Help waking up in the morning
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TV ClubHouse: archives: Help waking up in the morning

Teddybear

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 08:37 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I am hoping some of yall will have some tips for me. I CANNOT wake up in the morning. It kills me. I set my alarm and I will snooze it until I have 10 minutes to get out the door. I have tried everything. I take showers at night because I know I will not get up early enough to do it. So, I figured, if I dont take a shower the night before I will HAVE to wake up in the morning. That will get me up, nooooo, I just dont take a shower and put my hair in a pony tail. Thats just nasty. Its like I am a totally different person. I tell myself the night before, GET UP AT 6!!!! But in the morning, its snooze, snooze, snooze, for sometimes 2 hours. HELP!!!

Hootyhoot

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 08:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Have you had a physical exam recently? Perhaps you have an underactive thyroid or some other condition that would make you into such a slug-a-bed (my grandmother's term!)

Fsuanni

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 09:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Things for you to think about:

What time are you going to bed?

Are you getting 7-8 hours of sleep?

How do you feel about your job?

If you had an 8:00 appt. with a friend to do something you really enjoyed and loved to do or a date with a guy you're madly in love with, (assuming you aren't married), do you feel you'd be able to wake up and get out of bed?

Some things you might do:
1. Put your alarm clock across the room and set it on alarm, not on music. Once you are up to stop the noise, do not get back into the bed.

2. If you drink coffee, put a Mr Coffee-type pot in your room; it needs to be one that can be set up the night before; set to come on automatically the next morning (worth the cost if it works for you); set it to come on 30 minutes before the alarm is to come on. The smell will get to you; the alarm will go off on the clock, you will get up to stop the noise and you will immediately pour a cup of coffee.

3. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Ok, you can cheat every now and then, but not for the first month, or until you are getting up for work on time. That means going to bed earlier, most likely. If you are going to bed late, start moving the time back in 15 minute increments until you are going to bed at a time to give you 7-8 hours or whatever amount of sleep you need, at night.

Everyone needs different amounts of sleep although for optimum health and awakability, not to mention alertness, 7-8 hours is best. The older you get, the less sleep you'll need.

My guess is that you don't like your job.
Consider a change.


Hope this helps. Anni

Julieboo

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 09:13 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The first question is, what time do you go to bed? I used to bed quite the nightowl. But since my son has been born, he has turned me into a "in bed by 10" type person. I still watch TV for about an hour before I doze off, but I am up much earlier-without an alarm clock--ever since I started going to bed earlier....(and ever since I had my automatic alarm clock-my son!)

Teddybear

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 09:46 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks guys.

I have mentioned it to my doctor now and then, but he never says anything about it at all.

The time I go to sleep really depends. I usually lie down around 10 or 10:30 and watch tv until I fall asleep, probably another 30 minutes to an hour. My alarm is set for 6, so I might not be getting enough sleep. I will try the going to sleep earlier thing, like maybe lying down around 9 or 9:30 instead.

I have tried the alarm clock thing and I would do one of these two things. I would walk in the other room, turn it off, go back and lay down, and do this over and over again for however long. The other thing would be, I would walk in the other room, hit snooze and camp out on the floor where the alarm clock was.

I know I can get up when I have to, like on Saturday mornings I meet some girls to go run at 6 am, I get up at 5:30 so I know I can get up earlier, but its just I always get up at the last minute possible.

I do enjoy my job. So, I don't think that's it. I also don't drink coffee, but maybe I should take it up.

I will try going to bed earlier and see how that works. Thanks for all the help!

Dahli

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 02:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe it's sleep apnea... many people suffer unknowingly and it can cause serious fatigue even after what seems like a full night's sleep. How do you feel during the day? Does the tiredness go away or do you feel sleepy and out of sorts throughout the day?

