl-become-a-morning-person-A-Slate/ http://friendfeed.com/e/cc0e9eb4-39ff-11dd-9d6f-003048343a40...

DTrejo 18y ago

These help me with early wake-ups (3:00am): * My pre-alarm goes off 15 minutes early. After this alarm, I start thinking and worrying about what I need to do. When the real alarm sounds I'm ready to jump out of bed. * I don't use the bathroom in the morning when I'm sleepy. A full bladder helps me stay awake. * I nap whenever I can't work. * Also, drink some water before you go to bed and don't use the bathroom, this will help you wake up in the morning.

ninguem2 18y ago

I will be more flippant than pg: Just get up already. Now I will explain my reaction so I don't just get downvoted and if you disagree with me, reply. Most people in the world have responsibilities. Kids to feed and to take to school, chores and errands to do plus a (sometimes long) commute to a job where they cannot afford to be late (responsibilities, a boss, or both). Yet, they all manage just fine.