There are two types of people in the world, the early-risers and the night owls. On a recent trip to Japan, I found myself with a whole array of different personalities, but all creative people. It become quite evident a few days into the trip, that I was an early-riser, and the others… well they were more in the night owl category.
At breakfast someone asked me, “What time do you get up?”
I meekly replied with, “Four thirty… AM.”
Cue looks of shock, horror, and complete lack of understanding, and then “WHHHHYYYY?”
I know it sounds insane. Four-thirty is early, especially when I’m a mum of two kids, and I was traveling without them. I could have been catching up on all the sleep that I’d missed out on in the past 8 years. I could have. The reality is, I love mornings. I jump out of bed each morning, ready to embrace a new day. While in Japan I slept with the curtains open so that as soon as the sun started peeking it’s head up, I’d be there to witness it.
One thing though, I don’t ever wake to an alarm. I think it’s the worst possible way to start the day. Waking to a MEEP, MEEP, MEEP, MEEP. Yuk. I’ve somehow trained my body clock to wake 5 minutes before any alarm clock, which I only use when I have to catch a flight or be somewhere super early.
SO WHY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO I GET UP SO EARLY?
Because mornings are magic for me. Before kids I used to get up around the same time and go for a walk on the beach. It was pitch black, I couldn’t even see the beach, but it was my favourite thing ever. I miss it so much. Now I wake and I watch the sun rise, and the clouds change from pink to white as the sun makes it’s way higher in the sky. I wake up so early because sometimes it’s the only time I get to myself, and I need it to be my best self each day. I need the silence, and the calm to recharge my batteries. I wake up that early, because my creative-self thrives at that time of morning. I can pump out so much writing at that time of day, and most often it’s the work I’m most proud of.
The morning sky last week
A double rainbow!
I wake up that early, because it’s what I’ve always done. Even as a kid or a teen, I’d wake up and start the day early. I remember once, in my early twenties, I slept in until 10am. I woke up and looked at my clock, and I’m actually STILL shocked that I managed to sleep in that long. I felt so recharged and awesome, but it was so out of character. Secretly, I wish I could sleep in like that again. I don’t have it in me. Yep, I’m a weird one.
On that trip to Japan, the early mornings became a thing. A few of the girls got inspired and decided to try it. I was rubbing off on them. They realised the epic productivity that happens at that time of day. I think I may have almost converted them.
So, that’s why I get up at crazy o’clock. Sometimes, on mornings like today, I get up even earlier {3:30am!} because I have an idea that won’t quit. It pops into my head, starts off as an excited whisper and then turns into a loud, “GET UP! Make this idea happen!” and I’m awake. And up. I’m thinking that going to bed at 7pm doesn’t quite help either. But really, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Are you a super early morning person? If not, maybe give it a try {yep, I’m trying to convert you!}.
Wow that’s so early. I don’t get to bed or asleep until about 10pm and because I’m an insomniac my best sleep doesn’t start until about 12 or 2 so I just couldn’t do it. I arise at about 5am but stay in bed until 6 if I can. My kids are asleep at 7 and up at 5 but I need a few more zzz’s. xx
Do you ever track your sleep and see how much deep sleep you get? You are a machine to do so well on little quality sleep. x
Call me miss night owl lol and riht now afraid of the cold
I cant fall asleep before midnight, no matter what time i get up
I usually do 6.30 to 7ish, enough time for a coffee in silence before i wake missy for school
That’s still pretty early!
Weekends ive been known to average the 11 to noon thing
Thankfully the little miss agrees lol
During the school year I’m an early bird by necessity – I get up around 4:30-5:00. I’m in summertime, though…I revert to my body’s natural rhythm, which is to be up until 3:00-4:00 in the morning & then sleep for 4-5 hours. My productivity happens between 1:00 -4:00. This summer I have been getting up to photograph the sunrise, which complicates that whole “natural rhythm” thing. It’s hard to make it through the day when you managed 2 hours of sleep.
I get one more week of my happiest natural rhythm. With school starting again in 3-4 weeks, it will be time to get into that routine again, but I dread it. This is my happiest time of the year. Even my husband notices the difference 🙁
Oh wow, I can’t even imagine being awake that late. Wow. I love hearing about how people live their lives. x
My partners alarm goes off at 4:15 everyday but I roll over and go back to sleep! In the summer I am a early riser but in the winter I can’t drag myself out of bed.
Shane’s shifts change – sometimes he’s up at 4am too. Summer is easier to wake early, definitely!
.. good for you Chantelle. . early morning is special.