Webkitty

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 02:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Teddybear, I can relate to you!
I suffered through the exact same thing all my life. Its awful.
My internal clock is stubborn. If I have to wake up before its "time" like that I get physically ill.
(I've had checkups galore, it just "me")

Now, I don't "have" to get up artifically, I wake up when my body feels its time, usually around 7:30, only about an hour and a half later than before, but what a difference!
And it really doesn't matter (that much) what time I go to bed.
I'm still not a "morning" person, but don't feel the stress I used to at trying to make my body function against what was normal for ME.

People that don't suffer from this have no idea how it can effect one's life.

IMO, this syndrome, or what ever it is, hasn't been addressed by the medical community like it should.
I am not a "lazy" person but have been scoffed at because I just CAN'T jump out of bed like other fortunate people can.

I have done some of my own little informal research, and have found that it tends to run in families. Chances are, that if you have a hard time waking up in the morning, someone else in your family will too.

You have been given some good advise here but try this:
when you have a chance, like on a weekend when you are not going out running, see what time you "naturally" wake up. You may just need one extra hour in the morning to sleep.
If you need that extra hour, maybe you could slightly change your hours at work?

I would also try having just one cup of coffee, it helps me. Have that hotshot and instant coffee (try one of the flavored ones, they are tastier) by your bed so all you have to do is reach over and hit the button to get the water hot.

Hope this helps, webkitty

Lobster

Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 07:44 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Teddybear, my only suggestion is to get rid of the clock radio with the snooze. Go out and by a Baby Ben by Westclox. They are around 15 dollars. There is no snooze button, so nothing to rely on to wake you again. On the loud setting, this has to be the most obnoxious alarm clock every invented. I highly recommend them.

Teddybear

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 06:47 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Guys!

Well, during the day I seem to be okay. It's like once I am up I am okay, it's just the getting up that is so hard.

Webkitty, you may have hit on something there. I never sleep in. During the week, it's work and Saturdays I run in the morning, and Sundays I get up for church. So, there is never one day that I wake up on my own. Well, this weekend for the 4th, I went out of town,So Saturday and Sunday I got to wake up on my own, and both times I woke up early. Like 8:30. So, I see what you’re saying, but the sucky part is I have to be at work at 8:30.

The alarm clock without a snooze is a great idea, have no idea why I never thought of it. The funny thing is I sometimes hear my neighbor (in apartments) alarm clock in the morning go off. So I am sure he hears mine go off every 5 minutes for 2 hours!! Funny, but not funny.

Well, again, thanks for all the tips, very helpful. I woke up at 6:30 this morning. I only snoozed it for 30 minutes (but dreamed I was in the shower). I think maybe it’s because I was talking about it. Maybe that helped some.

Rissa

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 09:27 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I second the opinion that you should talk to your doctor, if you are getting around 8 hours sleep and still dragging that much. I had a thyroid problem (well, still do) that was making me a total insomniac. I would go to bed at 9 and at 2 am was still staring at the ceiling. Even when I did get a long sleep (up to 14 hours some days), it obviously wasn't quality because my eyes would be puffy and sore in the morning and I just COULD NOT get moving. Thyroid wasn't getting better so Doc gave me a ten day supply of sleeping pills (NOT a sedative, they will leave you feeling hungover). I took them each night for ten days and that seemed to knock my body back into a good rhythm of deep sleep so I could wake up easier.

I mentioned in another thread that I fiddle with my alarm clock. I ask hubby to tell me approx. what time it is.. give or take 15 minutes. Then I set my clock to approx THAT time.. give or take 15 minutes. That way when I wake up I don't know whether I am up to 30 minutes late or early or right on. HEY! Works for me. LOLOL I love Fsuanni's coffee machine idea too.

I have figured out that I sleep best on an empty stomach, totally empty to the point of wanting to rush the fridge. LOL I eat around 5pm now instead of 7 and then nothing but water. I also refuse to read or watch TV in bed anymore. I get up and go to the family room now. Doc told me that.. said that the bed should only be associated with sleeping. If it's midnight and I can't sleep, then I get up and go to the family room, read for 15 minutes and then go through the bedtime routine again (teeth, face, etc.). Every little bit helps but you have to be consistant.