Thursday, September 15, 2011

go the (bleep) to sleep. and get up earlier.

I live in a house full of night owls. Left to their own devices, my boys and their father would be up half the night and sleep into the late morning (or later, when it comes to my teenager). I think it's genetic, as many members of Tim's family have the same internal clock.

In contrast to them, I'm practically a morning person. However, I feel my most refreshed and energetic when I regularly sleep between the hours of midnight and 8am.

I don't subscribe to the notion that being an early riser is more virtuous but I do admit that it's more practical (especially when trying to get two kids to school on time in the morning), so for the last couple of weeks, we've all been getting up at 7. The first few days it was painful. It's easier now but I can't say that I feel bright eyed and bushy tailed at any point during the day.

I'm tired. And I'm finding that I'm not getting much more done, because I seem to need more sleep to compensate for getting up earlier.

Will it get any easier? Will my body adjust eventually? What's your internal clock like? Have you tried to change it?

(I edited this post as I sat with my 8 year old. It's 9:30 at night and, despite being tired all day, he's suddenly wide awake and full of energy. Please don't suggest a bed-time routine. We have tried it all.)

10 comments:

Andrea said...

when you figure this out, please share. we are regressing here.

Debbi said...

I feel for you
I use to be a night owl until I got sick
Now I do go to bed earlier and need a nap during the day. It's hard to go to bed when everyone is still up.
I wish I had an answer for you...I don't
Just want you to know I understand how you're feeling (((hugs)))
Great news about your scans being good.
I always hate waiting for test results.
And I am just in the beginning of all this
Debbi

amy said...

I was a terrible sleeper as a kid. When I was a teenager I used to be up all night and sleep most of the day during the summers. When I started my job I was working 7-3 and I was exhausted all the time, until I figured out that I needed to get to sleep no later than 10. It was really hard for me, I always feel like I'm going to miss something, but I feel better in the mornings.

laurie said...

Ugh. We don't think about sleep until it becomes hard to get enough of it. Thanks for making me feel less alone about this - and a special hug for Debbi.

Lene Andersen said...

I once figured out my internal clock as being go to sleep around 2 AM and get up around 10. I can sleep eight hours from 11-7 and be exhausted, but when I do it the other way, I wake up rested and energetic (as rested and energetic as you get with chronic illnesses that include chronic fatigue).

Many people I know find that once they started working, their body readjusted to a different internal clock to the point where they can't sleep in on weekends, but not me. I've changed my sleep schedule when forced to do s by school or work and the result has always been that I'll need to go to bed early one day in the middle of the week and sleep more on weekends to catch up.

Nap. It's the only solution.

Average Jane said...

I get up around 6:00 a.m. and go to bed no later than 10:30 p.m.

My husband goes to bed when I get up and sleeps until mid to late afternoon. That works great unless there's unexpected overlap.

Margaret said...

Move to another time zone?

I love trips to Vancouver when I get to sleep in and still be up at 6 am

Anonymous said...

I used to be a night owl, but since A. started school, my internal clock usually wakes me up a little before 7AM; the alarm clock is still set, just in case.

Hubby, meanwhile, will be up gaming on a weeknight until past midnight.

I wish A. would/could go to bed by 8pm. She could really use it, and then maybe we won't be rushing to school every day! She's asleep by 9pm, and I drag her out of bed at 7:40, out the door by 8:10. Good thing it's a 5-minute drive to school. But I wish we had the time to walk.

-Jean

laurie said...

AJ- that's one way to make bed sharing comfortable (and to avoid having to listen to your partner's snoring).
Margaret- I'd eventually adjust. Then I'd just have to keep moving west. ;-)
Lene and Jean - the internal clock thing is very real. there is no routine or threat that will get my guys to sleep earlier. and yes, it's true, we'd all feel more refreshed if we could go to sleep and get up when our bodies tell us to!

Anonymous said...

http://isnc.jiangnan.edu.cn/qtzone/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=131632&extra=
of%20Rolex%20models%20were%20definitely%20renumbered%20and%20also%20better%20with%20the%20middle%20of%20the%201950's.%20Giving%20an%20answer%20to%20any%20suspicions%20of%20this%20court%2CJuicy%20Couture%20Handbags%20Louis%20Vuitton%20Handbags%20Outlet%20Alex%20Boynton%2C%20the%20style%20Boss%20associated%20with%20Alfa%20Creator%20revealed%2C%20%22We%20make%20use%20of%20a%20silk%20filled%20duvet%20connections%20within%20numerous%20ways.%20The%20day%20after%20tomorrow%20I%20attempt%20to%20tell%20you%20all.%0D%0A%20%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fpopmulberryoutletuk.webeden.co.uk%0D%0A%20This%20is%20a%20typical%20christian%20louboutin%20clearance%20boots.%20There%20are%20different%20styles%20of%20shoes%3B%20it%20can%20ensure%20your%20satisfaction.%20If%20you%20like%20it%20buy%20replica%20shoes%20you%20can%20choose%20a%20pair%20for%20your%20friend%20as%20a%20birthday%20gift.%20All%20these%20explanations%20end%20on%20the%20price%20tag%20on%20this%20sort%20of%20important%20shoes%20or%20boots.%20These%20are%20really%20christian%
http://www.leapfans.com/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=110230&extra=
http://www.zgsclpw.cn/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=159418&extra=
http://monument.of.by/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=91059
http://www.aimeiliwu.com/a/luntan/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=254228&extra=
http://www.moselektrik.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=97708
http://166lv.w134.91kweb.com/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=116255&extra=
http://bbs.higif.cn/viewthread.php?tid=9161320&extra=
http://www.yobag.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=345154&extra=