Trying to wake up earlier in the morning. Any helpful advice?

[speedmom4]

Hi ladies,

 

Every year I determine that I'm going to get up early each morning so that we can start school at a decent time. I usually start out pretty good and then it falls apart and I'm getting up much later than I want to be. We are starting school today and I was up by 6 a.m. and my plan is to start school by 8. I don't enjoy getting up early and I like staying up late. But that doesn't make for as productive of a school day as I would like. 

 

I want to view homeschooling like I would any other job. I wouldn't show up to work late but it's much harder when there is no accountability in that area. My dh travels a lot for his job but when he is home he has committed to helping me.

 

Have any of you gone from being unsuccessful in this area to being diligent? 

 

TIA, 

Elise in NC

[....]

My husband and I get up around 4am-4:30 every morning.  :(   It helps to immediately go to the coffee maker and make coffee.  I also start cooking some oatmeal as I'm making coffee (my husband wants to eat oatmeal before he leaves for work).  If both of you get up at the same time, it helps.  Also, we have a very old Shih Tzu and a Border Collie who need to go outside around that time and THAT helps.  The Shih Tzu will let me know if I'm not getting out of bed fast enough.  Getting up that early means you can work out and take a shower before the kids even get up.  It can make a huge difference in your day.  I slept in one day until 7 and it felt like it was 10:00 before we could even get started with our day.  The downside to all this...by 9pm, I'm usually passing out on the couch and the kids are still running all over the place.   :D   

[MissKNG]

Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room! You will have to get up to turn it off. Then stay up and jump in the shower right away.

[Soror]

Go to bed earlier! Your body needs a certain amount of sleep and if you keep going to bed late your body is going to continue to fight getting up earlier. You cannot go to bed late and get up early!

[Love My Life x4]

Honestly, just start forcing yourself to do it.  It DOES get easier after a few weeks :)  I am up at 4 every single day, outside to run at 4:30... I run for a couple hours and get home in time to do a quick arm/ab workout, shower and get myself ready to start my day.  2 years ago I was running during my husbands lunch break (1.5 hours), I could not get up early.  And then I decided enough of that, I started getting up early and now it's my favorite time of day :)  I get SO much done after my workout/shower too... and I'm energized for the day!

I go to bed around 10-11.

[Parrothead]

Set the alarm and put it somewhere in the room that you have to get out of bed to shut it off. You'll start being tired earlier and the new sleep habit will take over.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Honestly, just start forcing yourself to do it.  It DOES get easier after a few weeks :)  I am up at 4 every single day, outside to run at 4:30... I run for a couple hours and get home in time to do a quick arm/ab workout, shower and get myself ready to start my day.  2 years ago I was running during my husbands lunch break (1.5 hours), I could not get up early.  And then I decided enough of that, I started getting up early and now it's my favorite time of day :)  I get SO much done after my workout/shower too... and I'm energized for the day!

 

I go to bed around 10-11.

 

You must need less sleep than most people. ;)

 

5-6 hours of sleep would be counterproductive for many people--myself included!

[boscopup]

I agree with going to bed earlier. It is hard to get into that habit, but you have to do it. I now wake up at 5:30ish without an alarm clock, but DH and I are in bed by 9am most nights. When he's out of town, I have a hard time curbing my late night habit, so I have a friend text me to remind me to go to bed. I'm usually in bed earlier than I used to be. :) No staying up until 2 am for me!

[SilverMoon]

More coffee, and none of that decaf stuff.

 

Getting exercise helps me. I walk or run with my teens (they slow down for me). Not being a morning person I have to get up 30 minutes before they do so I can function enough to go with them.

[Miss Marple]

Since I don't know where you live, this may not be applicable, but we live in an area where I don't have to have window coverings.  It is soooo easy to get up in the morning when it is light outside (around 6:00 am).  Could you get window coverings that allow the sunlight to stream in?

