How do we become...morning people?

[YesitsBess]

My son (14) and I are not natural morning people, given the option we would both snooze merrily until 11am. Getting up for work/school is not fun for either of us (one grumpy night owl trying to wake another grumpy night owl* *rarely ends well).

We have to get up early most weekends as of now for rugby, which requires us being in the arse end of nowhere at stupid O' clock in the freezing cold. Can anyone share how they have made this even vaguely agreeable please?

Just to head off the worst:

1. I don't resent my son doing sport at all. Nor the early starts, I just would like advice on how to make it easier for us.

1. If you're about to talk about swimming, I know it's even more mad than rugby! Share your secrets...

1. Screen time is timetabled (he can have an absolute marathon on a Friday from 7 until 10 30pm when he doesn't need to be up early.)

Forget cold I like hot,

I'd love NOT to be a morning person! I'd love to sleep in all morning, but I'm always awake by 7 at the latest

Squirrel28 Brilliant!

I’m not a morning person either, and also have to drive our DD12 to a sports ground at stupid o’clock on Saturday mornings!

Like DH, DD is an early bird and manages to get herself ready and out the door on time for school during the week but likes to stay up a bit later on a Friday, and then drags her feet on Saturday mornings.

We also look forward to breakfast on the way home via Greggs!

It’s tough as I’m a night owl, and I’ve spent years talking about plans to implement an earlier bedtime routine for myself. I know that I need more sleep than the average person, but my problem is I end up staying up too late trying to stay organised and on top of everything before going to bed. It’s impossible and I just need to learn to leave it for the next day.

I started the following new bedtime routine a couple of weeks ago and felt much better when logging on for work the following day:
Shower just before bed ensuring I get at least 8-10 hours sleep, set the alarm, no scrolling on the phone, bedside light off, and lavender spray on the pillow.

I WFH most days so I can wake up a bit later. No school runs for DS8, so even more sleep.

The new bedtime routine went to pot last week, as I’m now on AL from work. DD has now morphed into a night owl as she’s doesn’t have the routine of school. Getting up this morning was a struggle! I’ll have to get us all back on track again by the middle of next week in preparation for school and work. We clearly need to adopt the same routine everyday.

I also try not to over commit myself with doing too much on the weekend. DH runs a couple of businesses, one which operates part of the weekend. I’m the main carer re. DC and my PT job is pressured, so I’m knackered by the end of the working week. If we have one busy weekend day, the other weekend day needs to be a bit more chilled so I can pace myself, prep for the following week and have an occasional lie-in.

I've solved this one for myself. Charge your phone overnight in a different room (preferably downstairs). Then Mumsnet before getting out of bed is impossible.

As of TONIGHT I am leaving my phone downstairs and using my Garmin as an alarm.

I've solved this by getting a teasmaid then setting that 15 mins before I need to wake up, and that is always 20 mins before I have to physically get going. So it's very gradual, gentle start.

I am also naturally a night owl and the main thing I've learned that helps me not feel dead on my feet in the morning is that you need to go to bed way earlier than you think. For me, the number of hours doesn't matter as much as being IN BED by 10.30pm or even earlier. It's so boring though and that's often the time of the evening when I start to feel really inspired and productive so sometimes (often) I just take the hit and feel like shit the next day.

I’ve got a lumie for the winter. It was £35.

Buy a cat, they don’t adjust their body clocks for no fucker & don’t have snooze buttons.

Exactly what I was going to say 🤣🤣🤣

Think of something you can use those early mornings for. Anything - planning a new business, a novel you always wanted to write, something that will make stupid o’clock in the morning an opportunity rather than a burden.

Oh, and be wary of the ‘seven days a week at the same time’ argument - you might find six days works better. Find what the earliest time is that you need to wake up and set the alarm for that six days a week. Then leave the alarm off for day no. seven.

