Getting up early: Energy?

[MrSuccess]

I've been wondering,
getting up early [say, 5am] everyday is a great idea and and excellent goal to work towards, but I want to know how you keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Going from 5am to 11-12 at night seems to me like a draining experience.

I've always admired and respected people who sleep less, to me this is a sign of acheivement; these people are the go-getters, the ones who know where they want to be and they waste no extra time sleeping to achieve their goals, they also seem to be in great physical condition [ie fatigue doesn't effect them]. Thing of Napoleon, I've read that he only slept for 2-3 hours a night and look what he achieved in such a short time [obviously towards the end of his life...things went down hill but this is besides the point].

Does it boil down to taking a nap mid-day or changes to your diet? I am obviously trying to avoid using artificial stimulants such as caffeine to stay awake.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[alainplus]

You get energy from a various number of things like sleep, diet, exercise, and a positive social environment.

I wake up between 3am-4am nowadays after years and years of being unable to do so. I accomplished it easily within a week by associating positive activities with that time of day. I try to get to sleep at around 8-10pm. Even on days when I can't get to bed until midnight, I'm usually up at around 5 am.

I find myself with more energy in the early morning than I do in the evening/night so it makes no sense to be awake when I have less energy. I also greatly enjoy the solitude of the morning where there are not disturbances or noise.

Your body just adapts to whatever you do to it. It may resist violently at first, but you win in the end if you persist. But keep in mind of the other things I mentioned besides sleep.

[MrSuccess]

Originally Posted by alainplus

You get energy from a various number of things like sleep, diet, exercise, and a positive social environment.
...
I find myself with more energy in the early morning than I do in the evening/night so it makes no sense to be awake when I have less energy. I also greatly enjoy the solitude of the morning where there are not disturbances or noise.

Alainplus, you make some great points, I'm a morning person as well and I usually find that if I focus my energies [and not slack off] then I can get a great deal done in the mornings. I can relate about the solitude and silence of morning, it's magical.

I sometimes have to work late and I go out with friends to night time gigs etc quite often so I usually get to bed at 11-12. However during term time, I get to bed at 10-11, which I consider early.

Is it possible to stay up late and wake up early to get the most [and I mean the most] out of your day?

[alainplus]

It depends on the individual. I'm less productive with less than 5 hours of sleep.

You're better off focusing on the quality of the things you do while you're awake than messing around with your sleep hours.

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by alainplus

You're better off focusing on the quality of the things you do while you're awake than messing around with your sleep hours.

Thanks! This resonates with me so much. Thank you for the reminder. I needed to hear it. Since going monophasic a few weeks ago I've kept telling myself "I need to go to bed earlier, I need to go to bed earlier...". I'll do what you're saying and just focus on the quality of what I do while awake instead.

[JacksEarth]

For a few weeks I tried getting up at 5-6am because I loved watching the sun rise with a cup of tea before another day.

But by 11am to 1pm I was so tired I could faint.
I'd usually take a 1-2hour nap on whatever flat not too dirty spot I could find.
And then I'd stay up till midnight or 1am.

I stopped this routine because of the 1-2hour nap, some days I just didnt have time for it and it seriously ruined me.

[Fairytale]

What really helps is associating some very enjoyable activities with this time, as alainplus said. I really like to go for a run in the park right after waking up listening to my favorite music. What makes it more enjoyable is that I know that at 5am there are no people in the park and I can be alone with nature.

Also, it's great that you don't drink caffeine, I find that it disturbs my sleep patterns (I drink green tea sometimes), so it is better to avoid it, it's just not worth the trouble

Exercise is really great, but the best thing is exercising in nature - it gives additional energy.

As for diet, I find that a healthy balanced vegan diet with a lot of fresh produce (especially for breakfast) works the best.

[Lena Carpenter]

Forgive me if my answer is a bit philosophical, but those people who require very little sleep, are usually super driven to accomplish their life purpose. That might not have any practical application, other than focus on what it is that makes you passionate, and energizes you, perhaps even more than sleep. Also, I think that those people spend a lot of time in trance state, which from my experience, cuts down on how much sleep you require. It could be something obvious like meditation and yoga. It can also be in the form of "deep thinking", or getting in the flow doing things like playing sports, gardening, or painting.

On a more practical level, I think that once you body gets used to being up at 5am, it won't matter how much sleep you get per night, within reasonable limits, of course. I do like my naps for energy boosts, instead of getting a bunch of sleep at once, even if they are short ones. I plan to experiment some more with lengths of naps and the amount of night sleep to see what gives me more energy, once I get used to being up at 5am a little more.

[Timothy Smith]

Ah, yes. Waking up early. I've been finding myself trying to wake up at 5:00AM, but it's just too hard for me. The alarm clock goes off, and I'm still as silent as a stone.

Good idea. You'll have more time to do things. But beware, this habit can also have you to sleep early.

I think 6:00AM is best, but any will do.