[Alice]

I have to get up early for work. I am naturally a night owl but I do think you can switch that if you have to (or really want to). The big thing for me is I have to go to bed early and BEFORE I start to feel energized. If I let myself stay up until say 10:30 I start to feel energized and easily feel like I’m fine if I stay up another hour or two or even later. But I have to get up at 5 so that doesn’t work for me. I have to go to bed by 10 OR I have to make myself go to bed even if I’m not sleepy when it’s later than that. 

 

It’s also important if you are going against your own nature to stick with the habit. You really can’t let yourself sleep in on weekends and holidays, more than an hour past the time you have to get up most days. If you do that your body will want to “reset†back to the old ways. I went to a lecture by a sleep doc. and he compared that (sleeping late on weekends, going to bed late and then trying to get up early on weekends) as being perpetually jet-lagged. 

 

I have found like many things that it’s all about habit. Once you get into the habit it’s not that hard to stick with it. Maybe you could schedule something early in the morning for about a month to help you get into the habit. Even if it’s something like walking with a friend  or having someone else that gets up early that you are accountable to calling early in the morning (or emailing, etc). Maybe your dh could call you every day for a month even if he is traveling. Just something to keep you accountable and help you get into the habit. 

[carriede]

Since I don't know where you live, this may not be applicable, but we live in an area where I don't have to have window coverings. It is soooo easy to get up in the morning when it is light outside (around 6:00 am). Could you get window coverings that allow the sunlight to stream in?

Interesting idea!

[EKS]

Get up immediately when the alarm goes off.  The snooze button is not your friend (just lying there isn't good either).  Get coffee ready to go the night before and if your coffee maker has a timer, set that.  If it doesn't, strongly consider getting one that does.  Even if you don't have it on a timer, if you've gotten it ready the night before, all you have to do is push start (which is far less complicated!).

 

And if you don't drink coffee, start immediately!

[ladydusk]

Drinking more water has helped me sleep a more reasonable number of hours. Forcing myself to get up for some reason (Bible reading) has helped too. I fell off the wagon on vacation in June but am dragging myself back on.

[fairfarmhand]

here;s the deal...(I've reahabbed my seriously night owl dh in the past 15 yrs)

 

Go to bed. Set your alarm and do whatever you have to do to get up. Get one of those old fashioned alarms without a snooze and put it across the room. Once you get up, you will probably have to pee. Go to the bathroom, and splash some water on your face afterward. Have your clothes in the bathroom and go ahead and put them on.

 

Next, go make up your bed. You'll be less likely to crawl back in if it's all neat and pretty.

 

Get started on your day. Coffee, breakfast, WTM forums... whatever.

 

Next thing... go to bed on time.

 

Yes, I've heard it all...I just don't get sleepy at night. I'm just getting ramped up at 8 pm...

 

So you plan on making yourself sleepy. Get your supper dishes done and start intentionally relaxing. Stay away from screens, intense reading or anything else (other than teA)  that will stimulate you. Seriously, shut off all screens after 8. It will really help you. Climb into bed after setting the thermostat a few degrees cooler. Read something soothing (the Bible and poetry are great for relaxing). Turn off the lights at 9:30 or 10 at the latest.

 

After a few weeks, you will start getting tired earlier and getting up will be much easier. The real trick is ON THE WEEKENDS, DON'T VARY YOUR ROUTINE BY MORE THAN AN HOUR! That was key for my dh and I. If we stayed up till midnight on Friday night and slept really late, his body immediately snapped back into the "stay up late, sleep late" routine.

[Caitilin]

I find that for me, it's very helpful for there to be sunlight. On dark dreary days, it's much harder for me to wake up than on nice sunny ones. I am planning to get one of those light alarm clocks for the winter, which is long and dark here in the Frozen North, ad see if that can mimic the bright early summer mornings well enough to get me out of bed at a time more conducive to an early school start. Good Luck!

[kwickimom]

I found that eating better and exercising has helped a lot. I now only require 7 hours of sleep so I can go to bed at 11 and still get up at 6. I run or lift weights every night at 9 and then come home and shower, watch a show and go to bed. 

