Author Topic: Waking Up  (Read 14619 times)

Travisthetruth

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Waking Up
« on: September 09, 2014, 09:57:45 AM »
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. - Ben Franklin

According to good ol' Ben i need to get up earlier. does anyone have tips (besides going to bed earlier) that will help me wake up faster and easier in the early moring

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2014, 10:08:13 AM »
I get up at 4:45 am so that I can get more done in the morning before work.  I get to bed by 9:30-10, sometimes later.  On weekends I sleep in, but still naturally wake up at 4:45 and then go back to sleep.  Honestly, it was really hard to get used to this.  It started gradually.  I just started making my wake-up time a bit earlier every day.  I never would allow myself to hit snooze.  Coffee and a bit of yoga usually get me going in the morning.

FatCat

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2014, 10:17:40 AM »
Unfortunately genetics probably determine a lot of your sleep wake cycle.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201311/how-will-you-sleep-tonight-its-in-your-genes

This is just my opinion but there is some recent research supporting it. The morning types do best because our society is more geared toward early risers. A typical work schedule is from 8:00 to 5:00 meaning that anyone who is naturally a late riser is going to have to fight their natural genetic sleep schedule. Since natural late risers have to deal with perpetual feeling of slight sleep deprivation to hold a job they tend to do slightly worse at their jobs than natural early risers. So they are seen as lazier because of it. Personally my most alert time of the day is about 10 pm to midnight, no matter how hard I fight it.

The best tip I can give is to work hard during the day so you are fatigued enough to go to sleep. Either exercise or physical labor.

I wake up by placing several alarms in my house. Some are close-by and easy to shut off, but the rest are farther away and set to be louder and with more annoying sounds. By the time I'm done with the morning routine of shutting down various alarms, I'm awake enough to just get going with my day. A horrible way to wake up, but the only way I could manage it.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2014, 10:28:13 AM by FatCat »

tmac

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2014, 10:39:21 AM »
When I had a hard time waking up in college, I'd put my coffee pot and living room stereo on timers. The smell of coffee helps. So does making the music from the stereo really loud, or really annoying, or both. Someone left a tape at my house with Scorpions on one side and   Quiet Riot on the other. It was perfect.

sleepyguy

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2014, 10:42:56 AM »
Oh boy, I fail on all accounts then :)

Kid... slept in, running late for class constantly
Teen... same
High School... same, and tons of class cutting :)
Work... whew... good thing I have a flexible job :)

GF/SO teases I'm always up super early for sporting events or fishing/camping :)  BECAUSE ITS FUN!  haha.

MsSindy

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2014, 10:54:14 AM »
I'm up at 4:40 in the morning because I like to have breakfast with hubby and get a few things done before I shuffle off to work.  If you have a SO, it helps to be on the same sleep patterns - we've always gone to bed together and awake roughly at the same time unless unusual work patterns for a short time.  That being said, we generally start doing our 'shut down' routine around 8:30 pm that starts with walking the dog, lunches made, showers, then read for 10 min - then lights out!  No cell phones by your bed or anything else distracting.

My alarm is actually set very quiet, because if I was jolted by loud music, my first instinct is to crush it shut and go back to sleep....I like to wake up gently.  Another trick you might try if you're just starting out is to put a caffeine pill & water by your bed - at the first alarm, you take the pill and hit snooze, then when your 'real' alarm goes off you're wide awake - the only time I do this is if I have to get up extra early to catch a flight or something critical like that.  It's effective for me because I don't drink coffee, so 200 mg caffeine is about equivalent to a cup and makes me wide awake.

GuitarStv

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2014, 11:22:56 AM »
I'm up at a little before 6:00 every morning.  My natural inclination is to wake up around noon and stay awake until about 2:00am.  For me, the following is the only way to get to sleep and be happy getting up earlier is the following:

- Allow for a full night's sleep (for me at least, this means 8 hours uninterrupted).
- Go to sleep at the same time every night, even on weekends.
- Get up at the same time every morning.
- Don't do anything that requires great physical exertion within about two hours of bed time.  (This maybe tied to drinking tons of water which then wakes you up all night.)
- Get regular exercise during the week.

