I'll let you borrow my cat.
I was going to suggest: get a cat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q
The problem is that cats will wake you up when they feel like it. Sometimes that means 4:00 AM.
Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
121–130 of 138 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#122There's no reason to get up early in the morning. This is one of those things like marathon running and vegetarianism. For totally irrational reasons people think they're doing something worthwhile just because doing it sucks.
I disagree. Running is pretty damn exciting, even more than video games. Don't believe me? Go on track, run a lap in under 1:45. Now imagine you can run at that speed for a long long time, without getting tired, in the trails, near lakes, on the tiny bridges -- running rules. Once you actually can run (not jog like many do: took me a year or so) it is great.
Thats pretty freakin' fast. 6 minute miles are fast. I need to learn to run 6 minute miles..that'd be awesome.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#123set an alarm and be disciplined enough to get up and not hit snooze.
Unfortunately I sometimes wake up with no alarm going off, think to myself "hmm, where's the alarm? what time is it?", look at the clock and realize that it's 4 hours later than I intended and the alarm has been turned off. Since I have no recollection of turning off the alarm, it isn't really a matter of discipline :( Edit: Of course, I'm not suggesting that this is a deal breaker, or that I've 'given up', just that…
that's the case with me too. I can talk sense even while I'm fast asleep.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#124There's no reason to get up early in the morning. This is one of those things like marathon running and vegetarianism. For totally irrational reasons people think they're doing something worthwhile just because doing it sucks.
I disagree. Running is pretty damn exciting, even more than video games. Don't believe me? Go on track, run a lap in under 1:45. Now imagine you can run at that speed for a long long time, without getting tired, in the trails, near lakes, on the tiny bridges -- running rules. Once you actually can run (not jog like many do: took me a year or so) it is great.
> run a lap in under 1:45
A 1:45 400m is fucking pathetic. I only criticized the absurdity that is long distance running.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
To go to bed earlier 1) get up earlier 2) You can only shift your schedule about 1 hour per day. You can try shifting it more, but you're going to have sweater-head, nausea and hot flashes. If you go from getting up at 11 to getting up at 5, expect five days of feeling like crap. 3) The pineal gland is activated by light incident on the retina. So calculate when you need to go to sleep based on when you get up, and s…
The starvation study I remember said _don't_ eat 16 hours before you wake up, and then eat well. Then the body will remember the time you got food, and make sure you're awake for it. Also, this is the least useful comment by pg i've seen in a long while. It's not even funny if you happen to be a late sleeper.
I thought the comment was funny because I interpreted the OP not as really wanting to know how to get up earlier but rather how to sleep less (otherwise why the comment about sleeping your life away).
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree. Running is pretty damn exciting, even more than video games. Don't believe me? Go on track, run a lap in under 1:45. Now imagine you can run at that speed for a long long time, without getting tired, in the trails, near lakes, on the tiny bridges -- running rules. Once you actually can run (not jog like many do: took me a year or so) it is great.
> run a lap in under 1:45 A 1:45 400m is fucking pathetic. I only criticized the absurdity that is long distance running.
I'm not talking about an all-out 400m, I just said how it's pretty fun to run that fast while not getting out of breath for 6-7 miles.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
white noise? yuk! it's like chewing broken glass. Pink noise is much more smooth.
I think most people don't know there's a difference. And yeah, you're right.
I downloaded free natural sound recordings from emusic.com as part of their trial. I loop around 8 hours of soothing ocean waves :)
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#128Go to bed earlier at night.
To go to bed earlier 1) get up earlier 2) You can only shift your schedule about 1 hour per day. You can try shifting it more, but you're going to have sweater-head, nausea and hot flashes. If you go from getting up at 11 to getting up at 5, expect five days of feeling like crap. 3) The pineal gland is activated by light incident on the retina. So calculate when you need to go to sleep based on when you get up, and s…
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#129Have something to do once you get up, a reason to get up. I had the same issues before I started to go to the gym in the morning. This has really fixed my sleeping routine. If I don't have a reason to get up in the morning, I'm much more likely to stay in bed before I go to sleep again.
Yes, this is my biggest tip as well. All the best intentions in the world won't help you change for good - in my experience. Though having said that, even something voluntary like going to the gym might not be enough...
The two things that worked best for me were:
Organise every meeting you possibly can to be in the morning, and don't allow yourself to cancel.
Go to bed with something unfinished, i.e. have something to do that really propels you out of bed. An example would be leaving a piece of code not quite done, but with a good idea of how to finish it (if you haven't got a clue, it's more likely to make you want to stay in bed and make it go away, no?). Thinking about the problem while dropping off and waking up makes me just want to leap up and fix it.
Other tips, potentially irrelevant to most commenters, but that worked for me:
Give up WoW. Or at least stop playing it late at night. Seriously. The difference in sleep quality, for me, is night and day.
Hack your nutrition. Eat low-GI. Cut out soda and junk food. Let caffeine be a treat, not a staple.
Have a flatmate or loved one poke you awake. Even if they're not geographically present, having someone you love call you or tuning yourself to wake up to the sound of an incoming IM can help you boot up faster in the morning.
Read in bed, but don't read anything too interesting. I still have this backfire when I open a new book at 11pm and don't sleep 'til it's finished. Others love to journal instead, which can be a great relaxer, but I end up making todo lists which has the opposite effect.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get up early in the morning?
#130I will be more flippant than pg: Just get up already.
Now I will explain my reaction so I don't just get downvoted and if you disagree with me, reply.
Most people in the world have responsibilities. Kids to feed and to take to school, chores and errands to do plus a (sometimes long) commute to a job where they cannot afford to be late (responsibilities, a boss, or both). Yet, they all manage just fine.