[Amy Jo]

I'm trying to get back into the habit but what's worked for me:

* I have an alarm clock with a sunrise feature, this maxes about 5 minutes before ...

* My phone alarm, which is annoying enough I like to turn it off instantly. I HAVE to put the phone far enough away that it requires me to take a few steps, because I can apparently turn it off in my sleep. (On a related note, leaving said phone in the living room is a bit too far ... I've done that as well.)

* I like to sleep a bit less at night, so I really need a power nap in the afternoon.

* I need to get away from screens / go to bed earlier. 

 

A PP said they need to go to bed before they get the "second wind" - that's a wonderful insight - that's what keeps happening to me. I need to start watching out for it as well. I think I'll add the face washing to my wake up list as well.

 

If you look at a sunrise clock, read the reviews and be sure it is bright. Just go for quality the first time. I have a Phillips clock currently, it's bright and even makes bird sounds.

[SailorMom]

Sadly, no trick here. I'm a night person. I just have to force myself out of bed. I find that if I get up before 7am for a week or so, I will be able to finally start falling asleep earlier. The first week is a real bear, though.

[speedmom4]

You ladies are awesome!!! Thank you all so much for the suggestions! It's only 11:30 a.m. and we've already gotten a lot accomplished. I'm definitely going to look into the sunrise alarm clock. As winter creeps in it's going to be harder and harder to get up. I wish I was a coffee drinker and could set a coffee maker to turn on in the morning but it upsets my stomach. 

 

Thanks so much!!

 

Elise in NC

[regentrude]

One thing to avoid is sleeping in on weekends! It is much easier to develop a routine of getting up early if you do it consistently every.single.day. Giving in to the temptation to sleep late on weekends pretty much destroys the progress made during the week.

I agree with sleeping without window covers; it is easier to wake and get up with natural sunlight.

[DarlaS]

Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room! You will have to get up to turn it off. Then stay up and jump in the shower right away.

:iagree:

 

I use my phone for my alarm, and leave it on the kitchen counter. I actually have to get up and leave the room to turn it off (We have a ranch style house--the kitchen counter is about 8' from my bedroom door.)

 

7:30 is early enough for me. My youngest is up consistently around 8:30. That gives me dog walking/coffee time before breakfast and schoolwork.

[MotherOfBoys]

The "leave the clock across the room" thing helped me through college. Works like a charm. I put it right next to my clothes for the day so I might as well put them on.

 

The making the bed works too because if I do lay back down on it, I do so on top and I don't stay there that long.

 

Coffee with a timer also has auto shut off after two hours. I have a time frame to get my drug before it gets cold.

 

I just did the open curtains before bed thing this week. I am up by 7:30 now! WOW. The sun comes right in my window and it's such a good annoying wake up. LOVE IT!

[Slipper]

Something that helps me (and it sounds odd)...I set out clothes the night before and I make sure the kitchen is clean. Sometimes I pre-cook some of the breakfast items (pancakes, bacon). For whatever reason, waking up is not so difficult if I'm not laying in bed thinking about what is clean to wear or do I need to clean the kitchen before breakfast, etc. I wake up and feel organized immediately. It makes it fun to wake up and start the day.

 

(Sidenote - I'm not always a morning person, but once I'm in the habit, I stay that way until something throws me off. BUT, when I'm a morning person, having things organized makes it easy to get up.)

[KathyJo]

None of these recommendations EVER worked for me. :-)

 

Bright lights in the evening disrupt your circadian rhythm. They cause your body to NOT make the sleepy-time hormone, melatonin. When it starts to get dark, don't light up the house. Use dim lights only where necessary. Stay off the computer, and don't watch TV.

 

I used to be a chronic insomniac. I would stay up till 2 to 4 in the morning, then I wanted to sleep away the day. We moved off-grid, and those suggestions I just gave you became necessities for us, not options. We ALL sleep better now. We all go to bed early, we all get up early. The only time I have a problem going to sleep now is when I ignore the advice I just gave you and I stay up fiddling on the computer.

