Waking up and sleeping timings-- what are your general schedules? How does it affect your fitness?

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refugeefromkekistan
refugeefromkekistan Posts: 48 Member
in Chit-Chat
This interests me because some in my circle are up at 5am, others at noon, some can't sleep until 3-4am, others have set naps during the day, etc. I'm fascinated in people's general times and when they fit exercise into it, especially if you are a 9-5er.

Me generally through the week:
7am up
1-2pm weights on lifting days
11-11:30pm in bed reading, usually asleep by 12

I want to shift to 6-6:30am to add some morning bike rides, I've improved to 7am for a couple weeks from having been regularly up at 8-8:30am just a month ago.

Specifically I am curious about:
1. Have you tried exercising at different times, and if so how has it affected you? Better/worse workouts depending on the times you do them?
2. How late are your last calories of the day? (9pm meal, but 10:30pm snack? etc.)

Replies

  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Depends on your personal preference and what suits your schedule best really.

    I used to run in the mornings, now I lift at lunch time (1hr lunch at work).

    My last calories of the day are 8:30ish PM. But calories can't tell time, so it doesn't matter when you eat them.

    ETA: It didn't affect me changing from mornings to afternoons.
  • RastaLousGirl
    RastaLousGirl Posts: 2,119 Member
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    My toddler has her days and nights mixed up.. Since her father started working nights, I have had to stay up with her (I have tried everything..I mean everything..to flip her sleeping schedule) until he comes home. My typical day was sleep at 8 pm or 9 pm and wake at 5 am for morning work out. Now, it is fall asleep when she is, at whatever time of day that is, so I can keep up with her.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I'm usually in bed by 10 PM and up around 5:30 AM. I have to be to work by 8 and have an hour commute 3x per week...have to get the kids up and fed and ready for school, etc.

    Exercise time is largely dependent on the season. In the summer I ride in the early morning as my alternative is 100* plus temperatures. In the spring and fall I usually ride in the early evening when I get out of work as the mornings are too dark. In the winter I ride whenever as I'm typically relegated to spending more time on my indoor trainer and can do that anytime. On weekends I ride where it fits my schedule and other obligations.

    I work through lunch most days, so I typically leave the office at 4 and on my commute days can be home by 5 for a quick ride. I don't commute on Tuesdays or Fridays and leave the office at 4 and head straight to the gym to lift and I'm out of there by 5:30 to pick up my kids from school.

    I eat dinner most nights around 8:30 PM.

    It's all personal preference and all about realistically working within your schedule and other obligations.

  • erica_today
    erica_today Posts: 185 Member
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    I work the night shift at a domestic violence shelter. I am allowed to sleep as long as I finish my work. I go to sleep around 1am wake up around 6am finish my job leave at 7 come home get my son ready for school he leaves at 8 I then get my 3 year old situated with essentials like snacks and movies and he lays with me in bed around 830-9am while I sleep until 11-12. I then get up we do stuff errands, play, eat lunch, my son comes home at 4 my toddler takes a nap I go for a run, I cook dinner, clean, take a shower and do it all over again Monday through Friday. I sleep on a normal schedule on the weekend. I go to bed around 10-11 and wake up around 8-9

    It highly effected my fitness in the beginning but I'm trying again. And so far so good. Excuses are for the weak
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I am generally awake before 8 AM. Could be 7 AM when dh's alarm goes off or 6 AM when the cat wants fed or 4 AM when dd wakes me up. It varies.
    I try to be in bed by midnight. Sometimes that doesn't work out.
    I mostly walk right now so do that throughout the day or evening with no particular schedule.
    I don't usually eat after 10 pm.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
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    I try to keep my schedule consistent since I suffer bouts of insomnia, usually trouble falling asleep. I go to bed around 10:30-11pm and get up 7:15am on workdays and around 8:00am on non-workdays. On workdays, I get home ~5:30pm from work. If I'm not running or have a later yoga class, I eat dinner when I get home from work. If I'm running or have an earlier class, I'll go run/class and eat dinner after, usually ~7:00pm. I'll take a nap if I haven't been getting enough good sleep or after a long run on non-workdays.

    1. Have you tried exercising at different times, and if so how has it affected you? Better/worse workouts depending on the times you do them?

    Yes, I have tried exercising at all times of the day. If it's lifting or light exercise like walking, it doesn't matter what time of day it is. However, I don't like running before 11am or so. I've discovered that I'm too dehydrated and hypoglycemic to run first thing. Plus if I eat something, I need to wait 2-3 hours to run because I'll get stomach pain otherwise.