Following this I don't need caffeine and am lucid within a couple seconds of my alarm clock going off.  I usually grab my stuff and am on my bike within 15 minutes of waking.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2014, 11:24:43 AM by GuitarStv »

Gone Fishing

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2014, 12:12:07 PM »
I think my body may want long cycles-sleep 10-12 hours then awake 18-20, judging how I operated in school many ears ago, but unfortunatly this is impossible to test while working so I just do the best I can.   I believe alcohol and caffeine probably just make things worse.  I'm bad about staying up late now, just because I don't want the evening to end, because then I have to go to work, not much longer though...

catccc

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2014, 01:24:26 PM »
I read this article years ago, back when blogging was just becoming mainstream.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/

this, and the follow up post about "practicing" waking up to your alarm (which was a hilarious exercise, btw) did work for me for quite some time.  Then I had a baby and became a SAHM, and all clocks and time were secondary to survival.  So I've since lost the practice of being an early riser.  I would like to get back to it.  Maybe soon...

Emilyngh

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2014, 01:29:53 PM »
I am *not* an early riser.   And it's not from lack of trying.   I had to get up around 5:30am for several years, and while I did it, I never got used to it/liked it. 

I don't sleep really late, but I find that my natural happy wake time is around 8am.   Sometimes (especially when anxious or if I happened to go to bed really early) I'll wake up at more like 7am, and on occasion when I didn't sleep well I get up at 9am.   I am very lucky to have a job that almost always accommodates this.   There are fewer than 5 times a year that I usually set my alarm, and even then it's b/c I have to get up t 7-something and want to be very sure that I don't over sleep.

However, I am very productive at night.   After everyone else has gone to bed (so from about 10pm-midnight) is my favorite time to do crafty projects, paint, bake, organize things, do financial planning, etc.   I have no desire to flight my general schedule (generally: get up, eat, do some kind of work from about 10am-noon or 1, eat and rest, do some more work from about 3-5, eat and relax with family, and then do productive things from about 10-midnight).

4alpacas

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2014, 01:43:34 PM »
I'm an early riser.  It might be due to years of morning practices as a kid and teen.  Now I actually enjoy it.

My advice:
1. Go to bed early enough to get a full night of sleep (every night).  Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.  Stop looking at screens (put away your computer, tablet and phone) an hour before bed. 
2.  Wake up at the same time every day.  Even on weekends.
3.  Start moving as soon as you wake up.  I take my dog for a walk.


That's it! 

viper155

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2014, 01:47:15 PM »
I have some advise....always have your next days attire laid out and ready to jump into. Set your alarm and get up immediately. No snoozing. Get out of the house and enjoy the "down time" while everyone else sleeps. Urban settings take on a whole new persona and natural settings are at their best. Dress warmly [depending]. Take naps if you can and go to bed early....what are you missing? Television? BFD

arebelspy

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2014, 01:55:58 PM »
does anyone have tips (besides going to bed earlier) that will help me wake up faster and easier in the early moring

Go to bed earlier.

No, seriously.

You can't expect to skip that and then hop out of bed.  There's no "tip" that will let you get less sleep then you need and then be happy about it.  :)
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MustardTiger

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2014, 07:39:57 PM »
I wake up at 6am everyday for work.  No matter how early I get in bed (and I usually sleep through the night), it is a struggle everyday to get up.  On the weekends I can wakeup around 7:30-8 with the same amount or less sleep with no problems at all.

horsepoor

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2014, 09:30:27 PM »
I am *not* an early riser.   And it's not from lack of trying.   I had to get up around 5:30am for several years, and while I did it, I never got used to it/liked it. 

I don't sleep really late, but I find that my natural happy wake time is around 8am.   Sometimes (especially when anxious or if I happened to go to bed really early) I'll wake up at more like 7am, and on occasion when I didn't sleep well I get up at 9am.   I am very lucky to have a job that almost always accommodates this.   There are fewer than 5 times a year that I usually set my alarm, and even then it's b/c I have to get up t 7-something and want to be very sure that I don't over sleep.

However, I am very productive at night.   After everyone else has gone to bed (so from about 10pm-midnight) is my favorite time to do crafty projects, paint, bake, organize things, do financial planning, etc.   I have no desire to flight my general schedule (generally: get up, eat, do some kind of work from about 10am-noon or 1, eat and rest, do some more work from about 3-5, eat and relax with family, and then do productive things from about 10-midnight).

We're pretty much the same person.  I've fought my internal clock, and still don't like getting up early.  However, one thing that helps me, which I haven't seen mentioned yet, is LIGHT.  In my pre-MMM days, I bought a room-lighting alarm clock that gradually lights up over 15 minutes before the time it's set for, and also gradually ramps up the volume of birds chirping, which is surprisingly a pretty good wake up cue.  Lately I haven't been setting my alarm, but DH gets up at 5:20 without fail, and I usually wake up enough to turn on the bedside lamp around 6., then I'll doze off for a bit, but having the light on seems to trigger some sort of hormonal reaction or something, because when I actually get up around 6:30 or so, I'm way less groggy and pissed off than if I'd just set an alarm and woken up suddenly at 6:30.

