Acceptance

For some reason if i go to sleep at 0000 i wake naturally quite early. But if i go later or earlier, i sleep way too much. I went to bed at 0000 for about a year as I had things to wake up for and at some point i started to wake in time or earlier even without alarm. It still seems to work even after sleeping way too late for many months.

While i had work, i also woke up about hour before i had to leave just so i can “nap” for hour. I would wake up, brush my teeth and put my clothes on so i can just leave and then set alarm for about 1h. I dont know if it was good idea or not, but it felt like it worked.

So going to bed at same time each or at least most nights and getting enough sleep might help. And definitely dont do anything extra in bed while trying to sleep like using phone, it will surely lower the quality of sleep.

The only thing I’ve tried that actually works: apps like Sleep Cycle.

The app tracks your sleep, but that’s secondary for you. What you want out of it is the alarm part. You give it an interval of time when you want to wake up, and it’ll do it based on which sleep stage you’re in.

The idea is simple - you have different stages of sleep. Sometimes you’re in deep sleep, sometimes in REM (rapid eye movement), sometimes in light sleep - there may be others, idm. You want to wake up from light sleep, that’s when you feel the most fresh. Waking up from deep sleep you’re all groggy and still half asleep. So the app determines when you’re in the lightest sleep, and it plays an alarm gradually, so that you’re not just scared awake.

You can read more here: https://www.sleepcycle.com/features/smart-alarm-clock/

The thing is, this feature is actually not why I got the app. I wanted to track my sleep, I didn’t really care about how I woke up. But I honestly just found it easier to wake up with this, so now I recommend it.

Don’t forget that whatever method you adopt repetition and time are the most help. Like exercise or quitting smoking, eventually your body will get the message that now it’s time to go to sleep, and now it’s time to wake up. But it takes practice to make a habit. I heard once a habit takes on average 36 consecutive attempts, so expect at least a month or more before you don’t feel like you’re trying anymore and it just happens on it’s own.

Be born different, my friend. Never regret how you were built, however, as it is prized and unique.

Do you mean regularly or exceptionally?

If I need to get up early as an exception I just go to bed earlier and automatically tend to wake up before my early alarm.

get 10-12 hours of sleep before, works like a charm, I get tired around 3pm and go to sleep at 7-8. wake up at 4-6 and have no free time. but I manage to get to school on time, and all I have to do is sacrifice my entire personal life.

Get up. Don’t fuck around with snooze, those few extra minutes don’t help.

Allow time to reward yourself for getting up. For me it’s word puzzles and coffee before I get ready.

I do several things in conjunction.

1. I plan when I need to go sleep using either sleepyti.me or wakeupti.me and set my alarms accordingly. Setting your alarm to align with your sleep patterns makes the act of waking up much easier.

2. I set my phone on my desk away from my bed. The reasoning is two-fold; it forces me to get up and out of bed to dismiss my alarm(This works extra well if you make it a habit to get dressed as soon as you’re out of bed.), and it prevents me from laying in bed while playing on my phone.

3. I wake up at the same time every day. Consistency is paramount managing sleep.

4. I only sleep in my bed. I don’t do anything else. This builds an association to automatically get sleepy when you get in bed because the only thing you in bed is sleep. Your brain knows what to expect and just does it. Sort of like how some guys get excited when they see their girlfriend tie her into a ponytail.

I wake up between 4-5AM every single day of the week, and all year long. I don’t even need an alarm clock. I can go to sleep at anytime

• No screen before bed. No computer, no phone, no tablet, no TV (we don’t own a TV, so we don’t have much choice here ;). What do I do instead? I read a book, journal, write, chat with my spouse or friends, play chess or board games,… I do various stuff just not on a screen. Not even using a Kindle.
• No coffee in the evening. No alcohol at all (evening as well as in the day: I was an alcoholic many, many years ago). No soda either. Either I’ll drink water or herbal tea.
• Light & healthy diner. I don’t stuff my stomach, don’t eat garbage pre-packaged industrial ‘food’ either (this alone was a huge change for me, the day I quit eating that absolute turd a few years ago and my health has jumped through the roof, pre-packaged food is just poison in a fancy packaging and a lot of marketing, I would not be surprise if it was to become the tobacco of the XXI health-wise).
• No snacking, no candy, chips, or whatever.
• At least one long walk during the day. Every day.

Wake up early consistently every day for at least a week before then. Also go to sleep early every day for a week before then.

Eat relatively healthy, stay hydrated, and get 7 hours of sleep.

cracks a beer and stuffs a jalapeño popper in his gob

Routine. Go to bed at the same time. Reduce electronics before bed.

• I just need a good 7 hours of sleep at least. You can’t cheat sleep duration. Eventually, you’ll need to catch up if you aren’t getting enough and it’ll compound the bad feeling.
• I fall asleep faster if I’ve had a drink, but not necessarily better. I might wake up in the middle of the night if I do.
• Pattern is important. If you usually wake up at 9 or 10am and want to wake up at 5 or 6am instead, you’ll probably have some meh feeling regardless, but the more you do it, the better it gets. Maybe consider moving your normal wake up time closer to the earliest times you want to wake up.

So far it looks like the consensus is: wake up early and don’t feel like garbage. 😆