To find it impossible to wake up? HELP!

[teethingproblems]

Right, I'm a teacher which means I have to leave by about 07:30. For the last year I've been getting up (no exaggeration) about 8 minutes before I have to leave. My mornings are so rushed and it means I go into work feeling like a mess.

I set alarms for 06:30 but then always end up snoozing them or setting later ones.

Ive tried the trick of leaving your phone on the other side of the room - I simply get it, snooze the alarm and get back into bed.

Ive tried everything, I physically don't get up until I'm cutting it so fine that I may be late to lesson 1. IT is awful!

I would love an alarm clock that would gradually wake me up and perhaps gently play the radio or something, so I give myself 45 minutes to have breakfast, a shower etc. Any recommendations?

Hi, coming at it from a different angle, but how's your health? If you're suffering with insomnia or lethargy may be for a number of reasons. If you have concerns you're too tired to get up right away maybe discuss with GP to check there's not an underlying cause??

This used to be me. So I started going to bed by 9pm at the latest. I now get up between 4-5am (I work from home 80% of the time so start at 9am), and I love it! Time to eat breakfast, shower, do my hair and make up, read a few chapters of a book, MN, do some emails all before everyone else start making a noise.

You have a choice…

I totally get it. As PPs said I can really recommend the Lumie, play around with the timings until you get it right. I actually have mine behind the curtain so it’s not too bright. It’s not as jarring as a regular alarm can be.

You sound like me! I often feel physically sick in the mornings, and can’t rouse myself.
If I had the alarm on the other side of the room I’d do the same as I can feel so unwell getting up isn’t an option.

I do try to go to bed earlier but for various reasons it’s not as easy as that. But this can happen even when I’ve had 8 hours.

When I’ve had fit bit type things I’ve notice all my deep sleep is in the “morning” hours.

I’d love a good gradual alarm too!

[quote BlockThatScrote]@rainbowzebra05 interesting you mention executive dysfunction, I have adhd. Wonder if there is a link? [/quote]
I always figured that if I struggle to argue with myself to do things like go to the toilet when I'm conscious, then when I'm not fully conscious and have less will power it makes sense that that might be a contributing factor to why I struggle to self motivate!

ASD here, I've been known to need the toilet for 5 hours before convincing myself to go because I just can't find the "oomph" and get beyond sick of the implication that you're just lazy for it. Very misunderstood, and a lot who struggle haven't actually heard of it which doesn't help.

Looking into the lumie now!

I'm the same. Its not even me being asleep, I can be wide awake and just not want to move! I tried to alarmy app, figured out pretty quickly I can just turn my phone off to stop it

The only thing that works is counting to 3 and moving on the count of 3!

Put a loud alarm clock (not a phone) up high. So high you have to jump. The jump wakes you up. Then jump in the shower

I have a Lumie sunrise alarm and wouldn’t be without it, especially in winter.

How about when you retrieved your phone turn the shower on straight away? Or put a kettle in your room and switch that on when you get your phone. Then you will be able to make your drink straight away and get your morning started. You need something to break your habit of getting back into bed!

I am hell to wake up, I never hear alarms - have an alexa on volume ten next to my bed (tried having two there but no joy), I can answer my phone and have conversations whilst asleep, I can be physically shaken and yelled at and I will sleep right through it, any suggestions? The struggle is real!

@Campfirewood

Lumie alarm light will change your life, I am Someone that was shit at getting out of bed! It gradually lights up and I’m usually awake by the time the noise starts (you can have birds or music of radio). It also dims the light gradually to help me sleep and plays a meditation! I love it (I promise I don’t work for them.) Lumie Sunrise Alarm - Sunrise Wake-up Alarm, Sunset Sleep Feature, Sounds & Mood Lighting ]] I paid £120 for mine 10 years ago, it looks like mine can do everything this one can do and it’s £33!!! Bargain.

Ooh! I had looked at those years ago but couldn't afford one at the time. They haven't half come down in price - might have to treat myself!

I can sleep for England. I think I am worse when I have too much sleep though. Ironically I find getting up easier if I have to be up an hour or do earlier than usual. The snooze button is the work of the devil.

@JuneOsborne

My DH loves his lumie alarm. Has a gentle sunrise until it's at max light. Some of the more expensive ones have birdsong or something. Takes about 30/40 mins to go to full light.

But dude, just get up! It sucks, especially in the dark. But just get out of bed. It's the only way.

This one! It's fab and cycles your sleep so you wake up at 'dawn' which is whatever time you set it.

