Why is it harder to get up early then go to bed late?

penrbrown
penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
in Motivation and Support
You know, I just caught myself in a silly statement and it got me to wondering...

Why is it harder to get up super early then it is to stay up super late?

What's up with that?

If I am required to get up an hour earlier then usual I feel like I'm LOSING an hour but if I'm required to STAY UP an hour later then usual it doesn't feel like a loss at all.

Any scientific mumbo-jumbo to explain this phenomenon? Or words of advice to overcome hating to have to be up earlier?
«13

Replies

  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    uh... cause one of those decisions you make when youre awake and one isnt a decision cause youre asleep.

    oh hi science
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    Just stay up a little longer, and you'll be up early.
    Problem solved.
    I'm just that good.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i love my sleep.
    that being said, i can easily stay up 24 hours +
    but wake me up early and forget it. i'll bite your head off.

    once i'm sleeping, don't bother waking me up. i get vicious.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    When you're asleep your brain sends signals to your body's afukkit receptors. Your bodys reaction is to lay around in bed rather than get up and do...ya know...stuff.

    It's science...





    Oh also...I made that up.
  • babsbrack
    babsbrack Posts: 20
    because "You" control the staying up late part and an alarm clock controls your early rise LOL you dont usually wake naturally :) thats my bit of mumbo jumbo :P
  • wisebadger53
    wisebadger53 Posts: 382 Member
    I'll tell you the correct answer to every question that boggles the mind. This has been developed over years of parenting, and my children finally have stopped asking me questions since they know that this is the answer to everything...BECAUSE
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I have found that if I miss my regular bedtime, it takes me at least an hour or more to fall asleep, even if I am in bed.
  • mkcmurphy
    mkcmurphy Posts: 438 Member
    I'm a night person, so I get a second wind around 7/8. Not great when the alarm clock goes off at the usual times!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    You know, I just caught myself in a silly statement and it got me to wondering...

    Why is it harder to get up super early then it is to stay up super late?

    What's up with that?

    If I am required to get up an hour earlier then usual I feel like I'm LOSING an hour but if I'm required to STAY UP an hour later then usual it doesn't feel like a loss at all.

    Any scientific mumbo-jumbo to explain this phenomenon? Or words of advice to overcome hating to have to be up earlier?
    Sleep cycles. Your body goes through several sleep cycles during the night, going from light sleep, down to deep sleep, and back. It generally takes an hour and a half to two hours to complete an entire cycle. So if you have to wake up an hour earlier, you may be interrupting the middle of the cycle, when you're in deep sleep, which is what makes you feel groggy and out of it when you first wake up.

    Staying up late doesn't have that problem in the modern age, because sleep cycles don't start until your asleep, and the melatonin release that usually happens at dusk to make you feel tired is mostly cancelled out by the lighting in your house, bright light prevents melatonin release.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
    You know, I just caught myself in a silly statement and it got me to wondering...

    Why is it harder to get up super early then it is to stay up super late?

    What's up with that?

    If I am required to get up an hour earlier then usual I feel like I'm LOSING an hour but if I'm required to STAY UP an hour later then usual it doesn't feel like a loss at all.

    Any scientific mumbo-jumbo to explain this phenomenon? Or words of advice to overcome hating to have to be up earlier?
    Sleep cycles. Your body goes through several sleep cycles during the night, going from light sleep, down to deep sleep, and back. It generally takes an hour and a half to two hours to complete an entire cycle. So if you have to wake up an hour earlier, you may be interrupting the middle of the cycle, when you're in deep sleep, which is what makes you feel groggy and out of it when you first wake up.

    Staying up late doesn't have that problem in the modern age, because sleep cycles don't start until your asleep, and the melatonin release that usually happens at dusk to make you feel tired is mostly cancelled out by the lighting in your house, bright light prevents melatonin release.

    Adding to ^this^ : you're sleep clock naturally advances by about 15 minutes every day - we're really not tuned in perfectly to a 24-hour daily cycle.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Probably because the actual day isn't exactly 24 hours long. Gotta love rounding. :laugh:
  • SelkieDiver
    SelkieDiver Posts: 260 Member
    I have the opposite problem Cannot for the life of me stay awake past 10:00pm unless I"m physically out doing something with friends. However even if I'm out late I can (and frequently do) bounce out of bed at 5am! Its terrible when I really want to sleep in and I can't. Just not in my nature I guess. I need to be up with the sun.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    You know, I just caught myself in a silly statement and it got me to wondering...

    Why is it harder to get up super early then it is to stay up super late?

    What's up with that?

    If I am required to get up an hour earlier then usual I feel like I'm LOSING an hour but if I'm required to STAY UP an hour later then usual it doesn't feel like a loss at all.

    Any scientific mumbo-jumbo to explain this phenomenon? Or words of advice to overcome hating to have to be up earlier?
    Sleep cycles. Your body goes through several sleep cycles during the night, going from light sleep, down to deep sleep, and back. It generally takes an hour and a half to two hours to complete an entire cycle. So if you have to wake up an hour earlier, you may be interrupting the middle of the cycle, when you're in deep sleep, which is what makes you feel groggy and out of it when you first wake up.

    Staying up late doesn't have that problem in the modern age, because sleep cycles don't start until your asleep, and the melatonin release that usually happens at dusk to make you feel tired is mostly cancelled out by the lighting in your house, bright light prevents melatonin release.