 

Nowadays, I generally wake up on my own somewhere between 6 and 8 am. Barring unusual circumstances, I always feel well rested. And generally speaking, I don't use caffeine.

[julikins]

I have a very hard time waking up in the morning and I'm changing that habit since February.

The trick for me is to go to bed by 10. It's hard, and sometimes I go past it (liked the advice about the 2nd wind thing). But then, even if I didn't get enough sleep, I force myself up because I go walking at 6:00 with a lady down the street and I don't want her to be waiting for me. So that's my accountability. I do that 5 days a week and I usually take a 15-30 minute power nap in the afternoon. That's helped me a lot. It's been a nice change for our family and I feel much more productive. The exercise has helped and now I'm working on LOSING WEIGHT!

But for me the keys things to changing my habits have been:

1. Go to bed at a regular time

2. Get up anyway, even if you didn't go to sleep on time (you'll be tired the next night for sure)

3. Have an accountability partner that you don't want to keep waiting for you or something like that.

4. Take a power nap in the afternoon.

[Love My Life x4]

You must need less sleep than most people. ;)

 

5-6 hours of sleep would be counterproductive for many people--myself included!

 

I don't know, maybe.  Running is a HUGE motivation for me and the reason I (usually) have no problems getting out of bed.  I love it!  I cannot even imagine now missing a morning run. Totally energizes me for the day.  I put in lots of miles/week... lol!

 

I don't drink coffee or any type of caffeine drink at all.  I am also a very healthy eater and I know that helps too. 

 

My running partner is on the same schedule as me...

[Critterfixer]

I honestly think that one of the biggest helps to getting up early (when you don't want to) is having an irresistable reason to get out of bed. It doesn't have to be pleasant. But it does have to be one of those things you cannot ignore.

 

Like four dogs who MUST go out (on leash walks) at 5:30-6:00 am. You don't want the consequences of ignoring that urgent reason to get up. 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I don't know, maybe.  Running is a HUGE motivation for me and the reason I (usually) have no problems getting out of bed.  I love it!  I cannot even imagine now missing a morning run. Totally energizes me for the day.  I put in lots of miles/week... lol!

 

I don't drink coffee or any type of caffeine drink at all.  I am also a very healthy eater and I know that helps too. 

 

My running partner is on the same schedule as me...

 

Being a healthy eater and runner doesn't mean one needs less than a typical amount of sleep. :)

Ask me how I know. ;)

 

In fact, some would argue if one is running, lifting, etc. more sleep is needed.

 

It truly does come down to individual needs which are influenced by various factors over the course of our lives. I've never seen studies that show 5-6 hours of sleep is a good amount for most people. I'm not saying it's not right for you, but others shouldn't deprive their bodies of sleep simply because someone else needs less.

[sewingmama]

I havent mastered this yet so no advice from me. Yesterday we got up at 11 and were still doing schoolwork at dinner time.

 

Dont put your Ipad next to your bed (says person who is in bed posting from Ipad and NOT getting up ;) )

 

Dont move to the country where it is super quiet and you dont have any commitments or reason to be on time or go anywhere

 

Dont live in any country that has winter

 

Dont birth children who are night owls

 

Dont take medication that makes you drowsy

 

Dont be a non coffee drinker

 

 

 

Thats all I got LOL

[MomOfOneFunOne]

I honestly think that one of the biggest helps to getting up early (when you don't want to) is having an irresistable reason to get out of bed. It doesn't have to be pleasant. But it does have to be one of those things you cannot ignore.

 

AMDG

 

That's it exactly.  I have tried all the other things from setting the alarm clock across the room to putting flood lights on a timer so it would be super bright in my room.  Nothing worked.

 

However, when I have a commitment I feel I can by no means shirk, I get up and go.  So, that being one obvious truth, I used it.  I made commitments for every day at 7.  True.  

 

I can't just get up early just because I want to.  I just can't.  I can get up when I have some kind of external accountability.

 

I r.e.a.l.l.y  do not like that about myself.  Still, I recognize it and work with it.