I'm also a night owl by nature and while I have trained myself to early rising, I still find I need one day a week without the alarm on. It seems to reset my internal clock somehow.

It just seems such a waste to me to get up when you could be lazing in bed or sleeping in the morning. Doing anything before 10 or 11 is horrible. Then going to bed at 9ish just when the brain really starts getting going again after the grind of the day, all aspects seem such a waste. It blows my mind when larks get up at 5 then go to bed so early, if they haven't already slept in the afternoon. If they would sleep properly in the morning rather than getting up in the middle of the night they wouldn't fall asleep in the day / early evening!

If I open my back door and go outside for a few minutes there will be an incident. We live in a first floor flat.

I am not a natural morning person but I m not a night owl either. The thought of "going out" in the evening and not being able to go to bed until after 10 fills me with dread.
I coped with the shock of early mornings when I had babies by going to bed WAY earlier than is civilised.
Retirement is a dream, the only time I need an alarm is when I have a plane to catch.

I've a 23 year old as well, she's managed to hold down a job and college/uni. I'm. not asking for help with that really.

I'm very interested* *in what you think mollycoddling might be?

PREACH SISTAH!

For non time sensitive things I am #blessed with the poo pardon.

You go to sleep at 10.30pm and can sleep until 11am?! That's crazy!

This is good advice ( although, as this is MN, I suppose ‘snuggling’ must be reserved for under a blanket in the evening, after the lighting of the candles, dreading the unannounced visitor, etc) 😄

It may well be for you!

Ever since I was a small I've always needed 12 hours to function perfectly. I've done 4am to 8am and managed, but then needed a nap.

Takes all sorts doesn't it!

I start work at 7/7.30am. I'm not a morning person at all and I never will be. I'm just going to be a moody bitch in the mornings at work until I retire.

I would suggest earlier bed times. Lay in bed with your eyes closed. If your brain is busy try breathe in, count one. Breathe out, count two. Breathe in, count one. Breathe out, count two. Keep doing it. Don't give up. Even if your mind wanders, go back to counting as soon as you notice.

12hrs sleep is difficult and I don't know how to deal with that. Sometimes oversleeping actually makes you more tired. 8 hrs is a third less, which probably sounds unattainable. I think you'll just have to work at it.

I get up early. For years 3.30am to ride my horse before work. I've had many jobs (outdoors) with 4am starts to work in the cool of the day. These days I have an office job and on a normal day I've typically been up 4-5 hours before I get to the office at 9am. I'd also have done over 10,000 steps before I get to work.

Some days are easier than others. I know I'm unwell if I sleep until 8am or lordy help me 9am.

As someone said above, the key to getting up early is alarm goes off, get straight out of bed and get going. Don't think, just move. Some days I will reset my alarm for an extra 30mins and I'm back to sleep immediately. That's usually because work has been really demanding and I'm tired or I went to bed late.

i just go to bed when I’m tired whether that’s 8pm or 10pm. I don’t necessarily sleep, but will be resting. If you start getting up early, you’ll be more tired at bedtime anyway. You can definitely just reset it but it does take consistency.

quite ironic I’m posting this late at night! I’m overseas 🤣

I find stressing about getting up early, means sleeping badly which makes it even harder.

I need to have everything possible ready the night before so I know I haven’t got a lot to do in the morning. I allow myself half an hour to listen to the radio before getting out of bed, and if it’s going to be dark, set the Lumie to start with the gentle light 15 minutes before the radio. I trust that this combination will wake me up and that helps me to sleep.

I listen to audiobooks to get off to sleep and whenever I wake up in the night. An audiobook is better than worrying about not sleeping.

I tried a teasmaid years ago but the tea just tasted wierd. If you’re a coffee drinker OP, could you try a small coffee pod machine by your bed so that you have decent coffee at the touch of the button to help you face the world?

Don't eat late in the evening, have a consistent bedtime.

Quick update: tried turning the shower cold today and I hate you all. 😊