    I think I love you. :D
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Favorite answer so far: BECAUSE!!!!

    :D You guys are all awesome though.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I have the opposite problem Cannot for the life of me stay awake past 10:00pm unless I"m physically out doing something with friends. However even if I'm out late I can (and frequently do) bounce out of bed at 5am! Its terrible when I really want to sleep in and I can't. Just not in my nature I guess. I need to be up with the sun.

    I wonder if someone could explain internal alarm clocks? Because they suck too!

    I'm like you, I can't sleep in even when I want to but if I have to wake up earlier then usual ARGH! I want to kill things.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    Because once you're up, you're up. Once you're asleep, you're asleep. It's hard to change the state you are in.
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    I'll tell you the correct answer to every question that boggles the mind. This has been developed over years of parenting, and my children finally have stopped asking me questions since they know that this is the answer to everything...BECAUSE

    How many years before they stop???? Please tell me soon!
  • bodiva88
    bodiva88 Posts: 308 Member
    Depends on whether you are a night owl or a morning wren. I am a night owl, so I'm like you. But I have friends who rise with (or before) the sun--no alarms. But if you want to talk to them after 10 pm, good luck. They'll be zonked out.
  • AubreySue81
    AubreySue81 Posts: 167 Member
    When you're asleep your brain sends signals to your body's afukkit receptors. Your bodys reaction is to lay around in bed rather than get up and do...ya know...stuff.

    It's science...





    Oh also...I made that up.

    Hahaha! :heart: this one! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    For the same reason that people misuse the words "then" and "than".



    And yeah, I just made that up...*and* I'm being a grammar dbag.

    I would apologize, but it wouldn't be sincere.
  • susieq101178
    susieq101178 Posts: 305 Member
    When you're asleep your brain sends signals to your body's afukkit receptors. Your bodys reaction is to lay around in bed rather than get up and do...ya know...stuff.

    It's science...





    Oh also...I made that up.

    Hahaha! :heart: this one! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Me too - my favorite answer
  • susieq101178
    susieq101178 Posts: 305 Member
    For the same reason that people misuse the words "then" and "than".



    And yeah, I just made that up...*and* I'm being a grammar dbag.

    I would apologize, but it wouldn't be sincere.

    Hey, at least you own up to it. :drinker:
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    For the same reason that people misuse the words "then" and "than".



    And yeah, I just made that up...*and* I'm being a grammar dbag.

    I would apologize, but it wouldn't be sincere.

    Whoops. Clearly my mistake made my post completely impossible to read! I do apologize for this terrible affront on your grammatical senses!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    For the same reason that people misuse the words "then" and "than".



    And yeah, I just made that up...*and* I'm being a grammar dbag.

    I would apologize, but it wouldn't be sincere.

    Whoops. Clearly my mistake made my post completely impossible to read! I do apologize for this terrible affront on your grammatical senses!

    I see that you do not hold yourself to the same standard that an apology must be sincere before being offered.

    Nonetheless, I accept your insincere apology.

    You may now return to misusing words, omitting punctuation, and making awkward choices of prepositions.


    EDIT: That was a little more abrasive than I intended. Here's a smiley to counter some of the harshness: :smile:
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    For the same reason that people misuse the words "then" and "than".



    And yeah, I just made that up...*and* I'm being a grammar dbag.

    I would apologize, but it wouldn't be sincere.

    Whoops. Clearly my mistake made my post completely impossible to read! I do apologize for this terrible affront on your grammatical senses!

    I see that you do not hold yourself to the same standard that an apology must be sincere before being offered.

    Nonetheless, I accept your insincere apology.

    You may now return to misusing words, omitting punctuation, and making awkward choices of prepositions.

    I most definitely shall. :)

    I only apologize sincerely when I have done something that I should sincerely apologize for. Grammatical mistakes, omitting punctuation, misusing words, making up words and awkward choices of prepositions are hardly worthy of sincere apologetics (see what I did there?).

    Good day, sir. I wish you the best in removing that stick.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    When you're asleep your brain sends signals to your body's afukkit receptors. Your bodys reaction is to lay around in bed rather than get up and do...ya know...stuff.

    It's science...





    Oh also...I made that up.

    Hahaha! :heart: this one! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Me too - my favorite answer

    Thank you ladies I'll be here all week...

    Actually todays friday...and I'm off in 4 hours. So you got 4 hours left.
  • maremare312
    maremare312 Posts: 1,143 Member
    I want a girl with a short skirt and a looooooong jacket!
  • juliaamilee
    juliaamilee Posts: 262 Member
    I have the opposite problem Cannot for the life of me stay awake past 10:00pm unless I"m physically out doing something with friends. However even if I'm out late I can (and frequently do) bounce out of bed at 5am! Its terrible when I really want to sleep in and I can't. Just not in my nature I guess. I need to be up with the sun.



    ^^^ THIS^^^ I am the same :happy:
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I want a girl with a short skirt and a looooooong jacket!

    Who used a machette to cut through red tape
    With fingernails that shine like justice
    And a voice that is dark like tinted glass
  • avasano
    avasano Posts: 487 Member
    0430 Everyday. Somedays I am great otherdays it really pisses me off. I can't stay up late, I get cranky.

Categories