Ask HN: how to become a morning person? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#61

Post by beck5 » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 1:43 PM UTC

2 things made a difference for me, Routine & Age.

If you get a 9-5 job after a while your body learns. I used to wake up at 3pm regularly (and hate myself) but after a couple of years doing the 9-5 I can't sleep in past 9:30 anymore.

I'm only mid twenties now but I swear getting out of bed is easier now than as a teenager.

Unfortunately I am slipping back, I am doing a masters but have no more classes, every night I work a bit later because I know I don't have to be up early, so I wake up a little later, repeat. Its a spiral which I need to break.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#62

Post by gbog » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 2:23 PM UTC

blrgeek wrote: post #36

gte910h wrote: post #14

I had issues with sleeping when others do for a long while. I do not anymore (although get out of sync again about 2x a year). 1. Caffeine and you: You have a certain sensitivity to this drug. You may also be misusing it. Generally speaking, it's a late morning, early afternoon only drug. Late morning is the only place it starts working as its an adenosine antagonist, and you don't start getting adenosine in any real…

8. Drink a glass or two of water just before bed time, so you need to wake up to pee at the right time in the morning :) Calibrate the amount so you don't wake up in the middle of the night.

I'd say: "Drink a glass of hot water just before bed time". Hot like a cup of tea. Sip it slowly but steadily. This is relaxing your throat and your brain. They all do that in China, call it "white tea". Helps also if you have headache.

I don't agree with the "don't read in bed" advice. It's good to read in bed. Read something interesting enough to wipe your mind away from work or project-related thoughts, but avoid a book that will keep you awake for too long, prefer non-fiction or short stories.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#63

Post by _wp3r » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 2:51 PM UTC

cardmagic wrote: post #10

Have a kid. Nuff said.

Another option is join the Marine Corps.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#64

Post by mattm » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 2:59 PM UTC

chaosmachine wrote: post #16

I've found Flux[1] to be very useful in stopping the constant forward-shift of my sleep schedule. Now I actually get tired at night. Perhaps it was simply over-exposure to blue light all these years... [1] http://stereopsis.com/flux/

Wow! This is amazing! I can't believe I never thought to look for something like this before.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#65

Post by gte910h » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 3:26 PM UTC

gbog wrote: post #62

blrgeek wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

8. Drink a glass or two of water just before bed time, so you need to wake up to pee at the right time in the morning :) Calibrate the amount so you don't wake up in the middle of the night.

I'd say: "Drink a glass of hot water just before bed time". Hot like a cup of tea. Sip it slowly but steadily. This is relaxing your throat and your brain. They all do that in China, call it "white tea". Helps also if you have headache. I don't agree with the "don't read in bed" advice. It's good to read in bed. Read something interesting enough to wipe your mind away from work or project-related thoughts, but avoid…

These aren't my tips. Sleep doctors say don't read in bed over and over:

http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php?p=sleephygienetips

I know it's nice to read in bed, but it's bad for sleep. It's not like you have to do everything in the list up there to get sleep, but the sacrosanct "Bed is for sleeping, only" is the #1 thing for many people.

I often read Before bed, but on the couch, not IN bed.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#66

Post by follower » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 3:30 PM UTC

lbk wrote: post #56

Looks like you have DSPS . There's a good wikipedia page on it ; go read that , read the whole thing . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome I got my diagnosis 3 years ago , after a melatonin-test . I had to do 24 saliva samples at 24 consecutive hours , they tell you from the graph whether your melatonin production is off . The 'fix' is to take melatonin , as a pill , same time every night . For…

I wish your reply was higher.

Chances are if OP is asking the question the standard reply of "sleep hygiene" isn't a useful answer.

OP, have a consultation with a sleep specialist. And, take lbk's advice of reading the DSPS page and also potentially: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-24-hour_sleep-wake_syndrome

It could change the way you view both yourself and your life.

And, to everyone else, consider that, sometimes it isn't just a matter of "more willpower" or just doing whatever worked for you.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#67

Post by charlieflowers » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 3:41 PM UTC

daimyoyo wrote: post #30

I wonder, OP, if you've considered the idea that your not being a morning person ins't a bad thing? You see, I've been a nite owl since I was 8 years old. Unless I'm sick, drunk, or have been up more than 24 hours, I am never tired before 4 or 5 am. I've had job after job in my time that required me to be at the office early, and I needed to wake up at the last possible second or else, I'd go back to sleep. Finally,…

Agreed. I'm one of them too. Yes, I can change it for a while if needed ... but I'm at my best when I embrace it.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#68

Post by pnathan » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 3:54 PM UTC

gte910h wrote: post #14

I had issues with sleeping when others do for a long while. I do not anymore (although get out of sync again about 2x a year). 1. Caffeine and you: You have a certain sensitivity to this drug. You may also be misusing it. Generally speaking, it's a late morning, early afternoon only drug. Late morning is the only place it starts working as its an adenosine antagonist, and you don't start getting adenosine in any real…

I'm not convinced about 1. entirely, but for the rest - I agree. Especially the Cool Room part.

Another thing that has always helped is going to bed 8 or so hours before wake up time, consistently. Even, yes, weekends.

It's a bit boring and 'old people' in my mind, but the ideal schedule IMO is 10:30-6:30, every single night of the week. Really killed late-night hackfests though. :-/

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#69

Post by gaoshan » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 4:16 PM UTC

I'm 42 and have never successfully conquered my sleep issues. I am still a late night person and will stay up all night every now and then just to get back to a "normal" cycle (which never lasts).

Traveling abroad highlights my problem. In China I will be up at 5:00am (and enjoying it and wanting to make it last) the first few days, then my schedule will start to drift later and later until I am all screwed up again. As a dad I simply have to get up early sometimes and these fall asleep at 2:00, 3:00 or 4:00am get up at 6:30am days just wreak havoc on me and, sadly, I do not "adjust".

What's more, I had a job where for several years I had to get up every single morning at 5:15am. I was told "You'll adjust when you are forced to do it long enough". Nope. I never did. I'm becoming convinced some people just can't. It sucks, by the way.

Re: Ask HN: how to become a morning person?

#70

Post by beagle3 » Sat, Apr 16, 2011, 4:25 PM UTC

JesseAldridge wrote: post #11

Sounds like you're exactly like me -- if so, then probably nothing will work. You're options are: 1) Be out of sync with everyone else, or 2) Feel half dead throughout the day. I stumbled across an illuminating graph on the trends page of my Google Web History: http://imgur.com/Or18c I've got that 3 am to noon gap, just like the OP describes. I used to think I was on a 25+ hour cycle, but now I'm thinking I just gene…

If you are in good health, try fasting for a a week or so. I know, it sounds crazy, and everyone tells you that you must eat 3 meals a day, or else you'll die of malnutrition.

Turns out that you can go about 40 days without food and sustain no irreversible damage (although only 1-2 days without water). The first two days are often hard, but that's because you're experiencing carb withdrawal symptoms (yes, you ARE addicted to carbs). Afterwards, you just don't think of food at all until at some point (in my experience, 7 to 30 days later), all of a sudden you can think of nothing but food - THIS IS HUNGER. what most people call hunger is appetite or carb additiction.

And each and every time I did this (would be around 10 now), it fixed my sleep schedule for a few months afterwards.

NOTE: This is not medical or nurtitional advice. Please research this yourself and consider getting advice for a medical professional.