Primm

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #15 on: September 11, 2014, 12:09:16 AM »
does anyone have tips (besides going to bed earlier) that will help me wake up faster and easier in the early moring

Go to bed earlier.

No, seriously.

You can't expect to skip that and then hop out of bed.  There's no "tip" that will let you get less sleep then you need and then be happy about it.  :)

This. You'll wake up "faster and easier" when you've had enough sleep. If that's 8 hours and you want to get up at 5am, go to bed at 9pm. If your body is happier with 9 hours, then 8pm is your happy time. There are no shortcuts.

1967mama

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #16 on: September 11, 2014, 02:49:37 AM »
Telling a nighthawk to go to bed 3 hours earlier is like telling an early bird to sleep in 3 hours later. It all sounds so simple on paper :-/

I remember, as a child, reading by my nightlight after my parents went to bed. I stayed up 1/2 the night studying in university rather than getting up early. I've even "trained" my children to sleep later. (Sigh).

Not sure I'll ever be able to get up earlier, even though I desire to do so.  Maybe my desire isn't strong enough? Maybe my circadian rhythms are off? Delayed sleep cycle disorder? Who knows....

SnpKraklePhyz

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #17 on: September 11, 2014, 04:21:41 AM »
I'd like to point out that Ben Franklin lived in a time of candles.  Perhaps getting up early was to avoid using (and thus buying) candles.  Thus it has very little to do with us.

dcheesi

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2014, 04:46:21 AM »
I'd like to point out that Ben Franklin lived in a time of candles.  Perhaps getting up early was to avoid using (and thus buying) candles.  Thus it has very little to do with us.
More than just candle expense, too. There were whole categories of things you couldn't do after dark, or even near dark. Shops and businesses didn't stay open until 9 or 10 pm; farm work (the main source of wealth and wages in an agrarian economy) was impossible; etc.  Basically the only things to do once the sun went down were to sleep, eat, and entertain oneself indoors (get drunk, have sex, maybe read until the dim light gave you eyestrain, etc.).

schimt

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #19 on: September 11, 2014, 07:15:15 AM »
I bought one of the original "sunrise simulation alarm clock lights", from Philips. before my mustachian days. I like the slow waking effect it has on me. Your eyes begin to adjust to the light while they are still closed before you wake up, never have that blinding feeling when you turn the lights on. Just another option that wasn't mentioned yet. I am sure this is the kind of thing you can find used, easily on eBay or something the like, because they don't really go bad.

former player

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #20 on: September 11, 2014, 08:02:22 AM »
Get a dog?  Knowing that you have a living, breathing canine person waiting to wag their tail at you and have a run outside is a failsafe wake-up-get-out-of-bed-and-get-downstairs for me.

Timmmy

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #21 on: September 11, 2014, 08:56:25 AM »
DW has an alarm on her iphone that requires her to complete various interactive tasks like simple games and math problems while the alarm is screaming.  By the time she's done with that she's awake enough to get moving.  The rare occasions that I sleep later than her are fairly unpleasant.

I don't have a problem getting up on most days.  I used to have problems getting up.  The key thing for me was switching to a morning workout routine.  I thoroughly enjoy my workouts and so I have no problem jumping out of bed to start my day by 5am. 

Maybe try finding something you enjoy and start your day with that. 

4alpacas

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #22 on: September 11, 2014, 10:33:16 AM »
Get a dog?  Knowing that you have a living, breathing canine person waiting to wag their tail at you and have a run outside is a failsafe wake-up-get-out-of-bed-and-get-downstairs for me.
+1

Walking with my dog in the morning is so awesome.  She's so excited about everything.  Walking.  Smelling.  I'm also happy to be out of bed due to her enthusiasm for life. 

Greg

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #23 on: September 11, 2014, 01:47:13 PM »
Make sure you get your 8hours or whatever you need.  Get up at the same time every morning, even days off.  Do some exercising and stretching first thing, then reward yourself with some espresso.  Go to bed on time.

abhe8

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #24 on: September 11, 2014, 03:10:23 PM »
the light idea is really important (and it is hormonal). if you don't want to spring for the fancy alarm clock with a light, how about a wall timer that you plug your lamp into? grab a couple of timers, couple of lights, set them to turn on 5 mins after each other, to give the gradually increasing light.

another important factor is to sleep in a DARK room. no lights at all. no hall light, no street light, no night light, no cell phone light. make it dark, it will help you sleep, then make it light and it will help you wake up.