 

Now that I've got 6.30 worked out, I again find that I wish I could get up earlier than that so I can do some things before my kiddo gets up.  

[speedmom4]

I honestly think that one of the biggest helps to getting up early (when you don't want to) is having an irresistable reason to get out of bed. It doesn't have to be pleasant. But it does have to be one of those things you cannot ignore.

 

Like four dogs who MUST go out (on leash walks) at 5:30-6:00 am. You don't want the consequences of ignoring that urgent reason to get up. 

 

:lol: Love the imagery!!!

 

Elise in NC

[MusicMama]

I want to be up earlier, too!  My day goes so much smoother if I get up before the 5 little ones do.  But for me, the hardest thing is going to bed early.  I FINALLY have time to myself, and have some many things I want to do.  Getting to bed at 12:00am is not helping me get up early.  :(   

[aggieamy]

AMDG

 

That's it exactly.  I have tried all the other things from setting the alarm clock across the room to putting flood lights on a timer so it would be super bright in my room.  Nothing worked.

 

However, when I have a commitment I feel I can by no means shirk, I get up and go.  So, that being one obvious truth, I used it.  I made commitments for every day at 7.  True.  

 

I can't just get up early just because I want to.  I just can't.  I can get up when I have some kind of external accountability.

 

I r.e.a.l.l.y  do not like that about myself.  Still, I recognize it and work with it.

 

Now that I've got 6.30 worked out, I again find that I wish I could get up earlier than that so I can do some things before my kiddo gets up.  

 

Me too!  My friends always want to know why I'm crazy enough to schedule things so early.  Well - when you work/school from home and there's never any reason to get up at a decent time then you'll find my whole family sleeping soundly at 9:30 am on a Tuesday.  Then we want to be done with school or work at a decent time but shouldn't be because we didn't start until almost 11 o'clock.  Ugh.  Hence the reason I'm always trying to get my friends to meet me for walks at 7 am!

[Mommy22alyns]

I definitely have to not stay up as late at night.  I guess I'm motivated by the fact that if I don't wake up and start school in time, we won't finish by the time Rebecca has to leave for gymnastics, which will put us behind, and...and..and....  I can't handle that.  So, up I go.  I actually have the girls wake up earlier and eat and then wake me up with coffee.  Well, ideally with coffee, usually I get up and make it myself.

[Hedgehogs4]

I agree with PP who said get to bed earlier. If I am in bed by 10:30 (it's already past now!) I don't have much trouble getting up early.

 

My natural tendency is to be a night-owl and to not get up until 8:00 a.m., but if I am in bed early, I actually enjoy the morning!

 

[Guest]

My big thing right now is that when I set my alarm for an early time (before 6:30), if I am woken out of a certain stage of sleep, I will get an immediate migraine. That happened to me on Wednesday when I had to get up really early and get us all ready for an early doctor's appointment. That said, I think if I were to go to bed at the same time nightly and be in a habit of getting up early, I wouldn't have that problem.

 

 

 

None of these recommendations EVER worked for me. :-)

 

Bright lights in the evening disrupt your circadian rhythm. They cause your body to NOT make the sleepy-time hormone, melatonin. When it starts to get dark, don't light up the house. Use dim lights only where necessary. Stay off the computer, and don't watch TV.

 

I used to be a chronic insomniac. I would stay up till 2 to 4 in the morning, then I wanted to sleep away the day. We moved off-grid, and those suggestions I just gave you became necessities for us, not options. We ALL sleep better now. We all go to bed early, we all get up early. The only time I have a problem going to sleep now is when I ignore the advice I just gave you and I stay up fiddling on the computer.

 

Nowadays, I generally wake up on my own somewhere between 6 and 8 am. Barring unusual circumstances, I always feel well rested. And generally speaking, I don't use caffeine.

 

I think this is ideal. We went camping last month and there were a ton of fire restrictions in place, so once the sun set, we basically had no light. We went to bed with the sun, and woke up with the sun. We were up at 5:30 every morning. I didn't have any coffee that week, and I am telling you, I do not know when the last time I felt so well and rested! Me getting up at 5:30 here? Ha! I also don't go to bed at 8, either.

