Making changes to schedule

machjas

Hey, all!

I was wondering how I could go about changing my sleep schedule to accommodate for a workout in the mornings. I very much prefer to have privacy when I exercise, which I don't have at home in the afternoon hours between two roommates and one of their GF's. I like to do treadmill and workout/dance games on Xbox Kinect.

I was thinking that if I woke up early enough in the mornings, I would have time to get a decent breakfast in, exercise, then get ready for work.

Here's where I'm at now:
Wake up at 8am, work 9am-6pm, in bed usually anywhere between 12am-2am. I often don't get enough sleep.

Here's where I think I'd like to be:
Wake up at 5:30am, breakfast 5:30am-6am, work out 7am-8am, work 9am-6pm, in bed at ~10pm.

So I guess my question is, how can I go about putting this in motion? Should I just dive right in to that schedule, or should I ease my way into it incrementally? Thanks in advance!

hill8570

Generally when doing a major timezone shift, your body adjusts to local time about 1 hour a day. So, you could take a couple-three days to adjust, or just go cold turkey -- if your current bedtime varies by two hours already, it's not like your body is particularly sensitive to bedtime.

brb2008

I'd give yourself a week or two to adjust. Personally I am like an infant when it comes to sleep, I need regularity and I do not do well with changes! So, start by setting an absolute bed time. Something you can manage right now, say 12. Then wake up an hour earlier than usual at 7 and see how you feel. If you're tired, then make bedtime 11. Try waking at 6. Its all about finding what works for YOU and then running with it.

I also need privacy to exercise and I have pilates DVDS i like to do in the morning. My roommate is a whirlwind through the apartment from 6:25-6:30, but is alseep before that and gone after, so I start my workout around 5:30am (make coffee for my man first so he can take it to work at 6) and I can be done and in my room to cool down or stretch while the roommate uses the restroom and I can shower once he's left and still leave for work on time! To get enough sleep I have to be in my bed by 8:30 and winding down, asleep by 9.

nyponbell

I know what you mean. I'd suggest just getting up at 5.30 in the morning tomorrow. If you, the first few days, are too tired to do the work out, at least get yourself up (and don't let yourself go back to sleep). Hopefully you will be tired sooner and fall asleep earlier, which makes it easier to get up early the next morning etc. I'm not sure how effective it would be for you, but you have to start somewhere. I personally don't think that waking up half an hour earlier every morning until you get to 5.30 is as effective, but it might work better for you. Like someone else said, allow yourself some time to get used to the new sleep schedule too. I try to do every other morning 5 am (to head to the gym) and then every other morning something more like 6.40 (no gym) but honestly, the "off" days I'm far more likely to get up 5 minutes before I have to head out the door (at 7.15) because I'm so tired. So it will take time and you will be unhappy; but, the days when you do get up at 5.30 and get your work out in (not sure if you're planning every day?) you will have more energy.

So, to make it simple; just jump right in. If it doesn't work for you, you won't have "wasted" as much time as trying to ease yourself into it, as you will quicker be able to tell if it's working or not. If you can't just jump right in, try to ease yourself instead.

Quick question; what are you planning on doing between 6-7am, right after breakfast? Is that time to let the food settle? If possible, eat something small before you work out and then a proper breakfast afterwards; then you might not have to get up at 5.30, but could sleep an additional hour?

machjas

Thanks for all the replies!

I figure I'd probably wake up at the same time every day, whether I work out every day or not - I was thinking at the very least I could treadmill for an hour rather than having an off day. I feel like my sleep schedule could get out of whack if I don't wake up at roughly the same time every day.

On a workout day, I'd eat a decent breakfast, couple eggs and turkey bacon or a breakfast sandwich or something then go into my workout, which I think would be switching between treadmill or elliptical and workout/dance games on the xbox kinect to keep things interesting. From 7-8, I was thinking I might just chill a bit before I have to get ready for work - Watch TV, play a video game, clean up around the house or prep dinner.