4alpacas

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #25 on: September 11, 2014, 03:47:26 PM »
the light idea is really important (and it is hormonal). if you don't want to spring for the fancy alarm clock with a light, how about a wall timer that you plug your lamp into? grab a couple of timers, couple of lights, set them to turn on 5 mins after each other, to give the gradually increasing light.
This seems really complicated! I wake up without an alarm every morning before the sun comes up.  My DH would kill me if I blasted our bedroom with light based on my wake-up schedule. 

My aim is to get enough sleep.  No snoozing.  When I wake up, I'm out of bed and walking the dog within 5 minutes.  If I'm feeling really groggy, I'll check my e-mail while shuffling around a park with my dog (she's happy to sniff while I read). 

1967mama has a solid point.  She managed to figure out how to make her kids sleep in!  My mother would want to know your secret.  Changing your sleep cycle isn't trivial, but you can do it.  Work toward the goal with incremental changes. 

hybrid

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #26 on: September 11, 2014, 03:55:13 PM »
Put two kids through high school! Having to be on their schedule for eight years pretty much put me on that schedule indefinitely. I'm an early riser now. I've been on vacation this week and have gone to bed at 10 or earlier almost every night. If you are no longer young and have a night life, there is precious little worth staying up for in the age of Hulu Plus except being out with friends occasionally.

Sibley

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #27 on: December 17, 2014, 08:19:09 AM »
Go camping for a week - the real kind, no electricity.  That will naturally work to reset your internal clock. Then you just need to maintain the schedule.

gecko10x

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #28 on: December 17, 2014, 08:46:29 AM »
As mentioned above, I will concur that a light timer works FANTASTICALLY. (Plus go to be early enough).

We are using this Model 205 for both us and the kids and it has really helped.

The_path_less_taken

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #29 on: December 17, 2014, 09:03:30 AM »
Used to be a nightowl but had a few gigs that required being at work at 5am...kinda cured me. My wake up solution was to set the alarm to an uber annoying talk radio station, and the backup alarm to an "oh my darlin'/yippee kai ay" station: both make me want to hurt someone and piss me off so much that I get out of bed to shut them off.

I like to leave blinds open (unless it's winter and I need the insulation) and tend to naturally wake half hour before sunrise.

And now I have 4 dogs, who are extremely efficient and telling me to get my ass up.


tariskat

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #30 on: December 17, 2014, 09:22:23 AM »
I set an alarm for 7 every single day (weekends too).  Eventually I got used to waking up at 7 just before my alarm, and now my 'normal' wakeup time is creeping towards 6 am without me really doing anything, but I do go to bed when I am tired.

StartingEarly

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #31 on: December 17, 2014, 11:09:22 AM »
I got an alarm clock designed for the deaf.  It has a shaker between my mattress and box spring.  It can also be jerryrigged to a cell phone through the phone port by use of a bluetooth cellphone to landline converter.  Great for on call people in critical jobs.

firelight

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #32 on: December 17, 2014, 12:47:30 PM »
I had a baby that woke up at 5 every single day.... That totally cured me.

1967mama

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #33 on: December 17, 2014, 05:16:41 PM »
I'm trying to stay off caffeine after 12 noon to see if that will help me wake up any earlier. Just herbal tea (with stevia, not sugar) and water for the rest of the day. There's another interesting thread going on this topic called "Early Bird vs. Night Owl."
Edited for typo
« Last Edit: December 18, 2014, 12:25:58 PM by 1967mama »

m8547

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #34 on: December 18, 2014, 07:49:45 AM »
As mentioned above, I will concur that a light timer works FANTASTICALLY. (Plus go to be early enough).

We are using this Model 205 for both us and the kids and it has really helped.

How dim does that start out? I used to have an alarm clock with a light, but the dimmest setting was too bright so it was no better than a regular alarm. I need something that really simulates a sunrise.

One thing I tried for a while was a bedtime alarm. I set it for the time I need to start getting ready for bed.

ScroogeMcDutch

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #35 on: December 18, 2014, 08:18:01 AM »
I also have one of those sunlight simulators such as http://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/HF3470_60/wake-up-light

They're quite expensive, but the gentle waking up is definitely worth it. By now I have gotten used to it however and am starting to use snooze functionality again, so it's time to put it on the other side of the room. In fact, I'm going to do that as soon as I get home from work. When I started with the wake-up light, I would often wake up before the alarm went off, due to the light coming on 30 minutes before I set the alarm.

