Night Owl to Morning Person Body Clock

[relicalpha]

Hey,

Anyone here ever long-term changed from being a night owl to a consistent early bird? I'm very much of the natural disposition to staying up till 2/3am working and generally am way more productive at night than I ever could be at 7am and then waking up at very socially unacceptable times! Been like this since I was a teen. It seems like there's plenty of research suggesting we genetically fall in two groups here. Usually when I wake up for work I will look pretty rough till 10am and a few coffees

I'd like to try changing to 5/6am, mainly for morning exercise as I do lack energy for late night exercise somehow - but also as a challenge just so see if I can! For those that have made a long term change, any regrets? how long does it take for a routine to built to the point you actually feel 'chirpy' first thing if ever? And I imagine it's super easy to break your body clock routine with even a single weekend lie in?

Is going cold turkey the best way and just ensure you're consistently in bed for 10pm? Or is it a pointless quest and should night mode just be embraced for life

Thanks!

 

[Orionaut]

Yes actually. It is very easy. Just leave your curtains open at night, let the daylight wake you and then get up. I always used to be the night owl/sleep in type until I decided to make the change.

I still sleep in sometimes. But I have also been getting up between 04:30 and 05:00 in recent weeks.

Be aware of course that you cant burn the candle at both ends. Getting up at 04:30 does mean going to bed (And lights out) by 21:00

Start in the winter and you will gradually work into it. or just do it now.

This is how we are supposed to work as animal's. Embrace your inner caveman!

 

[LabR@t]

It's easier to stay awake than to get up

 

[Puzzled]

Whenever I've tried to change I just end up feeling awful, then at some point I'll stay up late to watch a film or something and naturally go back in to the rhythm of going to bed late.

I like the idea of getting up early and being productive in the morning but not the reality

 

[Steeps]

Tried the sunlight thing, turns out I can sleep just as well when it's light as when it's dark.

 

[barbelblanker]

I worked late shift 12-8 or 2-10 for over 20 years, so when I started my last job getting up at 6:15am for an 8am start was a shock to the system.
I was so used to still being awake at 2-3am I just couldn't get to sleep any earlier even though I was tired. So I spent the first couple of weeks gradually going to bed a little earlier each night.
Although I still struggle to get in bed and asleep much before midnight I'm fine on 6 hours sleep, sometimes catching up a bit on a weekend.
Its hard for us night owls!

 

[Begbie]

I just thought it was old age

I get up about 7, most days now. It's awesome. I don't have any tips, except to become more of a morning person.

 

[Smokey Deza]

Did twilight shift for years. Then changed to 8:30 start with a 10 mile cycle to new job.

Nothing to it really. I do find myself tired af when I wake up, but overall I'm awake an extra 3-4 hours a day.

Might be something you experience if you are a natural night owl.

 

[Scam]

OP should read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. Great book. Might not make you feel any better about it, but hey. It does explain how society naturally looks down on night owls and thinks the sun shines out of morning lark's rear ends :rollers: Pretty damn unfair.

I was actually thinking about the same thing earlier today. Even if I get 8hrs solid sleep I feel like gash until 11am ish. It's rubbish. I've cut down caffeine (5 drinks a day down to 1 tea and 1 coffee only, and nothing after lunch) but beyond helping me sleep a bit, doesn't seem to help me in the mornings...

Having done night shifts previously for 5 years, I can also sleep in the sunshine

 

[FoxEye]

Last I heard it's partly genetic.

You can probably override it by force of will but you are what you are at the end of the day.

OP should read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. Great book. Might not make you feel any better about it, but hey. It does explain how society naturally looks down on night owls and thinks the sun shines out of morning lark's rear ends :rollers: Pretty damn unfair.

I was actually thinking about the same thing earlier today. Even if I get 8hrs solid sleep I feel like gash until 11am ish. It's rubbish. I've cut down caffeine (5 drinks a day down to 1 tea and 1 coffee only, and nothing after lunch) but beyond helping me sleep a bit, doesn't seem to help me in the mornings...

Having done night shifts previously for 5 years, I can also sleep in the sunshine

At one point I got the nickname "vampire", because I could happily get up at 4pm and go to sleep at 9am the next morning

These days I typically get up at just gone 9am. But it's rare I go to bed before 1am.

 

[kindai]

I can easily sleep through alarms, open curtains, even people chopping trees down and chipping them if its not "my time" to wake up.

Soon as 10am hits however, bang, up and awake.

I'm just wired to sleep 2am-10am.

 

[relicalpha]

OP should read "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker. Great book.

Thanks, I'll check this out And oh it's nearly 1am again, going well so far!

 

[Rroff]

It is something I've struggled with for years - I never have the energy and productivity I do if I get up around 5am but normal sleeping hours just don't work for me - for years anything other than ~3am to 11am would leave my body completely out of whack and I could never adjust regardless of what I tried but then by pure chance I found I can also do ~8pm to 4am. But trying to push that on a little so as to work around a 9-5 job for instance just does not work at all and results in erratic sleeping and me feeling like I'm existing as a zombie until I get back to a pattern that works for me.

 

[FoxEye]

Thanks, I'll check this out And oh it's nearly 1am again, going well so far!

One of us, one of us...

Can't beat your genes

 

[Haggisman]

Be aware of course that you cant burn the candle at both ends. Getting up at 04:30 does mean going to bed (And lights out) by 21:00

Everyone with young kids disagrees