12 March 2009

Waking up is hard to do!

I, like many people, have trouble getting out of bed in the morning.  It's probably due to the fact that I have trouble getting IN bed at night.  I have an awkward sleep cycle, and I find that I can never sleep the same pattern for more than a week.  Also, I've been sick lately, and all I do when I'm sick is sleep, so that messed up my sleep cycle as well.

Now, as we age our bodies actually need less sleep to function normally, bottoming out at about 6 hrs in your 40's, then reversing.  I figure I need about 7, maybe 7 1/2 to function in the morning (and a good 8 to be somewhat likeable). Busy schedules and a puppy keep me from getting that, though.

Not to fear!  I found this neat article on Geekdad about ways to get out of bed in the morning, and I have to say I'll be trying some of them.  A few of my favorites:

"5. Put a glass of water next to your alarm.

Drink the whole glass when you get up and turn the alarm off. After a full night's sleep, you're probably a little dehydrated, and for whatever reason, drinking water just seems to help the body realize that it's time to get up."

I do this already, and it really does help. I keep my water bottle on my nightstand, and I drink 1/3 to 1/2 of it when I first wake up.

"7. Have a well-stocked "library."

I'm going to be perfectly frank with you. I get a lot of reading done in the bathroom. I think of it as my own Fortress of Solitude, minus the subzero temperature and creepy statues of my parents."

This has always been the case with my family.  We always had 5 or 6 books in the bathroom when I was growing up, and although it may be a little too much information for some, I actually like reading in the bathroom.  I feel rather...accomplished when I'm done.

-Shawn

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