How Can I Go to Sleep and Wake Up Earlier?

Julietx
Julietx Posts: 5
edited September 23 in Motivation and Support
Hello everyone. =)

I'm starting on Monday with the diet aspect of my weight loss plan and will be starting the exercise portion as soon as I find a proper place to run. Germany and the winter = not ideal for outdoor things!

I'm a night bird. I simply can not feel sleepy before 11 p.m and generally do not fall asleep until after midnight. When it comes to waking up in the morning, I can hardly leave the bed before 10 a.m (if I'm lucky).

I know the biggest thing would be to not take my computer to bed with me. But what else?

Exercising at night is out of the question as I would keep awake the family and that wouldn't be very nice.


And advice is appreciated tremendously.

Thank you!

Juliet

Replies

  • FerryfieldLad
    FerryfieldLad Posts: 185 Member
    Hey,

    Sounds to me like your body clock is needing adjusted.

    The easiest way to fix it is to go to bed tonight at your usual time and make yourself get up at a time you would consider to be early. 6am - 7am. Whatever you wanna aim for,

    It will be tough the first day, but keep going. Go to sleep when you feel tired the next night and then get up at 6am-7am again. Soon you will start to feel tired earlier and your body will get used to waking up at 6-7am.

    Don't nap either because that screws everything up!
  • Black_Swan
    Black_Swan Posts: 770 Member
    Im the same. Now that I have holidays and my work starts late, I go to bed around 2am and wake up around noon. Im even worst haha. So my advice is be happy with it and try to adjust your work out to go around 11am:D or maybe try waking up just one hour earlier and go work out at 10am - I think thats totally normal time!
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    Exercise at night just makes me more wired anyway!!! I find sometimes a cup of chamomile or a tea for relaxing is nice :)
  • david_swinstead
    david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
    There could be dietary things you can do, for example don't eat so much later in the day, this will reduce the energy you have into the late evening. Also more obvious things such as less caffeine will help you sleep earlier. But overall I think you just need to use a little will power and force yourself to go to bed and try to sleep earlier than usual.

    If you're not tired it doesn't really matter, the idea is that if you go to bed an hour earlier than usual, but you just toss and turn for half an hour, then you're still half an hour in the right direction overall. Within a few days you will get into the habit of going to bed earlier, meaning you'll get more sleep and be able to get up earlier, which will then in turn make it easier to go to bed earlier. It's a vicious cycle, but the good kind

    Basically your problem is a bit like what people face when they go abroad and land in a very different timezone: How do you adjust your sleeping patterns? You just do it! it's hard for a day or two but once you've changed your rhythms you'll find it comes naturally.

    Thats my 2p anyway ... :)
  • bstiver
    bstiver Posts: 57 Member
    You can either just make yourself do it lol or work on it progressively. To work on it bit by bit try going to bed 30 mins earlier than normal and waking up 30 mins earlier. Something that may help you sleep is meletonin. I use to take it when I was trying to get back on track (I went from closing all the time to opening). Its the same thing that helps your bodies natural time clock get back in sync.
  • fredaro2002
    fredaro2002 Posts: 35 Member
    I have found that since I have been waking up earlier to get my excercise in, not only has my energy increased throughout the day,but I go to bed at my usual time and sleep better. Also, there is a pillow called the Slumber Gel that I have found to be a great pillow. I comforms to your head abd never flattern, so i fall asleep within minutes of hitting the sac.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    Actually we've just come back from a holiday in Mittenwald (south of Germany, lots of snow) and is was absolutely wonderful for running. Just get some trail shoes with a bit more traction!

    In terms of changing your natural circadian rythm, you just have to work on it and initially accept a certain degree of discomfort, that's all.

    I used to be a night owl, not go to sleep until at least 23:30 and find it very hard to get out of bed before 8. Now, because of a change to work arrangements, I can often only train in the morning. I go to bed at 22:00 and listen to the radio for a bit with the lights off. The radio is set to turn itself off after 20mins. My alarm is set for 5:45am for a 6:30 Spin class.

    Yes it's not easy at first but.... JFDI...!!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    I have found that since I have been waking up earlier to get my excercise in, not only has my energy increased throughout the day,but I go to bed at my usual time and sleep better.

