Establishing morning routine

juliaky84

Hi all.

I've come up with a morning routine I'm very happy with, that includes getting up early and exercising.

Sometimes I don't sleep well. I'd like to count on getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but sometimes I only get 5-6. This makes me want to sleep in later, which would throw off my schedule including my workouts. Is it better to just start the day with less sleep if I happen to sleep less that night? I know my workout would suffer a bit and it would be harder to get through the day.

What do you guys do when you don't sleep well?

mbaker566

i get up and go anyway unless my body is truly telling me to get rest.
and then i take a nap later. i like naps.

juliaky84

I love naps too! But what if you have a 9-5 office job and can't get home for a nap?

DeguelloTex

If I don't sleep well, I still get up. I have things to do that don't revolve around how much I'd like to sleep. If I can, I try to get to sleep earlier that day.

jemhh

If I can get my workout in that night, I go back to sleep. If I can't, I make myself get up and go.

Do you know what is causing you to not sleep well? If you can, I'd work on that. I sometimes don't sleep enough because I don't put away my Kindle and shut my eyes early enough. It's only once in a great while that I actually cannot sleep once I do shut my eyes. I have noticed, though, that caffeine in the evening affects me more than it did even just a year ago. I used to be able to drink coffee at 8 pm and fall asleep by 9:30. Not anymore.

Liftng4Lis

I generally don't sleep well, so get up and move.

juliaky84

Sometimes I get only 5-6 hours but might feel rested after that. Do you think it's better to just start my day instead of trying to go back to sleep for 1-2 more hours to get my full 7-8 hours of sleep? It rarely leaves me feeling more rested anyway if I try to get those 1-2 extra hours after I'm awake for some reason.

samhennings

I tend to get up and get on with things. I also work out in the mornings.

What I find is that on days of little sleep it doesnt effect me early on, but I do tire through the afternoon.

This can make the day drag, but it also ensures I get to bed at a reasonable time and get good quality sleep to catch up on the night before!

DeguelloTex

juliaky84 wrote: »

Sometimes I get only 5-6 hours but might feel rested after that. Do you think it's better to just start my day instead of trying to go back to sleep for 1-2 more hours to get my full 7-8 hours of sleep? It rarely leaves me feeling more rested anyway if I try to get those 1-2 extra hours after I'm awake for some reason.

If it doesn't make you feel more rested anyway, what would be the point?

cityruss

Get up and get on with life.

MonkeyMel21

I get up anyway. Unless it's like 2 to 3 nights in a row and I've felt unusually fatigued during the last day. Then I just plan for that next morning to be a non workout day/morning so I set my alarm accordingly the night before.

WBB55

Nap later or go to bed early the next day. Getting up on schedule is important to my brain long-term.

FitGamerSmoak

Yup I generally get up and go. However it's important to know the difference between not wanting to get up (even if you say that you've gotten enough hours, or "not enough") and truly being tired. Sometimes your body does need the extra sleep. I've learned to tell the difference. And no problem napping at 5 pm for about 30 minutes and then going to bed a little earlier.

juliaky84

Thanks all!

pstegman888

If I was tired at work, I used to sit in my car at lunchtime, set a timer, lay the seat back & snooze for 20 minutes. It was just enough to refresh me for the day.

lorrpb

Most of the advice out there on sleep recommends to go to bed and get up at a consistent time, and not to try to sleep in later to make up for it. Personally, if I can get back to sleep after a short night (which usually I cannot do) I'll take it and usually feel much better for doing so. You do need sleep for muscle recovery & overall workout stamina. It's a tough road, that's for sure.

applebreeeeze

If I get up late, I still try to squeeze in a workout in the morning - even if it's only half of my normal routine. Then I'll do some extra exercise after work, like walking home instead of taking the subway, or hopping on my exercise bike. Do you have time to work out in the evenings on days when you need the extra sleep in the morning?