6 Steps To Rising Early For Night Owls
I’m a late night kind of person. Whether it’s plugging away at the computer or putting down a few drinks down the road, it’s highly uncommon for me to be in bed before midnight. I have no problem with this.
However, I still find writing works best in the morning after sleep. The mind is fresh [...]
I’m a late night kind of person. Whether it’s plugging away at the computer or putting down a few drinks down the road, it’s highly uncommon for me to be in bed before midnight. I have no problem with this.
However, I still find writing works best in the morning after sleep. The mind is fresh and fingers limber. The problem is how to make the early rise comfortable whilst keeping up with the night owl.
- Set the alarm and keep it far from the bed. This way I have to get out of bed to turn the damn thing off. Keeping a gown near by also helps so I don’t sit thinking about what to wear or where to find something to wear.
- Set a power timer for the heater. This is only applicable during winter, but is most important because there is no way you want to get out of bed when it’s cold. I set the heater to start 15-30mins before the alarm goes off, this way I wake to warmth.
- Keep the computer in hibernation mode. Having the comp ready to go right after waking up puts me right in ‘working awake’ mode. An important part of this tip is to have a job open and unfinished waiting for me to continue right away. This prevents me from procrastinating with emails and daydreaming.
- Morning music. Having a good idea what kind of music gets me going is handy. Even creating a ‘morning mixtape’ would be cool so I can get that productive rush quickly. Drum’n'Bass works pretty well because it’s quick but generally maintains a calm level that suits mornings.
- Eat food. After some work, eating is required to keep the body and mind able. Fruit is super because it’s quick and energizing.
- Head out for coffee. This is two birds with one stone. When the afternoon is creeping in some of the other housemates will begin to rise, so a trip down the road for a coffee is ideal. Not only do we have the caffeine boost, but also the lovely sun and good conversation.
This plan of attack works perfect for someone like me because it maintains the relaxed and loose schedule which I enjoy. That said, this kind of thing can be slotted into any workplace.
- 1-2 is your wake up.
- 2-4 is as soon as you get to work.
- 5-6 is your break.
All the benefits stick, but we have one more step that allows me to keep the late nights. And that’s the almighty afternoon nap.
The Nap
A nice way to get into the ‘napzone’ is reversing all the previous steps but leaving out the coffee. Everyone has their own way to get to sleep and probably needed a few goes before they found what works for them.
Just remember darkness, and the obvious quiet, assists sleep so have a good setup for napping.
- Eat food. A good meal can put you to bed. They say turkey is good for sleep, but just about anything that fills you up will help.
- Set music. Calm and chill music, or whatever works for you, so you are lulled into a nice sleep. If no music works better, use this time to make sure your sleeping environment is suitable. ie. dark, quiet, undisturbed etc.
- Set computer. Have a job ready to resume if you want to get back to work after the nap, otherwise turn it off or set it to power off in the Control Panel/Power Settings if you play your music from it.
- Set warmth. Again, a personal comfort thing; if you want to warm the room you could have previously set the timer to be ready for your nap. I would set the electric blanket so I can immediately be comfortable in bed.
- Set alarm. Oversleeping sucks and is easy to do. Work out your perfect nap time and put that alarm at the other end of the room. An egg timer works equally as good, if not better.
Linkbetterness:
5 Reasons To Take Naps - [RirianProject]
How To Design The Perfect Nap - [Lifehack.org]
Nap Your Way to Success - [WebWorkerDaily]
How to Become an Early Riser - [StevePavlina]
Snooze, You Win - [MensJournal]
The Health Benefits of Eating Fruit - [FruitExpert]
Coffee: The New Health Food? - [WebMD]
Coffee Break: Does Caffeine Perk Up Memory? - [ScientificAmerican]
Photo credit: Anna Sofya
