Are you a morning person?

What about going to bed earlier the night before? you battle waking up because maybe you dont have enough rest yet, at what time you go to bed? at what time you are trying to wake up in the morning

I have been a morning person ALL my life. I can wake at 4:30 or 5 easily and get much of everything done by noon. I work better in the mornings than at any other time. When I was in middle and high school, I would do my homework in the mornings because by the end of the school day, I was too tired. No matter how much I have tried, I cannot change my body clock. I really am a true morning person.

BTW, I go to bed between 9 and 9:30.

--Sara

I am so NOT a morning person, that when I was 5 year old my mom had to put me in afternoon kindergarten because she couldn't get me up for the morning session! I have always had trouble. Some people's internal clocks are just set differently, and it makes no difference how much earlier I go to bed, I just end up sleeping longer! Honestly, the only thing that forces me out of bed before 8:30 or 9 (which is what I would sleep until if I could!) is the kids. Even the dogs, once let out and fed, will go back to bed, but once kids are up, they're up! 

I used to be a night owl but as I aged and had a job where I had early morning hours I changed my sleeping habits.  I go to bed early (9 and watch tv, set the timer) and I am up every morning between 5 and 5:30.  I need to be up for my first kid at 6 and if I want time for a cup of coffee I need to be up in order to get it made and enjoy it.  Thank goodness for the Bunn coffee maker
 
 

I am NOT a morning person (although I am not a night person eaiter..I am more a person who just likes to sleep in general)!  There are a couple of things that do work for me though (other than the pups waking me up!)[]
 
1)LIGHT!  LIGHT!  and more LIGHT!!  
If I want to get up early then I open my blinds and let the light in because I cannot sleep in with light in the bedroom. If it is dark when you need to get up then try putting a light in your room on a timer. They even have a special alarm clock that I have wanted to get from Skymall for years now that gradually lightens the room even before your alarm goes off!
 
[linkhttp://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102179262&c]http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102179262&c[/link]=
 
 
2) Set one of your alarms to a song on a CD that gets you going in the morning. For me there are certain songs that I cannot possibly listen to that don#%92t make me happy and full of energy when I hear them. I weird one that ALWAYS does it for me is “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve.  I also will be wide awake by almost any song from the Killers or Regina Spektor.  SO perhaps there are songs out there that you feel the same way about??
 
 
3) The smell of coffee… that always gets me out of bed so perhaps getting a programmable coffee pot to brew about the time you are to be getting out of bed.  

I work well in the mornings, but I do have a really hard time just getting my butt out of bed. I don't go to bed early enough for starters.

Ditto all of what Sara said.  Sometimes I actually wish I were more of a night person.  I can never stay up late enough to watch the Late Show or anything past 10 or so.  Even on days I could sleep in, I'm awake at 6ish.  For me, it's more a mental thing than anything else.  When I first wake up, my mind starts thinking of all the things I want or need to do that day, and I just can't go back to sleep. 

I dunno what I am anymore aside from "trained' to the kids schedule.
 
I cannot sleep past 7:15 am ever....weekend or bedtme notwithstanding. Just ain't gonna happen. I typically turn in around 11pm...and rise at 7:15  as noted. That's 8 hours so I never feel I have a sleep debt on the weekend.
 
BTW I am a big believer in sleep debts...if you have one you will know it. You will nod off in the middle of the day, or feel sooo tired around 10am or so.
 
Don't nap...ever....go to bed earlier than usual and read a boring book or play a mindnumbing video game (diamondmine works great for me) to fall asleep. Put the alarm clock in the BATHROOM (safely away from water of course)...and splash cold water on your face while you're in there. I find it's easier to get out of bed if the room is warm and not colder than the bed...I HATE being cold..it is terrible!
 
With stupid daylight savings time coming soon it's not about to get easier on those who have a hard time getting up!

ORIGINAL: cakana

Ditto all of what Sara said.  Sometimes I actually wish I were more of a night person.  I can never stay up late enough to watch the Late Show or anything past 10 or so.  Even on days I could sleep in, I'm awake at 6ish.  For me, it's more a mental thing than anything else.  When I first wake up, my mind starts thinking of all the things I want or need to do that day, and I just can't go back to sleep. 

