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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Tips for getting up early

102 replies

CandleLight11 · 21/09/2023 00:36

AIBU to ask for tips for getting up early? Please share any bits of wonderful advice or habits or techniques you might have. I just can't seem to consistently do it even though I really really want to.
IABU - just do it
IANBU - it's really difficult

OP posts:
LemonQuiche · 21/09/2023 00:40

You just have to push through and actually do it. I find that once you’re out of bed, that’s the worst bit over.

PlumpAndGrump · 21/09/2023 00:41

I'm with you OP.
Every night I think tomorrow will be the day and then the morning comes and I can't get myself out of bed

111111111a · 21/09/2023 00:43

Stop browsing Mumsnet well before nearly 1am 🤣

I also have to get up early.

Go to bed earlier, just get up when the alarm goes off. Don't think there's a trick sadly

DifficultBloodyWoman · 21/09/2023 00:47

Drink a large glass of water before going to bed. You’ll wake up and get up because you need to go to the loo. The tricky bit is not going back to bed afterwards.

WereYouListeningToTheDudesStory · 21/09/2023 00:48

Set your alarm. When it goes off, take a couple of Pro Plus. Then snooze it for ten minutes so you're caffeinated the next time it goes off.

BananaPalm · 21/09/2023 00:53

WereYouListeningToTheDudesStory · 21/09/2023 00:48

Set your alarm. When it goes off, take a couple of Pro Plus. Then snooze it for ten minutes so you're caffeinated the next time it goes off.

Edited

Oh wow! That's hardcore 😲 But I can see it working...

GreyBlackBay · 21/09/2023 00:54

Sleep is very important. You can't just get up early unless you've had enough sleep. So if you go to bed late research how to move your bedtime earlier.

If you do get enough sleep but struggle to wake up make sure it's light and warm when your alarm goes off. A fan heater and your bedside light on timer plugs will do but sunrise alarm clocks are good.

After that it's about making yourself. Put the alarm where you have to get up to turn it off.

Wingedharpy · 21/09/2023 01:01

Do you HAVE to get up early or would you just LIKE to?
As a confirmed owl, I have long since stopped concerning myself with early starts unless I have to for some reason.
If I have to do it, I just drag myself out of bed when the alarm goes off and ignore the feeling of fatigue and focus on why I'm up early today.
I think I'm genetically linked to Count Dracula somewhere along the line.

PlanofAction842196 · 21/09/2023 01:03

Get all your stuff ready the night before
Breakfast
Work bag
Work clothes
Food for the day like packed lunch
Set several alarms

Catsmere · 21/09/2023 01:04

111111111a · 21/09/2023 00:43

Stop browsing Mumsnet well before nearly 1am 🤣

I also have to get up early.

Go to bed earlier, just get up when the alarm goes off. Don't think there's a trick sadly

And don't start browsing it when you wake up! 😆

KissyMissy · 21/09/2023 01:06

Alarms out of reach
I have 3 different alarms dotted around the house Blush

Catsmere · 21/09/2023 01:07

DifficultBloodyWoman · 21/09/2023 00:47

Drink a large glass of water before going to bed. You’ll wake up and get up because you need to go to the loo. The tricky bit is not going back to bed afterwards.

I miss the days of not needing to go to the loo two or three times during the night! Not to mention being able to sleep past dawn ...

WereYouListeningToTheDudesStory · 21/09/2023 01:22

BananaPalm · 21/09/2023 00:53

Oh wow! That's hardcore 😲 But I can see it working...

Oh it definitely works! 😁

TorqueWrench · 21/09/2023 01:29

I get up at 5am and have in the past regularly got up earlier. After a holiday etc it's usually just a case of forcing myself to get up. You're then tired the next day.

theGooHasGone · 21/09/2023 01:33

Go to bed earlier. No screens in the bedroom as a hard rule. It'll take a while but you'll get used to it.

DramaAlpaca · 21/09/2023 01:38

For the winter months, one of those alarm clocks that simulate daylight. It helps enormously, but sadly I don't think anything will ever turn me into a morning person.

anareen · 21/09/2023 01:41

Firstly, look at the time you are going to bed. How many hours of sleep are you getting? A good way to help your body adjust to a new sleep schedule is to do 15 minute increments. If you are going to bed late start your night time routine 15 min early. The next week do another 15 min earlier etc etc. if you don't have a night time routine I suggest looking into one.

