The joys of an early night

[CardboardBoxesLily]

I really want to switch from being a life-long night owl to a morning lark.

When I do get an early night I LOVE it and tell myself I’ll do it again that night, but it’s hard to break the habit when my bedtime has been 11-12 my whole life.

AIBU to ask people to share their joys in how wonderful an early night is to inspire me?

I LOVE to get in bed early. Scroll the internet/social media. Have a look on rightmove etc for an hour or so. I am always up by 6.30am so 10.30pm is usually the latest I’m in bed, but a few times at week I like to be in for 9.30. I walk the dogs early morning and it’s lovely at that time.

I usually go to bed quite late even though i know how lovely an early night is🙄
Getting into a lovely comfortable cosy bed with a book is one of life's pleasures, i also like it if it's still a little bit light outside.

11 to 12 is an early night for me.😀

There is another thread on here that is about going to bed early. People on there are going to bed as early as 6.30pm. Just madness.

I’m somewhere in between - if I go too early I wake too early
You need to find your optimum time mine is 10pm

I like to go up early to read. My sleep is so much better if I read for a while before lights out.

I never stay up late. Bed by 9pm in the week and if possible 8pm at weekends. I only have to be up at 7.

My bed is warmer and cosier than the living room. I'm happy listening to the radio under a duvet.

It might be easier to set one night a week as the designated early night for a month, then the next month add a second night, start with Wednesday and then add Sunday for example
Trying to just do it in one go seems too much to me. Take it slow and see if it works for you.
Night owls are just as good as larks

I love being in bed early but I struggle to actually go to sleep before 11pm. I have dinner and get the kids to bed and then usually try to do a bit of exercises, shower and even if I'm in bed by 9:30 I spend time on my phone and watching tv in bed. I need to put down the devices earlier and sleep as I always wake up tired.

I don’t know that you can fix it- I think your body is one or the other!

What time do you get up @CardboardBoxesLily ? I believe you can change it. It's a habit.

The other thing I keep meaning to try is one of those daylight alarms but I have young DC who usually wake me up.

11pm is a completely normal bedtime though, isn't it, unless you have to be up at the crack of dawn. How many hours of sleep do you get? I don't think there is much point in forcing your own inner clock to change. I am a morning person so can't do many productive things in the evening, hence prefer time in the morning to sort things for the family, etc. Envy the poster that has the time to chill in bed from 9pm to 7am, that must be proper bliss!

@CricketashesThe other thread is what inspired me because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside hearing everyone’s early night stories 😂

@ChocolatecoffeecupHmmm well this is the double edged sword of being a night owl, it’s hard to be an early bird too. I have a flexible morning routine (wfh, no small kids to prepare for school) so I get up around 8am, but I would really love to fix this too and be out of bed for 7-7.30. Appreciate this is probably a lie in for many.

On work mornings, I ought to get up at 6:30 (can go for a virtuous 6:00 and get in to work earlier, can push it as late as 7:00 and still be just on time, but rushing. My commute is dictated by public transport).

I feel tired most of the time, often tired when waking. I do wake in the night pretty regularly too.

So the only way to guarantee I will feel good in the morning is to be in bed by 9-9:30, asleep by 10 )I always read for a bit in bed - it's a set part of my routine and not optional.

God I wish I could be better at doing this.

The trouble is, I wake up feeling like shit (mood-wise) whatever happens, and my mood gradually improves during the day/evening, so I tend to feel pretty chipper by the evening. So the idea of closing that down earlier, knowing I will wake up feeling emotionally low, is really untempting.

But mood aside, to feel better physically, it's what I need to do.

ARGH!

It’s not bringing your bedtime forward that will change your habit. Start getting up earlier and enjoying the morning. Walk, cup of tea in the garden, whatever.

You will naturally bring your bedtime forward by doing that.