My being a morning person is why we have 1 VCR and 2 dvd recorders to record all the shows I will miss that begin after I am asleep. I catch up them on the weekends or during naptime.

--Sara

I actually go and lay in bed around 10 PM, but will not fall asleep until 11 or so. I would like, and this is a fantasy of course, to be able to be up by 4:30 or 5 because I would like to run, shower, take care of Ash and leave all by 7:30 AM.
 
I loved Shelly's ideas! I have seen that alarm clock! And I totally agree about the song thing. When I was younger, if my alarm went off and good song was playing, I would start singing it and then I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So I do need to find a cd that has a great song that can get me up in the morning.
 
I think I just need to try and develop a different night routine in order to try and change my morning routine. Right now, like I said above, I lay down at 10 and won't fall asleep until 11 or 12. This is probably because I have the tv on. However, without it, I just lay there forever with my mind racing. I can't stop thinking about things. With the tv on, it's mindless and I fall asleep, albeit an hour or so later. []
 
Also, I don't have an actual bed. I have a futon. This isn't good because I have a very bad back. I've had back problems since I was a kid. So it's very uncomfortable for me. In addition, Ash sleeps with me on the futon and I'm sure many of us knows how that goes. She takes up half of the bed! The sleeping positions are all awkward, but heaven forbid I move her when she just looks so peaceful and cute. The good news is that I will be getting a bed before the month is over. Yay! My mom is strongly pushing for me to start having Ash sleep in her own bed on the floor once I get my new one.
 
I'm gonna try it again tonight. Maybe I should try and go to bed earlier so that way I fall asleep at 10 instead of 11 or 12. What about American Idol and Top Model though? . . . .[8|]

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

Don't nap...ever....go to bed earlier than usual and read a boring book or play a mindnumbing video game (diamondmine works great for me) to fall asleep. Put the alarm clock in the BATHROOM (safely away from water of course)...and splash cold water on your face while you're in there. I find it's easier to get out of bed if the room is warm and not colder than the bed...I HATE being cold..it is terrible!
 
With stupid daylight savings time coming soon it's not about to get easier on those who have a hard time getting up!

 
The bathroom! What a great idea Gina! I'll try that tonight!

I am NOT a morning person.  But I have trained myself to act like one.  
 
The most important thing you can do (take notes carefully) is to get a set schedule.  ALWAYS be in bed by a specific time.  (For me it is in bed by 1130-though I'm usually in there earlier)  If you can't sleep-read a book, don't watch TV and don't play video games or turn on the computer.  (The light from those will affect the part of the brain that has something to do with melatonin and you won't be tired.)
 
Get up at the same time as well.  No matter how tempted you are to sleep in-don't.  It will ruin your inner timer.
 
No caffeine after 4pm.  Ever!  No sugary drinks after 9pm. 
 
As far as the waking up thing, I have two dogs that dance on my head if I don't wake up.  I have my TV come on loudly first thing as an alarm, then another alarm and about 10 minutes later another alarm.
 
Don't be tempted to sleep in on the weekends.  That too will ruin the internal clock mechanism.
 
I have to be up by 630 every day for work-so even on the weekends I am up and out of bed by 630-645.  It also helps that the dogs are on a fixed "potty" schedule.

This is probably because I have the tv on. However, without it, I just lay there forever with my mind racing. I can't stop thinking about things. With the tv on, it's mindless and I fall asleep, albeit an hour or so later.

 
The TV is probably part of your problem...at least for many folks it is!  Try some music again when trying to drift off (or some background noise...like a white noise machine that repetitive). Something that you find relaxing. We either use a fan, a white noise machine or a CD (usually Enya or Katie Melua works best for me).   

I am terrible in the mornings. Every once in a while, I have to replace my alarm clocks because I figure out how to reset them in my sleep. Right now I have two that I keep outside the bedroom door. I had to add the second one recently because I had figured out how to shut the first one off without waking up. The buttons on the new one are really small, so I have a hard time shutting it off, and not accidently hitting snooze and making it start beeping like crazy a few minutes later. Monday-Thursday right now I get up at 6, and Fridays I get up at 7. I try to be up by 7:30 on the weekends because I know if I sleep too late, i'll have a hard time sleeping at night. Sorry I have no tips, but I can totally sympathize with you.