Here's a non-bullshit way to become an early riser.
Be sick.
No, don't get sick
via Unsplash
But that's what I did, turning myself from someone who sleeps at 10 AM to someone who sleeps at around 8-9 PM. After ingesting some prescriptions, No, it's not sleep-related issues; it's something else. I no longer need 5-HTP and even melatonin.
So, I am finally fixing my sleeping problem by being sick. Well, I am not proud of it, but right now, my body has adjusted to sleeping early and waking up way too early. There were only a couple of moments in my life where I woke up at 3 AM and didn't feel rested. Now, I constantly wake up at 3 or 4 AM effortlessly without needing an alarm and full of energy.
It took me about two days through being sick to reset my sleeping cycle. So, anyway, if you ask me how to reset your sleeping cycle naturally, I tried many ways, and none worked. What worked was being sick. It was all the rest that I needed, and I feel like I deserved it. So now, I am born again as an early riser.
With my newfound power, here's something I notice from waking up earlier :
- It feels like I have more time than before. I have time for gardening, exercising, and even cooking my breakfast. All done before 5 AM.
- I am also more productive and have more energy compared to when I was sleeping at 10 AM. I am not having naps during the day anymore.
- I don't feel guilty. There's always a guilt feeling whenever I woke up at 3 PM. It seems like the world is done, and I am falling behind.
- I eat less, and I am not quickly hungry.
- I am not feeling any FOMO.
- When I read chats here and there, I can always catch up later.
- I have mastered the art of I don't care. I can always keep up with the world later; everything has its time.
- My efficiency and speed are improving.
- Lately, I also have a Saturday-Sunday break policy.
Okay, so the idea of the Saturday-Sunday break is that I have the time to catch up with my hobbies, learning new skills, and catching up with my projects or things I do. This break contributes to my efficiency during the weekdays because I already have plans.
There are so many articles mentioning why it's essential to have plans. Well, according to my experience, it is crucial. Through a sequence of tasks, I know what to tackle and how to tackle it. Even when there is an unexpected problem, I know that it's not a problem now but rather something I can put on my later list, especially if it's not essential or needs immediate action.
I also notice that though I am dealing with something, I deal with it well. I don't go into doom and gloom mode for too long. I get over it because I know that I have some other tasks to finish. My dad used to teach me that having discipline is the key to winning in life. He's not wrong; I heard the same thing from many others, even from Jocko Willink. Only this year, I finally understand it.
I suppose those are the noticeable effects of being an early riser. Other than an internal effect, the external impact is that I can see the sunrise from my balcony and enjoy the fresh air. My mom told me, " Night time is the time for another creature to live, it's not our time." Interesting for sure. But scientifically, there is an internal body clock, and our body clock is different from one another. This idea of Chronotype lets you know how to regulate your sleep and activity depending on your Chronotype. However, some studies mentioned the risk of being a night-owl, such as Obesity, depression, and diabetes as reported by WSJ. So again, there are pros and cons to this.
I was also someone who idealize working 12-13 hours/day. When I was a night owl, I couldn't work that much, but now, I can because I mostly start working at 7 AM and finish by 7 PM. I still have about an hour to wind down or more. So, bye-bye laments on being low energy and also not being productive.
But one thing I know, when I was a night owl, I tried to find justification for it. I found a lot, and stood by it. Now that I am an early-riser, I found many benefits that suit me more because it is also helping me to have a better mood, better eat regulation, and more efficiency in my life. Other than that, my journey taught me that health should always be a #1 priority. Learn from me, people. I was that sleep-deprived kid who found her way to the light but don't get sick as I do. Just rest whenever you need. Don't overwork yourself too.
See you in my next article.