    Absolutely agree with that. I feel a lot better for it.
  • sylviablakely
    sylviablakely Posts: 20 Member
    Problem is you are sleeping in too late so are not tired in the evenings - you need to turn this around. On day 1 set your alarm early and get up as soon as it goes off - that evening you should be shattered and want to go to bed earlier. Make your bedroom a place you want to go in the evenings, make it look nice and cosy in these winter months, put some relaxing music on, have a warm bath, read a book (but only for a short time)........a remove the computer immediately. I live in Germany too so I know what you mean about exercising outside. I have bought a Wii and use the EA Sports Active and Wii Fit Plus - both really good. The earlier you get up the earlier you can do your exericise then its over and done with for the day. Good Luck. :smile:
  • JennyJH
    JennyJH Posts: 189 Member
    How about a walk in the evening? That way you won't disturb the family.

    I started my healthy life style by quitting alcohol. I'd used it to help me sleep as otherwise my Partner's breathing/snoring kept me awake. That first week was soo difficult - no sleep. Second week, introduced healthy eating. Still, no sleep. Third week - introduced exercise. Only a 40 minute dog walk but I was out like a light every night and woke up with the alarm rather than sleep through and have to rely on my Partner to wake me up for work. Week four I increased the exercise. I can sleep through anything except the alarm and feel so much more energetic. This is week five (consolidation of good habits week:wink: ) and still sleeping better than I ever have.

    Other changes - I quit coffee last summer on Doctors advice as I had a suspected stomach ulcer. I switched to tea until dinner time, then chamomile. I also now drink plenty of water though the day so don't wake up in the night thirsty.
  • shreddin_mama
    shreddin_mama Posts: 1,076 Member
    you don't have to exercise too late just do it in the evenings
  • deandp371
    deandp371 Posts: 63
    Do you have caffeinated drinks in the afternoon or evening? If so, you may want to cut those out.

    Good luck!
  • Julietx
    Julietx Posts: 5
    Thank you so much everyone for all the answers!

    I'm liking the idea of forcing myself to go to bed even if I'm not tired and also waking up early (7 a.m sounds perfect!).

    Unfortunately my part of Germany has had more rain than snow so all of our trails are literally muddy to one's ankles and it's simply not really safe. Will be looking for the football field to see if they have a track somewhere close for when they train.

    I have the original Wii Fit that I'm planning on starting to use as well on Monday... I'll look in to the EA game!

    I do not drink anymore (does a glass of wine every few months count?).

    As for Caffeine: Liquid wise, I only drink water and maybe the crystal light drinks a couple times a week. Once a week, we treat ourselves to a cup of Frappe. This is usually on the weekend when we go grocery shopping. Other than that, I probably only get it when I eat chocolate and even that isn't all that often. I eat dark chocolate; the darker the better!

    I understand that Lavender helps calm a person. Has anyone used this essential oil in their bedroom in the evening? I love Chamomile and will start drinking it in the evening, perhaps after dinner or a couple hours before I need to lay down for the night.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    You just have to readjust you body clock. Just 3 weeks ago I was going to bed at 3am in the morning because I'm a true night person but now I can't keep by eyes open really passed 10:30 most times. I'm up at 4:00 so that I can be on the treadmill by 4:30 am at the gym. I just started getting up early & hitting the gym. After about a week my body started shutting down on, making me fall asleep earlier.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    Something else that has really helped me is a dawn simulation light as an alarm clock.

    Mine is a Phillips one http://www.philips.co.uk/c/light-therapy/38702/cat/?tab=Wake+up+naturally but other makers make them too such as Lumie.

    I love mine!!!

    It basically acts as a sunrise and wakes you up really gently. And in the evening you can use it in reverse, so the light gets dimmer as you snooze off.

    They are not cheap but I really love mine.
  • DanWatts1982
    DanWatts1982 Posts: 10
    Hey there,

    I am so glad I came across this post! I have been having trouble sleeping for some time now...I bought some of those Hollow Fibre Pillows but only cheap ones and after a few months have gone hard and would probably explain my lack of sleep.

    Just ordered some lush new duck filled ones, so hopefully will sort this out! :)

    Probably irrelevant to the post title but it inspired me to get better sleep so thank you! :)

    Dan.
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