Early to bed, Early to rise

[C is for]

I just had to give my own personal experience with this question about when to get sleep. I've not done any research or anything, but when I talk to my family they feel the same way. So either it's fairly common or my family's weird. Those statements are mutually exclusive.

Anyway. I've found that I will give myself 9 hours of sleep whenever possible (and it's almost always possible). If I go to bed at 11, I wake up fairly naturally at 8. If I go to bed at 12, I wake up at 9. If I go to bed at 10, wake up for scriptures at 5:30, fall back asleep by 6:30, I'll wake up at 8.

But I've noticed that the later I go to bed, the more of a headache I have the next morning, whether or not I've gotten enough sleep. If I had more self-control, I'd always go to bed at 9 and wake up at 7. That'd be perfect! But sometimes (like every night) it's fun to stay up late, even though I know it gives me a headache.

Is this a phenomenon with anyone else? Early to bed early to rise works best for me and my body, even though I get the same amount of sleep either way.

[Marduk]

I just like how the honor code violators are suggested to attend community college or prison. I never knew those two were equal in societal value.

But seriously, I've had different jobs that require different sleep schedules, and I don't find it particularly difficult to adapt. In high school, I wrestled and therefore had early morning practices, not to mention that I came home physically drained basically every day, so I was in bed by 9 at the latest and up by 5. The best part of this schedule was being awake before anyone else; I basically had the world to myself.

After graduation, I became the manager for a pizza place, which meant I would close the store. This usually didn't happen until 12 on weekdays, or 1 on weekends. Even then, we'd often go hang out afterwards at Denny's or something, meaning I didn't get to bed until 2 or 3. I would generally wake up between 10 and 11, and that suited me fine at that time. Late to bed generally means more of a social life.

Then, while still working this job, I got another job as a package sorter at Fed-Ex. This job started at 5 A.M. It curtailed the afterwork get togethers, but that still meant I got at most 5 hours before that job started, so I would usually nap after work and before heading to class around 12. This was probably my least favorite sleep schedule; I would have headaches and often feel weak until I actually started working, and even then it wasn't great. But after my nap, I felt generally fine.

I don't know if I'm an anomaly, but as I've said, as long as it isn't late to bed, early to rise, I'm generally fine once I've adjusted. Right now, I get to bed around 12 if I have work in the morning (which starts around 9) and perhaps 2 or so if I don't (which usually means we are playing Dota.)

[bobtheenchantedone]

I actually thought about starting a thread about this question, but got distracted.

I do best when I get up early, with pretty much no exceptions. Days I get up at six I'm a productive machine. Days I get up at ten I play computer games for four hours before finally, and slowly, dragging myself through some work.

This includes days when I got to bed late the night before. If I can just get myself to not go back to bed after family scriptures, I'm golden; I'll just get tired earlier than usual. If I go back to sleep, I often don't get up until nine or later and then, even though I actually got a full night's sleep, I'll usually have a headache.

Also, Marduk is adorable.

[Whistler]

I need 8-9 hours to be happy. I've woken up early and woken up late and I'm not sure it makes a difference for me.

[Dragon Lady]

bob, I swear your post used to say, "Also, don't listen to Marduk" or something along those lines. And now it doesn't. But it doesn't say it was edited. Was I really that tired last night when I read it?

[C is for]

bob, I swear your post used to say, "Also, don't listen to Marduk" or something along those lines. And now it doesn't. But it doesn't say it was edited. Was I really that tired last night when I read it?

No, I definitely saw that too! I should've commented on it when I had the chance...then locked my post so no one could remove the evidence.

[Dead Cat]

bob, I swear your post used to say, "Also, don't listen to Marduk" or something along those lines. And now it doesn't. But it doesn't say it was edited. Was I really that tired last night when I read it?

No, I definitely saw that too! I should've commented on it when I had the chance...then locked my post so no one could remove the evidence.

This sounds like a case of edited before next post. I use it all the time, so I know it works.

[Laser Jock]

I'm pretty sure if you're an admin (or maybe, apparently, a mod?), edits don't create the "this post has been edited" message beneath the post.

[Dragon Lady]

Well, I'm grateful I'm not insane! Especially since, though I was really tired, it was only 9 pm when I read it. Which seems applicable to this thread. I went to bed at 10 and woke up at 9. So, I guess, I'm an early-to-bed, late-to-rise person? But on the other hand, I'm pregnant. Which, I feel, skews the data a bit.

I just know I need sleep. If I don't get enough, I get very grumpy and sick. I've also noticed that if it's sunny in the early morning, I'm much, much more likely to wake up early, be productive, and be happy about waking up early. Once the sun starts rising later, so do I. And I'm not nearly as happy in the morning when it's not bright and sunny outside when I wake up.

[Dead Cat]

Dragon Lady: do not make any plans to move to Alaska any time soon.

[Dragon Lady]

Dragon Lady: do not make any plans to move to Alaska any time soon.

This has never, ever, ever been in my plans. Nor do I ever foresee it ever happening.

[Digit]

I worked in a cannery on Bristol Bay two summers from June to mid-July when it was as bright as day for all but about 30-45 minutes around 3 AM when the Sun briefly dipped below the horizon.

[Laser Jock]

Dragon Lady: do make plans to have a summer home in Alaska and one at McMurdo Station (Antarctica). You'd only sleep a few hours a day, but you'd be happy about it!

[Dragon Lady]

Dragon Lady: do make plans to have a summer home in Alaska and one at McMurdo Station (Antarctica). You'd only sleep a few hours a day, but you'd be happy about it!

Well… But that eliminates a large portion of what I love to do first thing in the morning: gardening. Plus, I'm guessing only a few hours of sleep wouldn't make me happy. Perhaps if I moved to Hawaii ...

[bobtheenchantedone]

There are problems that arise when your boyfriend is bigger and faster than you are, and you use your laptop near him frequently... ; )

In other news, I am totally proving my own point lately by going back to sleep after scriptures, sleeping for like three more hours, feeling sluggish and sleepy when I get up even though I got enough sleep, and then sitting down and playing computer games for a while before remembering that oh yeah, I have work to do.

[Dead Cat]

Just remembered this gem from the Wheel of Morality:

Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy but socially dead.

[Emiliana]

Just remembered this gem from the Wheel of Morality:

Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy but socially dead.

Yeah, that's the problem I've been having lately: Socialize or be awake enough to teach?

On the whole I find that I feel best when I sleep from 10-7 or 11-8 or so. I'm really terrible at holding myself to that, though, even if I'm not staying out late with friends or leaving for work early.

[Portia]

I have been naturally falling asleep around 1, sometimes as early as 11:45, which is early for me. I sleep until the last possible moment, which is about 7:15 on weekdays. I tend to sleep from midnight til noon on weekends. In high school I slept from 10:30 to 6:00-ish and was more well-rested. When I was unemployed I started becoming nocturnal, like a vampire, and that was bad. It is good to be forced awake in the mornings or else I just don't do it.