Hellokittymania · 21/09/2023 01:56

Maybe you can get one of those alarm clocks that rolls around the room and you have to catch it… I think there is such a thing anyway.

as for me, I have a lot of trouble with sleeping, so sometimes I cannot surely get up at 3 AM, no problem. Otherwise, it’s a nightmare. But if I have to get up, I do some thing, I enjoy, have my coffee, read a book or dance, around to some music, or you could go all in and take a freezing, cold shower… I wouldn’t recommend that one though. but it definitely wakes you up!

LittleRedYarny · 21/09/2023 02:14

For me it depends on why I’m struggling to how I “fix” the problem.

I am biologically predisposed to having a delayed sleep rhythm, I’d like to go to sleep about 2am and wake about 10am, but society judges that kind of behaviour as bad when you aren’t a shift worker. So I have to either survive on minimal sleep or catch my sleep cycle about 8pm and have a super early night. It might be worth looking at your circadian rhythm and seeing if that helps.

Other times when I’ve been pretty routine in going to sleep but struggles with wake up I’ve eventually discovered there was often an outside influence, for example the time I lived in a house super close to a railway line, the night time freight would disturb my sleep enough to semi wake me about 2-3am and screw up the rest of my night. Often there’s not much you can do here but use ear plugs and/or hope you become accustomed to the routine waking.

Other times I’ve found random things like not feeling ready for bed because of outstanding tasks or thoughts that need dealing with. This is easily fixable with a night before routine and making reminder notes. I’ve also found in this case a training myself to have a sleep trigger really helpful, for example I listened to the same (chilled slow beat) song every night when I was drowsy, within a week or so my suggestible little brain got sleepy hearing it -et voila early night.

Then there are times where internal problems disrupted my sleep, being too warm, too cold, low level vitamin and mineral deficiency, mentally tired but not physically. Again you just have to figure out the thing and fix it by taking a supplement or doing some pre sleep yoga or taking a shower.

So in all these situations half the battle of getting up early was getting some good sleep first.

Now for the waking up part and being motivated to get out of bed, you have to know yourself… I layer a few techniques for me. 1 I have Alexa wake me and she is set to greet me with a reminder for my medication, the news and some chit chat I’ve pre programmed. 2, I have an alarm the other side of the room that is either my old fashioned bell alarm clock or my clock radio (this second one does not alway work perfectly and I can get back into bed.) 3, I’m food motivated so always have a an exciting breakfast to lure me out of bed and into the kitchen.

This is obviously harder on some days than others and the winter months are a bastard (which is where a wake up light can help) but 90% I’m good with getting up. The key to it is routine, even if you have to vary it/cycle through various different techniques to keep them fresh.

junbean · 21/09/2023 02:29

You have to reset your circadian rhythm and the easiest way is to use the sun, which is what we've evolved from doing. Once you get into it it's difficult to stop. Just look at your weather app and see when the sun rises and set your alarm for that time. It will be different each day. Make sure you're able to actually see the sunlight from your bed. After a short time, maybe 15 days in my experience, you'll naturally wake with the sun. You'll go to bed earlier too, so you do have to commit to it!

bopbey · 21/09/2023 05:26

How early do you want to get up?

MonikerBing · 21/09/2023 05:57

gradually move your bed time earlier and earlier each night. Set your alarm early. Have a cup of coffee when you wake up and start the day! Don't drink in the evening.

(having curtains or blinds that don't shut out the light from outside helps, but only in the summer really).

Floofydawg · 21/09/2023 06:08

Go through the menopause. You just won't sleep much any more.

leopardprintismyfavourite · 21/09/2023 06:11

Things that have helped me:

The cat - severe choice as an alarm clock but on 70% of days she does the job with great accuracy.

Lumie Alarm Clock - I respond well to natural daylight so I use the sunrise and sunset setting to help me wake up. Get up at the same time as much as you can.

Setting my alarm in three hour blocks - I know if I have nine hours or six hours I feel much better than 7.5 hours. I think my sleep pattern is three hours long. This means I don’t wake up groggy.

The days where it is super hard - as soon as the alarm goes off, get up and go to the shower. This is not in my nature, I normally need two coffees before I contemplate anything. But ten minutes in the shower wakes me up and it’s the start of everything else - hair, makeup, clothes. I find snoozing the alarm the worst thing on these days.

SchoolAdminNeverGoodEnough · 21/09/2023 06:17

Just get up.

Getting up is shit.

Whether you hit snooze three times, six time or not at all.

Until you have had a wee it is nasty and groggy.

Then it is bareable.

However the benefit of just getting up? You do not have to set your alarm 30 minutes early each day. You need to 100% be up at 6? Set the alarm for 6. It goes off. You sit up. Get up.

You faff around either snooze buttons....you have to set the alarm for 5.30...equal less sleep than just getting up.