Waking up early: How to???

[hbliam]

Can't help you. I have the same problem. That's why I pick the night shift and sleep from 800 to 330 on my work days. I sleep until 10 or 11AM on my days off. I worked the day shift for two years and could never get used to getting up at 0430. I just can't go to sleep at 8PM.

[Speedbag]

Between 3:20 and 3:30 AM every morning, without fail, my big orange tomcat decides that it's time to saunter up and lick my forehead. Repeatedly.

Which is great, since I don't officially get up for work until 5:30.

And cat tongues are so soft and gentle on your face.

[Jarvicious]

I think I'm going to try the schedule thing, though seeing as how it's 5pm and I just finished a cup of coffee, this may be a problem   Like I said, I really enjoy getting up early and I really enjoy the cool (read COLD AS HELL) morning air and all that, but I'm usually so groggy and out of it that it's not really enjoyable with the exception of this morning where I woke up at 3:30 wide awake.  Unfortunately, my dog is of no use.  Hell, I can get up, start the coffee, shower and screw around online and then go poke him a couple of times before he wakes up.  Spoiled 13 pound rat.

I tried the water thing, but cold water isn't really the best thing for puting the body to sleep.  Maybe I can get as addicted to a warm tea regimen as I am to my morning coffee regimen.  I'm a man of many vices   The booze works sometimes, but most of the time I just get distracted online or playing guitar or something and before I realize it, it's past midnight.  I miss having a GF that wakes up at 6 too.  That made mornings a whole lot easier.

[lethe]

I get up every weekday at 3:30am, I am not a morning person but force myself up. My mind wakes up maybe an hour into my commute and that's when I figure out what I forgot that morning.... lunch maybe, pants hopefully not.

[the_Journeyman]

Do like I do.  I'm just a freaking insomniac.  Yup.  Get to bed a 1AM after having drinks?  Body wants out of the bed at 7, no negotiations.  When the stove fan went out at 2AM?  I was wide awake, had it rebuilt and back in the stove by 3AM.  Tried to sleep the rest of the night, and dozed off sometime after 4AM for my 6AM alarm.

I too suffer from the "overdrive" mind.  I've not found a reliable fix.  Sleeping pills?  F'ing torture.  Body is asleep, but my brain is awake and I can barely move.  Do you know what that feels like to someone that has issues being restrained? 

Rum?  Sometimes work, other times the sugar fuels my ADHD so I can't even find the bed.
Vodka?  Overheats me.  I wake up a couple hours later COOKING in the bed.
Bourbon?  Crazy-ass dreams.  Worse than normal (normal for me involves split realities, realism, and violence.
Whisky?  Calmest with best results, but often results in the overheat like Vodka.
Whiskey?  Same thing as whisky.

Best results?  Drink some tea or something, take at least 30 minutes to relax prior to going to bed.

JM

[herm]

1) get up really early in the morning (say 4:30 or so)
2) work a REALLY HARD LONG day (at least 16 hours)
3) pass out from exhaustion by 10pm

takes a little getting used to, but it works.

[Jarvicious]

Tea is the name of the game.  I'm going to try and go back to the gym a little more often too.  I always sleep better the day after some good exercise.  Easier said than done, I have a feeling.  I try and play hockey Tuesdays, but it doesn't even start until 9.  hmmmm

Shameless alum plug, btw   The tea was just hanging out in the cupboard, but I'm sure it's sleepy something or other.  You know.  The minty stuff.

[cokey]

Some warm chocolate milk..

[He Man]

My ex had some TIG OL BITTIES. I slept pretty good for that year.

[Timmy Tucker]

I'm not a morning person at all, so the only thing that works for me is a set schedule. My last job had me up at 4:15 to be at work at 5:15. Myself, the other foremen and the management would get there 45 mins early to make the beast with two backs around/bullshit over cigarettes and coffee. After my morning ritual of 5-6 smokes and a grape NOS, I was usually awake and felt pretty good. It was rough at first, but after 2-3 weeks, it was no big deal. Was usually in bed by 10pm, only because I would fall asleep at the computer by 9-ish. But it finally got programmed in my head, so that I would always wake up 5 mins before my alarm went off.

Now that I've been jobless for 2 months, I go to bed between 2-4am and get up around 9-10.

Something else you may want to try... I've kicked caffeine a few times, for up to 18 months at a time and I can say that made the biggest difference in my sleep habits. I normally wake up 5-10 times a night, mostly tossing and turning. Without the caffeine, I generally sleep straight thru the night. And that makes a huge difference in how you feel in the AM.

[Jarvicious]

7:15 and was awake  .  It probably helped that I had a crit call that the help desk kept badgering me about (four make the beast with two backsin phone calls.  You'd think that after you didn't pick up the first few they would just quit). 

As far as caffiene goes, I get one cup a day and it's an Americano so there's not even as much caffiene as a cup of drip coffee.  Speaking of which.....

Oh, and lol

My ex had some TIG OL BITTIES. I slept pretty good for that year.

[muskrat]

good to know I have company.    I try not to drink coffee after 3 in the afternoon although I don't think that shit helps me any since I can go on 8 cups a day with no ill effect - at least I think.
I tried everything including ambien and lunesta, both of which I have to double the dose to put me down. Unfortunately I have a very high tolerance for medicine so the Doc gave me some Trazodone and vuala.....out like a light.  It's cheap too.

[akmnstr]

My wife is an insomniac so I subscribe to a Webmd newsletter on sleep disorders.  (Don't ask why it is me that subscribes, not my wife ).  I've learned a great deal from it.  A few tips are that caffeine stays in your system a long time so stop drinking it early in the morning.  Those who think they are sleeping on caffeine are not getting as restful nights sleep as they could.  Even if you can sleep on it, it reduces your REM (not the band, rapid eye movement) sleep.  REM sleep is what you really need to feel rested.  Other things you can do is not sleep with pets,  Make your bedroom conducive to a good nights sleep.  Make it dark and only sleep and sex in the bedroom.  Rebuild your DUC in the kitchen not the bedroom.  If your mattress is over 10 years old, consider getting a new one.  Eat early in the evening.  Alcohol will help you pass out but not get you a good nights sleep.  Alcohol is not conducive to REM sleep.   Don't nap but if you do make them short.  Hope this helps and do a search on Webmd for sleep disorders or insomnia.   

[Jarvicious]

I'm pretty sure I'd be ok with it if it reduced my REM (the band, not the sleep cycle).

I didn't know cafeine stayed in the system that long, but it's good to know.  Like I said, I've been doing the one cup a day thing for quite a few months, and I don't drink pop (or soda, if you will) so hopefully cafeine won't be an issue.

[Rameses]

6:30am - ...while standing at my front door watching the sunrise over the Pacific.

You live in California.  Right?