@teethingproblems

People saying "dude just get up" clearly don't understand what it's like and don't struggle I wouldn't be posting asking for alarm advice if I could just "get up"! X

I get it, could it be low level depression?

In any case, I genuinely believe that the answer lies not with alarms but with going to bed much earlier. I used to stay up because it was the one time of day I got some peace but once I started going to bed earlier it was like discovering the holy grail. I began waking up feeling refreshed and actually keen to get up.

Might be worth a try?

Set your alarm at 10-15 min intervals for about 45 mins before you need to get up ie. For a 6.30 wake up, set the alarm starting at 5.45, then 6am, then 6.15 etc. One alarm doesn't do it for me, I need the warning shot.

Also: if you can get up and walk across the ro to turn it off, focus your mind on playing it forward; "OP, if I go back to bed now I'm going to wake up so flustered and stressed it'll ruin my day BUT if I struggle into the shower now I can relax and have breakfast before I have to leave..." Like literally talk yourself into. Also, go to be at latest 10 and do any prep the night before.

I'm so much better in lighter months so am glad the lighter mornings are starting. If you are it like this in winter I'd def recommend a sunrise alarm as pps have said. I love mine..... My husband doesn't when the birds singing comes on.

I have a really annoying battery operated alarm clock which is shaped like a cow, that blasts old MC Donald with mooing noises.

I put it halfway down the stairs for those days I really have to get up, like early morning flights and stuff where a ten minute snooze is not an option.

By the time I've ran to the cow to turn it off I'm awake.

My friend also puts her wind up alarm clock in the bathroom. The ones with bells that ring really loudly! When she enters the bathroom to turn it off she shoves cold water in her face from the sink to "wake her up"

I don't understand why are you getting back into bed once you've got out to turn off your alarm?

Have you tried going to be earlier?

It sounds like more of a problem with your sleep hygiene than anything. Everyone hates getting up in the morning, especially in winter, and with nothing fun to get up for - just work. It's rubbish.

My alarm is set for 6:40 and I always get up straight away. I've never in my life hit snooze because I know it would be worse for me personally, than just getting up at the time I need to. To get enough sleep for me (we're all different), I always aim to be starting the "going to bed" process by 9:30pm, to be lights out by 10.

@longtompot

Are you generally tired? Have you had things like your iron levels checked? I know when mine are very low I find it incredibly hard to get up.

I was going to say this. I really struggled to get out of bed for years, no matter how much sleep I had, then when I was pregnant I was found to have critically low iron levels. The nurse even said to me that she didn’t know how I’d been managing to get out of bed in the morning. After a few months on the supplements I was a new woman. I’d try and arrange some blood tests.

I mean this really nicely - but the reason you dont get up earlier is because you don't need to. You'd like to. You get up dressed and at work on time, albeit in a total frantic panic.

At the time your alarm goes off your brain is desperate for sleep and thinks - I'm going to go back to sleep, its always been fine before.

You need to

1. Go to bed earlier
2. Practice better sleep hygeine and rest better (do you have disturbed sleep?)
3. Set a trigger in the morning to remind you of the active choice you would like to make. Get your clothes ready the night before, a glass of water to drink and leave your alarm under your shoes or something - when you get up to turn it off and move the shoes it will remind you why you consciously would like to get up earlier.

And then actually get up earlier. The only real way to get into that cycle is to wake up ealier and be exhausted all day and gradually learn to sleep earlier.

You don't need an alarm recommendation, you need to just be an adult and stay out of bed when your alarm goes off 🤷🏼‍♀️

The sleep cycle app has been a game changer for me. I set a window, say 6-6:30 and it wakes me when I’m in the lightest sleep during that time, with a gentle tune.

It’s also about getting enough sleep though.

Consider employing someone to enter your house at 6.30 every morning, stand by your bed with a bucketful of iced water, slowly and loudly count down from 30 to zero. If you're still in the bed when they reach zero, they chuck the bucket of water over you. Should do the trick!

@Hospedia

I'm hypermobile so struggle with waking up as just existing can be fairly tiring, I'm also not in the slightest a morning person. I've found that the only thing that helps me is to be strict about going to bed by 11 so I can wake at 7 and making a deal with myself that I can sleep late at the weekend.

Hello fellow sufferer! I really struggle with mornings, especially at this time of year because the cold affects my joints so much. I can toss and turn in pain and also dislocate my fingers a fair bit too. By the time morning comes I have to lie there and click everything back where it should be before my slow hobble to the bathroom, gradually getting more upright as I go 😂😂

I found Vitamin D was a huge help, especially at this time of year with no natural light so give that a go OP.