 

After a few weeks, you will start getting tired earlier and getting up will be much easier. The real trick is ON THE WEEKENDS, DON'T VARY YOUR ROUTINE BY MORE THAN AN HOUR! That was key for my dh and I. If we stayed up till midnight on Friday night and slept really late, his body immediately snapped back into the "stay up late, sleep late" routine.

 

I think this is interesting. I think it was Teri Maxwell (?) that said in her scheduling book that they went to bed all early and then on the weekend her and her husband stayed up to midnight. I never fully bought that (for me) because I didn't think I would be able to jump back and forth like that. I agree with what you posted here.

[Rosie_0801]

Eat a more carb heavy meal for dinner, so you'll want to go to sleep earlier, then eat a protein heavy meal for breakfast. Gotta keep those serotonin levels up or you won't want to get out of bed.

[aggieamy]

Note to everyone trying to get up early tomorrow (myself included):  We should all be in bed by now.  :)

[speedmom4]

I'm SO tired right now! My biggest problem is that I have three teenagers and two of them like to stay up late. Last night I kept telling them to please go to their room to be quiet. We are going to have a chat this afternoon. This will be doable but only if I can realistically get to bed by 10. Right now I am wishing I was a coffee drinker.  :svengo:

 

Elise in NC

[kristinannie]

I have been struggling with this as well!!!  I am not a morning person.  I agree with the others that it does get easier once it is a habit.  I have found that the only way that I could do this consistently was to do it for God.  I get up and do my prayer time and drink my coffee. I get some time with God and some time to myself and I am in a MUCH better mood during school than before when the kids came in and woke me up to instant chaos!

 

Oh, and get your kids on the earlier schedule too!  They adjust MUCH more easily and they will keep you honest!

[shawthorne44]

I used to have this problem.  One thing I did was replace all the bulbs in the bathroom with the max. wattage that each fixture allowed.  Then when I go in for my morning pee, I turn on the lights.  When you have 7-800 watts of lights immediately around you, it is easy to wake up.  I can also leave my bedroom curtains open.  

[Penelope]

It is a habit. But apparently not a long-lasting one for some of us; my mind is always trying to revert back to the sleeping-in thing. :) my biggest problem here is that I stay up later because I have little ones, and the only chance I have to read, contemplate, whatever, is when they are asleep. They seem to have mom-radar in the morning, where as soon as I get up, they are up with me.

 

A lot of different things can help, but the thing that helps me the most is my mindset about what I am doing every day. Because the truth is, if I still had a job where I needed to be at the office a certain time and my kids needed to be at school on time, I would make sure I did it, no matter what, and all these extra helps people are talking about in this thread would happen more naturally. What helps me the most is the mindset that homeschooling is my job, getting an education is the kids' job, and in order to do our jobs well we need to start early.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

It is a habit. But apparently not a long-lasting one for some of us; my mind is always trying to revert back to the sleeping-in thing. :) my biggest problem here is that I stay up later because I have little ones, and the only chance I have to read, contemplate, whatever, is when they are asleep. They seem to have mom-radar in the morning, where as soon as I get up, they are up with me.

 

This! 

 

OK, thanks to this thread, I just bought the sunrise clock I've been debating for, oh, 10 years now! DH has been wanting to get up in time to go to the gym, so maybe it will help him too. I think it's the same one Amy Jo mentioned, and it gets great reviews. There's also a $10 coupon on Amazon at the moment, so it ended up being $74 (including tax). 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Hf3470-Wake-up-Light-White/dp/B003XN4RIC/

 

Don't forget to scroll down and click on the coupon first.

[SailorMom]

Being a healthy eater and runner doesn't mean one needs less than a typical amount of sleep. :)

Ask me how I know. ;)

 

In fact, some would argue if one is running, lifting, etc. more sleep is needed.

 

It truly does come down to individual needs which are influenced by various factors over the course of our lives. I've never seen studies that show 5-6 hours of sleep is a good amount for most people. I'm not saying it's not right for you, but others shouldn't deprive their bodies of sleep simply because someone else needs less.

