to think getting up early isn't an indication of moral superiority?

[MaryJObliged]

I do get up early most days (between 6 and 6:30am) so I have time to walk the dog and go to the gym before my long commute to work or so I get more time to work when I work from home. But I've never seen this as some kind of positive side to my character or indication of my moral superiority. I just do it because it's practical for my life.

My mother, however, is of the opinion that people who "lounge around" in bed until 7 or 8am are lazy bastards who don't know that they're missing the best time of the day. When she comes to stay on weekends she'll stand at my living room window first thing (say about 8-8:30am) commenting on all the drawn curtains and the lazy buggers asleep when they could be cracking on with accomplishing things.

This is a very odd attitude to me but I've found quite a few people in my life share this perspective. Am I being unreasonable? Or am I, in fact, morally superior because of my early mornings ?

YANBU

There are loads of people like that. Not only do they think they are morally superior for getting up early, they think that moral superiority gives them the right to be dictators.

When my mum and dad first retired, it became obvious that they were a lark and a night owl so had their different rhythms.

I was visiting once when Dad was hoovering at around 9am, and he decided it would be good to complain to me about mum still being in bed.

I pointed out to Dad that mum might get up later, but she went to bed later and could be counted upon to have done the dishwasher or other jobs before bed. I highlighted that mum didn't get any extra sleep, it was just at a different time of day to him, and if she needed to get up early for any reason she was perfectly able to do so. I rounded it off by asking Dad "You are both retired. What does mum have to get up for?"

That was 20 odd years ago. The subject has never been raised around me since.

I'm more night owl than lark, but get up at 6am for work in the week. I do like a lie in.

Plenty of jobs have flexi-time these days. Doesn't necessarily mean the people who do them are lazy.

Totally agree. And in the jobs I've had with flexi-time, everyone still has to complete a minimum number of hours, so none of the workers are lazy.

@Westray

I'm the opposite, but same in a way. I like to relax and bum about in the morning. Then I have my shower, a lazy lunch, and spring into action until well into the evening. I get the most done around 3-7pm when not at work.

I think maybe my Mum influenced that. I couldn't ever go out as a child in the holidays until I'd finished my list of chores for the day. It was often long (hours worth) so I was forced up and out of bed if I wanted to have any time to go out before curfew. Now it's my choice.

I thought I was an early bird (630/7 weekdays and 8 on weekends). This thread has informed me I am lazy

I must admit, I don't get it when people stay in bed until 10. I do feel that's a bit 'wasting the day', but that's only because I like getting things done when j get up early and then I can sit on the sofa mid afternoon with a book and a cuppa. Its just personal preference. I would never seriously judge based on the time people get up. Who has time for that?

My mother gets up at 4 and she doesn't understand how people can "sleep in". I wish I had inherited this early bird trait from her but alas. Not only do I love to sleep in, including getting up at 6:30 when I have to and then going back to bed if I get the chance, but I am also lazy.

I think rising early shows discipline as well as some people naturally find it easy to get up early...the discipline part does make the person a little superior in my view...we need a thread on how to discipline ourselves (people like me) to rise early and get things done.

But what is the point of getting up at 4? Thats what I dont get!

Everything except 24 hours supermarkets are shut until much later so she cant get errands done. There is only so much housework that needs to be done so what does she do?!

Its not as if three is any TV on at that time, its either the news or teleshopping.

I understand people preferring to get up at 6 to have a relaxed morning instead of at 7 and have a rush, but 4am seems ridiculous.

At 4am I can sometimes be found painting walls. I haven't been to bed.

At the moment I am going through a period of insomnia. So I am not in bed till 2 or 3 then I have to get up at 6am. I am exhausted

I totally sympathise re insomnia. I often see 4 am from the other side thats why I know there is bog all on telly! And if my mother says "just go to bed earlier" one more fucking time...........

I'm usually contemplating bed at 4am and often cleaning at 1am. My parents are night owls too
Am recovering from surgery and my body clock seems to have set to say sleep from 3am - 11am

My mother has always risen early. She grew up on a farm, among other reasons later on. Now though she doesn't have to get up early but it's a habit. She enjoys her tea and watches the news, reads her Bible, and "exercises" by walking around the house (inside) for 30 minutes listening to of all things Kenny Loggins. She is 83. She used to have to commute 1 1/2 hours when she worked so that's part of it I'm sure.

and often cleaning at 1am.

Oh yes, same. I do all my housework between 10pm and 3am.

I just can't do it during the day; I literally can't.

Ive been up working most of the night. Im chilling out for next 2/3 hours enjoying the peace and quiet, garden view and sunshine through windows. Then Im going to bed and Im not setting an alarm either. I hope I never get to the stage in life where I give a flying fuck what time someone else gets up in the morning, nor judge them on it. My mum's a hardcore judgey pants and I annoy her by laughing when she starts all that

I was up at 5.45 this morning. Not sure I'm actually alive tbh.

I've always been a lark, even when I was a teenager and am usually up by 530 even at the weekends.

However come 9pm I'm fucking knackered which is rubbish for socialising. And when I go away with friends I find I get really bored waiting for them all to wake up. So it does have its downsides.

My DGM would always tell us off for 'stinking in bed!' until 9am or whatever. It was inevitable, every weekend, because my Dparents were (and still are) champion lie-iners. They both have busy jobs are get up early all week so at the weekend they catch up!

I used to like a lie-in, but ds does not so at the moment, I'm an enforced early bird. 7.30am feels like a beautiful lie-in 😑 But we do get more into the day, so swings and roundabouts. I suppose... 😴

My mum is a 6am upper. She is almost smug about her inability to lie in. Even after a night out (no hangovers either).

She sees any sort of lie in as wasting the day. Even if all she does in a day is a fruit and veg shopping trip and a few catchup epispde of Casualty. Understandable if shes loads on but not on a day of nothing planned.

She also resplutely believes that a daytime nap ruins night time sleep for everyone - not in my case. She also thought my dcs as newborns should be kept awake in fhe day ALL day so that they slept through at night.

Anyone who tries to dictate to me when I get out of bed and is not involved that is something compulsory that I have do to gets told where to shove their fucking mornings.

I am definitely a night owl! I have a better day if I skip an hour or 2 of the morning when I first left college with my newfound freedom I was sleeping until 10am and I still got stuff done, but always felt really defensive about it. If you hate mornings and don't have any arrangements, kids, appointments or shifts to get up for then stay where you are. It's not a problem until someone else says it is!

I could understand people being smug if they were doing something amazing with all those extra hours like writing a novel or volunteering or something but why would you be smug for getting up 'just because'. As pp have pointed out, it doesn't mean you've slept less or done more work than the owls so I don't get the smugness. I'm so glad my parents never forced their larking on me as a teen; they didn't care as long as I did my homework/chores/work and got up early when it was necessary. If I had nothing on, they let me sleep for the most part.