You know that rule “shut down all screens” 1 hour before sleep, but there’s always something to watch/to program etc. Have you found the discipline to do it regularly?
How do you deal with the going-out in the evening, if you strive to wake up at that time?
Do you have some interesting/intense routine like running, which was quite common in american movies?
Go to bed at 9 pm. Get used to going to bed at that time. Your body will adjust.
I do this same thing every night. No problems waking up at 5-6. It didn’t take long to adjust to it.
I used to do this when I had a 1.5 hours commute (one way). If you can avoid it, don’t do it. The world is not built for people that have to get up at 5 and be in bed by 10. I would run on 6.5 hours of sleep on average and I was constantly exhausted.
If you’re a developer like me, it affects your productivity as well as your health. I would carpool, so I could nod off for a few winks on the way home. Sometimes when I was the one driving. It’s bad for you. Don’t do it.
If you must do it, the key is to make it a habit. Go to bed at the same time every night. Give yourself enough time to fall asleep and get a full 7-8 hours. Put away devices. Avoid any caffeine and alcohol after lunch. Get in shape if you can, it will help you sleep better. Avoid spicy foods in the evenings.
Stick to the schedule even on weekends, or at least don’t try to make up for lost sleep then. It doesn’t work.
You can still tinker, but you will have little time except weekends. Write down your ideas during the week and then hit the ground running when you have free time.
Don’t forget to take time for yourself, family and touching some grass. Your computers will always be there. People will not.
Go to bed early. Easiest trick in the world.
You can also drink a bit of fluids before bed so your body naturally wakes up fairly early, the old Native American trick.
Go to bed reasonably early. The thing to watch/code/play will be there tomorrow. If you want to go out at night, do it on weekends. As for waking up, I’m used to it now (and my alarm clock app makes me solve a math problem to shut up :)) but long ago when I had trouble waking up, I’d put the alarm clock on a table on the other side of the room so I’d have to get up and walk over to shut it off. By the time that was done, blood is flowing and I’m awake.
i don’t. do you really have to get up at 5!?
I’m very much so on this team. Single digit hours are too early, frankly.
Simple I sleep at 2 AM and wake up at 4.30-5.30 AM. Yeah my brain and body are fucked.
I notice that when I’m tired, dehydrated, or starving, my mind gets razor sharp and I become hyper focused.
I used to think that made me think better, but over time I’ve realised that sharpness =/= smarter.
Whatever logic I was holding in my head at 2am that I needed to put to screen actually wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was, but my tired yet focused brain convinced me that it was genius.
Once I made that connection, I just started leaving TODOs in my comments of roughly what I was going for, and then go to sleep, reassuring my panicked brain that its “genius” can genuinely wait until morning for a clearer perspective.
I liken the experience to potheads who reach some half-baked inspiration that they can no longer put to words once cogent. It was never a great idea, it just interested you a lot in that heightened state.
In short: let go of your ideas. If they’re truly amazing they’ll still be there in the morning with a fresh pair of eyes.
If you always get up at 5am no matter when you go to bed, your body will eventually force you to go to bed at a decent time.
I force myself out of bed, stretch, down a glass of water, take my shower, then make an espresso. Each step gives me just enough energy to do the next step, and no more, and the espresso lasts only long enough to get to work and down another coffee.
My first meetings are at 6am, so I usually get up around 4am. I use two alarms because I’m fairly sleepy deprived. And I play on my phone for like 20 min while I wake up.
Biological clock. After doing it for months I know feel sleepy around 10am, hit the bed, and wake up around 5.30 everyday. I set an alarm at 6am just in case but I usually wake before it.
Melatonin helps me sort of “enforce” a bed time. Whenever I realise I’m itchin’ for a binge, I pop 5mg of melatonin and I’m dozy within 30-45 minutes. And it’s not the full system shutdown you get with sleeping pills, it just brings about that organic “need to sleep now, will continue tomorrow” feeling.
Also, aging “helps.” I’m in my mid 30s and have noticed that my bed time has become progressively earlier - used to pull 6 hours of sleep (usually 2AM-8AM) without issues in my late 20s, now I feel almost hungover if I don’t get my 8 hours and/or wake up after 8AM, and need to compensate with naps for about a week.
I haven’t needed to wake up earlier than 7AM regularly for over a decade, though, so YMMV with these specifics. But I still do recommend giving melatonin a shot. The only caveat I have for it is that it may mess with your blood sugar levels, so 100% consult a physician beforehand if you have such issues.
