Thanks everyone!
The experiment started when I realized that my life was all work. I once worked 12 hours on a Saturday and 14 on a Sunday and still, not caught up. I write for my blog and I'm a monthly writer for two other popular blogs so I was writing and researching constantly. Add a day job and a startup on the way...
@AndrewDSteele I wondered, "how early could I wake up, get work done, and still have enough energy to make it through the day without being so sleepy that I fall asleep on the at the wheel?" The experiment was to first see if I could find a way to enjoy waking up earlier and then to see if I could use the extra time to do something productive. I was already waking up early but it was just to get ready for the day and to do unimportant tasks like checking stats and stuff.
In the
post I explain how I found activities that helped me enjoy waking up early then I moved the most important tasks to the morning instead of after work. Made a huge difference!
@dnd980 I would go to sleep at about 9 and I would wake up between 3-330 depending on the activity that is scheduled for that morning. I used to think that I needed 81/2 hours but during the week I was getting 6-61/2 and I felt more energized than I did when I was getting much more sleep.
3 am is a little extreme but I did it for two reasons,
1) If I can wake up at 3 and not hate it, then if I were to go back to waking up at 5:30, it would be a walk in the park.
2) I like to write continuously for a few hours instead of little by little so I would have a large block of time to do it
@toasterwater It was crazy but I was not tired at all. I figured if I got tired during the experiment, I could take a power nap during lunch.