    2. How late are your last calories of the day? (9pm meal, but 10:30pm snack? etc.)

    I try not to eat after 7-8pm because I get heartburn, which probably explains why I need to eat first thing when I wake up.
  • Fit_B4_Forty
    Fit_B4_Forty Posts: 950 Member
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    I am up by 4/4:30 am the latest. I have an little over an hour commute every day for work. I have to get my daughter up and dressed and we are out of the house by 5:30 am at the latest. I drop her off at day care and I am in the office by 6:45 am. I workout from 11:00 am until 12:30 pm. I finish work at 3:30 and then pick up my daughter and drive a little over an hour home. Cook supper, my daughter is in bed by 7:15 at the latest and I am in bed by 9:00 or 10:00 at the latest..
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    I learned back in college that consistency is key for me. Alarm goes off every morning at 4:30, workout starts between 5:30-6, lasting ~60-70 minutes (have a gym setup in the basement, would never go if outside my house). Shower, shave, etc., 25-30 minute commute, get to work 8-8:30am, have to stay until 5pm, home by 5:30pm, relax until wife gets home at 6:30pm (most days, has different hours on Fridays or if covering for someone, works in healthcare). Usually in bed 9-9:30, terrible about getting right to sleep, sometimes it's 10, sometimes midnight.

    Wash, rinse, repeat.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
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    This post is inspirational.
  • rusgolden
    rusgolden Posts: 1,337 Member
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    refugeefromkekistan wrote: »
    Specifically I am curious about:
    1. Have you tried exercising at different times, and if so how has it affected you? Better/worse workouts depending on the times you do them?
    2. How late are your last calories of the day? (9pm meal, but 10:30pm snack? etc.)

    M-F --
    • Up at 5a
    • Commute to office building (has fitness center/locker rooms)
    • M/F Gym workout - TWT Run near the office -- start about 6:30-7a and finish 7:45-8:15a
    • Work @ 8:30a
    • Dinner usually about 7p, last snack 8:30-9p.
    • Goal is in bed by 10:30, asleep by 11p.

    Weekend
    • Up at 6:30-7:30a
    • Morning run following coffee consumption
    • Evenings are pretty close to the same as weekdays with more flexibility

    1) I've pretty much kept to this schedule for a couple of years since I started my fitness journey. I used to get up about 6:30a on the weekdays. It probably took me about a month to really be okay with getting up that early and there were a couple days I just couldn't make myself, but I can't recall the last time I skipped a run or workout because I was too tired. I do think I need more sleep in general, but my sleep schedule hasn't caused any issues with any other health related illness, etc.

    2) Answered above.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I'm an early riser... 5.30-6.30am typically. I try not to eat before 9am and I rarely eat past 7pm. I'm usually sleeping by 10pm (sometimes earlier).

    Workouts for me really depend more on my state of mind than anything else... So I'll be more likely to get a good workout if I'm not stressed/pressed on time. I do like getting it done as early as possible during the day though, but I try to stay active all day anyway.
  • canary_girl
    canary_girl Posts: 366 Member
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    I'm up at 3:10 (one snooze) arrive at gym by 4am, stay until 5:45, home, wake kids, make breakfast, lunch, get kids on bus, shower and off to work 8-4 (5 minute commute). Bed by 9:30. Monday through Friday.

    Weekends I sleep til 9am, no gym.

    I am thinner now than before I started getting to the gym so early, but that's because I eat much healthier now than in the past.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    steveko89 wrote: »
    I learned back in college that consistency is key for me. Alarm goes off every morning at 4:30, workout starts between 5:30-6, lasting ~60-70 minutes (have a gym setup in the basement, would never go if outside my house). Shower, shave, etc., 25-30 minute commute, get to work 8-8:30am, have to stay until 5pm, home by 5:30pm, relax until wife gets home at 6:30pm (most days, has different hours on Fridays or if covering for someone, works in healthcare). Usually in bed 9-9:30, terrible about getting right to sleep, sometimes it's 10, sometimes midnight.

    Wash, rinse, repeat.

    I neglected to answer the second part of the question directly. I’ve tried all different times for working out over the years. In college I’d close the rec at 1am, get to bed at 2 and be up for class at 9. I would run on my lunch hour with some coworkers at my college internship, and I’ve done weights both before and after work with my 8-5 desk job. I can’t say I love that my alarm is set for 4:30 and I know I could use more sleep (who couldn’t?) but lifting when I get home from work allows for too many extraneous factors to get in the way; someone schedules a late conference call, have to pick up something from the store, massive accident/traffic extends my commute home, long day and I just want to slump in my recliner, wife comes home from work hungry saying “are you going to be done soon?”, etc.

    Working out first thing in the morning allows me to be in control and manage my time in such a way that maximizes the consistency with which I exercise and it’s helped me work towards my goals tremendously. It might take a little extra to get the juices flowing, especially in the winter, but that trade off is well worth it. I also find I’m far more awake and ready to go by the time I get to my desk when I’ve already been up for 4 hours.

  • refugeefromkekistan
    refugeefromkekistan Posts: 48 Member
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    Welp, I moved up to 6:30am last week as per my goal, and for the first time ever I did my lifting in the morning. Naturally one is stiffer and all right out of bed, so for another first I did some foam rolling and a little longer warm-up stretching, wound up needing about ~30 minutes to get right.

    It was a strange feeling-- by 8:30am I had done my weights, showered and was eating! It's taken a long time to shift my rhythm to this point, and I never thought I could really do it. I think the most significant impact for me has been absolutely no screens, no devices an hour before sleep time goal, just a paper book. To each their own, that has helped me though!

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