Regardless, it's still not going to be a solution to not sleeping enough - you have to get your 8 hours (or whatever for you) in in order to be well rested.

By the way, my sister also uses one of these wake-up lights to wake up for her night shifts that start at 3am. Works wonders for her as well, and she doesn't have large fluctuations in energy levels between the eary shifts and the late shifts with regards to sleep.

The lights are expensive, but they have been worth the investment to me. You can DIY cheaper if you are so inclined.
« Last Edit: December 18, 2014, 08:25:41 AM by ScroogeMcDutch »

boyerbt

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #36 on: December 18, 2014, 02:19:51 PM »
Get a dog?  Knowing that you have a living, breathing canine person waiting to wag their tail at you and have a run outside is a failsafe wake-up-get-out-of-bed-and-get-downstairs for me.
+1

Walking with my dog in the morning is so awesome.  She's so excited about everything.  Walking.  Smelling.  I'm also happy to be out of bed due to her enthusiasm for life.

+2 - I know that this may not be the biggest draw for everyone but I agree that it makes getting up in the morning easier knowing that my husky is ready and waiting to go on our walk every single day.

Obviously each person is different. I have always been an early riser regardless of when I went to bed (or even after a late night of drinking). It is a bit more difficult now as I am working a 2nd job at night to pay off my student loans so I typically get about 3.75-4.0 hours of sleep per night during the week. The first five minutes are the worst for me. Once I am dressed and moving I am pretty much awake and ready to go.

gecko10x

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #37 on: December 19, 2014, 04:42:09 AM »
As mentioned above, I will concur that a light timer works FANTASTICALLY. (Plus go to be early enough).

We are using this Model 205 for both us and the kids and it has really helped.

How dim does that start out? I used to have an alarm clock with a light, but the dimmest setting was too bright so it was no better than a regular alarm. I need something that really simulates a sunrise.

It starts out completely dark. There are no settings/tiers, it's just like a dimmer, and it can take up to 100W (incandescent only).

1967mama

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #38 on: December 19, 2014, 10:40:29 AM »
As mentioned up thread, I am experimenting with ceasing consumption of caffeinated tea after 12 noon and switching to herbal tea for the balance of the day. I'm happy to report that it seems to be working. All week, I have been sound asleep by 12 or 1 am. I'm super excited that my very non-scientific experiment seems to be working!  I'm still fairly sluggish is the morning but at least I'm falling asleep earlier!

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #39 on: December 19, 2014, 11:56:05 AM »
I need to have my lunch prepared and my gym bag packed the night before.  That way when the alarm goes off I can get right to taking my pre workout and heading to the gym.  I've been slacking and brushing my teeth first/distracted with the internet which means less time for the gym before work.

AM PT is the best PT.

greaper007

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #40 on: December 19, 2014, 12:14:27 PM »
Why not just arrange your life so that you don't have to wake up early?   I hate getting up early, but I have kids in school so I have to.    It makes me less productive though.   I really believe that going to bed at 1 and getting up at 10 makes me much more productive, I just do things at times that are different than other people.

I know very wealthy people that work on the back side of the clock.    I would love to spend my retirement going to bed when I can't keep my eyes open, and getting up when I wake up.

MikeBear

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #41 on: December 19, 2014, 06:39:31 PM »
This can wake you even if you're dead. I'm a night worker and sleep days using ear plugs and an eye mask. It gets me up every time, both sound and shaker, never fails:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EX7LNM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

m8547

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Re: Waking Up
« Reply #42 on: December 19, 2014, 10:22:41 PM »
As mentioned above, I will concur that a light timer works FANTASTICALLY. (Plus go to be early enough).

We are using this Model 205 for both us and the kids and it has really helped.

How dim does that start out? I used to have an alarm clock with a light, but the dimmest setting was too bright so it was no better than a regular alarm. I need something that really simulates a sunrise.

It starts out completely dark. There are no settings/tiers, it's just like a dimmer, and it can take up to 100W (incandescent only).

I guess what I want to know is, what happens when it goes from completely dark to just barely light? My old alarm clock, and most dimmer switches, start out fairly bright when they first switch on. With a dimmer switch there's some hysteresis so when you first turn it on, nothing happens then it suddenly gets kind of bright (maybe 25% of the way up), but after that you can turn it down until you can just barely see the filament glowing. I want something that starts out with the filament barely glowing, so there's no sudden transition of a light coming on to wake me up. From the website it sounds like it works the way I want, but it's hard to tell for sure.