Early to Bed and Early to Rise for a More Balanced Life

In my life, nothing good ever comes of staying up late. I overeat, make rash decisions, and have trouble shutting down. I thrash more and wake up groggy. I snap and growl upon rising. And before I know it, I'm sniffling, aching, and wondering if that late night was worth it. Am I the only one?

I know I have oneness of mind with at least one man:

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." – Benjamin Franklin

But not everyone agreed with him:

"Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin." – Mark Twain

Every health book you pick up will tout the benefits of an adequate night's sleep.

"OK, but couldn't this adequate night encompass more of a 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. schedule?" you ask.

This schedule represents eight hours’ downtime, true enough. But are you missing some of the benefits your early-to-rise counterparts are tapping into?

Our research is telling us that morning people:

• Make more money
• Enjoy higher levels of productivity
• Are able to both anticipate problems and take steps to head them off
• Live healthier, happier, and more satisfied lives

 "But why would the time I rise make this much of a difference?” you ask. (Gee, you really don’t like this idea, do you?!?)

Let’s just think about this a minute:

• Morning people rise to peace and quiet. The bathroom is theirs alone. They can think without disruption and dress and groom without distraction.
• These people breeze to work on smooth and silent roads. No road rage. No car next to them at the stoplight, rocking with heavy bass. In fact, stop lights? Early risers tend to hit all greens before sliding into work’s parking lot and snagging the best spot.
• They savor the freshest coffee and delight in the glug-glug-glug sounds of the water cooler; a sound lost to them once the office is in full swing.
• They can concentrate on the day ahead of them – reviewing goals, taking notes, praying – fully prepared and organized for their first appointment because they have given themselves this gift of time.

No wonder they’re living more balanced lives!

“So how do I become a morning person?” you ask.

Glad to know I’ve finally convinced you!

It may not happen immediately, but that’s okay. The important thing is to start down the path – try it, at least:

1. Change your expectations. When you tell yourself and others, “I’m not a morning person,” you will surely fulfill that prophesy. True, some people are more prone to early hours than others (and a lot of it has to do with their stage in life), but we can all move toward this early-rise phenomenon. Face it. We adjust our behavior to reflect our expectations.
2. Determine your shutdown and adhere to it. Mine is not the best since it includes television, but at least it’s routine. I begin my shutdown just prior to 8:00 p.m. (no, that’s not a typo) so that I can be all snuggly in my bed with my husband for one of our favorite TV shows. By 9:40, I’m taking my Melatonin, and by 10:00, I’m kissing John and rolling onto my tummy and into almost instant sleep. This shutdown is consistent, no matter if it’s the weekend or a holiday or not. If you’re not used to this, don’t expect instant success. If you typically turn in at 1:00 a.m., consider shutting down just 15 minutes earlier than you’re used to for a few days before shutting down another 15 minutes earlier, etc.
3. While some will tell you to set your alarm earlier, I suggest that you keep your alarm where it is. As your body adjusts to this earlier sleep time, it will eventually adjust to waking earlier as well. Maybe one day you’ll be like me and not even need the blat-blat-blat of an alarm. Ahhh….
4. When you get up, actually get up. Stretch. Turn on the lights. Do whatever you would normally do at the later hour. (Only now you can do it in peace.) Give yourself a reason to rise, like an early-morning appointment or a breakfast date. If you don’t, your tendency will be to cuddle in bed a little longer. Because you stayed in bed longer, you’re tempted to go to bed later. Before you know it, you’ve sabotaged your early-rise efforts.
5. Don’t keep this goal to yourself. Like every other habit that’s actually good for you, tell someone who will not shy away from holding you accountable. 
6. Give this endeavor enough time to become routine. Don’t try it for a day or two and say, “I’m clearly not cut out for this.” Three to six weeks of honest effort is usually a good timeframe. 
7. Keep a journal of how you feel each morning and throughout the day. What benefits do you see? Do you feel more or less organized? Are you making deadlines better or worse than you were before? How’s your attitude? Your level of patience? Are you receiving comments or feedback from others, one way or another? All of this will help you evaluate whether this little experiment is worthwhile at the end. And if it’s overall positive (as I predict!) these journal entries will give you the incentive you need to pursue this pattern for the long haul.

Enjoy your day. Enjoy this blog.