It took me YEARS to convince my DH that I actually do need more sleep than he does and it isn't a weakness or a sign of being lazy. I mean - like 15 years!

I eat VERY healthily, exercise, etc., but I feel like a zombie on less that 7 hours, and am not functioning at my peak unless I get 8-9 hours.

No matter what I do, or try, or think - that is just how it is for me :)

[Mandylubug]

I am in the boat of trying to get on a better schedule since we start back our schooling next week. DH has been off for 9 days and we have been lazy home bodies... but we have become accustomed to staying up till 2am and sleeping till 11am. (DH has a late work schedule so he always stays up late) The kids are all older, they fix their own food in the mornings and do their own things typically or sleep in themselves... I went to bed at 11pm last night attempting to better my schedule. I did fall asleep but woke up to someone texting me an hour later. Was WIDE awake so I finally at 1am decided to take a benadryl to aid in me falling back asleep and then started reading my book. Looked at the clock at 2:30am, growled at myself and turned everything off.. guess what time I woke up this morning? Yep 11am.... new bedtime routine last night: FAIL LOL We shall attempt again tonight, with my phone off, too.

[boscopup]

It is a habit. But apparently not a long-lasting one for some of us; my mind is always trying to revert back to the sleeping-in thing. :) my biggest problem here is that I stay up later because I have little ones, and the only chance I have to read, contemplate, whatever, is when they are asleep. They seem to have mom-radar in the morning, where as soon as I get up, they are up with me.

 

That's why I started the rule that they couldn't come downstairs until 7am. They can play quietly in their room or the toy room, but they cannot come near me. :lol:

 

[quark]

It is a habit. But apparently not a long-lasting one for some of us; my mind is always trying to revert back to the sleeping-in thing. :) my biggest problem here is that I stay up later because I have little ones, and the only chance I have to read, contemplate, whatever, is when they are asleep. They seem to have mom-radar in the morning, where as soon as I get up, they are up with me.

 

This is me too...not because I have little ones or lots of kids but because the only time I can actually focus and be productive is when my guys (DS and DH) are asleep. I have always been that way from young...midnight to about 2am are my most productive hours and my most creative as well. These days with an older kiddo I do have time in the afternoons to read etc. but I can't focus in the afternoons...there are just too many other distractions.

 

It took me YEARS to convince my DH that I actually do need more sleep than he does and it isn't a weakness or a sign of being lazy. I mean - like 15 years!

I eat VERY healthily, exercise, etc., but I feel like a zombie on less that 7 hours, and am not functioning at my peak unless I get 8-9 hours.

No matter what I do, or try, or think - that is just how it is for me :)

 

Thank you for saying this. I have always felt guilty for needing more sleep than I get. DH functions great with 3-4 hours (but he can also do power naps anywhere at anytime while I really need much more comfort in order to fall asleep). I have always thought I must be lazier lol. Besides I get so many vivid dreams when I fall asleep that I rarely feel rested when I wake up, unless I manage to sleep for 8-9 hours straight.

[LivingHope]

Set up a midday "get out of bed to alarm" drill...and practice this when you are fully awake...

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/

 

Seems silly but I just might do this with my children. :-)

[Critterfixer]

I can't just get up early just because I want to.  I just can't.  I can get up when I have some kind of external accountability.

 

I r.e.a.l.l.y  do not like that about myself.  Still, I recognize it and work with it.

 

Sometimes I wonder whether people who are early birds by nature lament the fact that they turn into pumpkins by nine at night.

I've got the best of both worlds now. I know how to be motivated to get out of bed to stumble a few laps around the yard, towed by happy sunrise hounds, and I know I'm still capable of taking care of a sick child at night in an alert fashion.

 

Not liking the fact that you don't feel like crowing when the sun comes up doesn't do much to make you more enthused about mornings. Instead, be happy that you know how to motivate yourself and still have the natural ability to burn the midnight oil when you have to.