I don’t get up until after 7am most mornings and I go to bed about 11.30pm ..so I’m really a night owl… but … my Mum doesn’t get out of bed until about 10am and hubby reads his paper in the back room ..so I have the dining room to myself for about 3 hours most days.. I love this time to myself … I love being retired and being an ‘old lady’ ….
Sooo… how do I know about early mornings.???? … well I do like to get up early and go outside and take photos sometimes … then I go back to bed.. xxxx
…hugs… Barb xxx
I love that everyone has their thing, so that you still get some you time. 🙂
I go to bed around 8.30pm, sometimes I read until 10.30ish but generally I’m asleep by 9.30pm- then I’m awake between 5.30am- 7am (depending on how tired I am) but our house is so small and cold in winter that if I get up earlier than 6.30 I wake all 3 of my kids- so I generally stay in bed and read if I wake too early!! 🙂
I never thought to keep lying in bed. That sounds like bliss. xx
如果有一天，我潇洒死去，请记得，我来过这里！
I’m naturally a night owl, but I adore mornings too – forever a Libra, I’m full of contrasts. I set my alarm – or get the huz to set his, so I see the sunrise each morning. It’s a tranquil time, so quiet, it feel like it’s just you and the birds. perfection.
YES! Gosh that makes me excited just reading about it. 🙂
I’m a morning person but the test of the family are night owls. Sometimes I try to match them at night but end up asleep on the couch. Around 6am is my natural alarm clock.
Haha! We are so alike!
We’ve put a lot of work into our sleep hygiene (that’s a thing!) We try and go to bed at the same-ish time each day and often we’ll wake up at the same time without an alarm, although we set one just in case. I reach my peak in the morning but not quite as early as you. Six am is morning enough 🙂
We have an unspoken rule that we always go to bed together. I love that you’re the same. 🙂
I love my 6am walks with the dog, it’s the best time of day and in summer the only time it’s cool enough to walk… But my husband works in a different time zone and sometimes I find myself up late chatting, i still wake early but then need an afternoon nap!! If I sleep later in the morning I find I wake more groggy and find it difficult to get going?
Same! My body gets totally out of whack. x
Me to! Best time of the day.
But my first born also takes after me. It was brutal when he was a baby, 4am and he was wide awake ready to go. Not fun after 3 hourly night feeds. Glad he sleeps the nights through now, just up with meinthemornings desperate to wake his siblings!
That’s so cute. Lulu is an early bird too. It’s very sweet. xx
Unfortunately I’m at that age when you can’t get a decent sleep and frequently wake up in the middle of the night. I must admit I’m a night owl – I also wake up naturally – I’ve been getting up at 6.30 for the last couple of years to drop my eldest to the train station for college but I often sneak back to bed for a bit! I’d be really interested in what time do you go to bed?
I put the girls to bed at 7:30pm, and if Shane is on afternoon or night shift, I go straight to bed myself {it does take about 30 minutes to pay Lulu to sleep at the moment though}. Otherwise I’ll be asleep before 9pm most nights. Shane and I both go to bed early, but he sleeps in every morning he’s home. It works out for us. 🙂
5.45 wake up here. Not by choice! I need that extra time to myself before I get the kids up for school and race off to work. I love getting up early on holidays though. You get so much done! We spent a week at Noosa last Christmas and set the alarm to watch the sunrise on the beach every morning. Even my boys wanted to get up for it.
I love that beach. It’s perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. I have to get back there.
Mornings sound hectic for you during the week. I love that you enjoy the holidays though. xx
I am currently working on trying to get my sleep pattern sorted out. I want to try and get up earlier and give myself a little more time in the mornings. I want to get chance to meditate before work and also not feel that I am so rushed getting ready for work. Eventually I want to get back into my walking/running before work but I think that will take a while. I am trying to work on getting to bed earlier first then working out getting up 10-15 minutes earlier each week.
I can definitely see the benefit of early mornings with skies like those 🙂
x
That sounds like a good plan. Slow and steady wins the race. 🙂
I am usually awake by 0545, but I snuggle in bed – as we have a super small house – and ANY movement will wake up the tribe.
Do you wake up at 0430 regardless of the time you go to bed? I generally need to be asleep by 2130, much later than that – I lie awake worrying that I wont get enough sleep!
Generally yes, but if I had a midnight bedtime I might sleep in til 6pm instead. 🙂
I worked nights so I had to be a night owl, but recently I have changed my roster and start at 7am, I am loving the change, and I really feel like I am a morning person at heart! It just feels like you can accomplish more during a day if you wake up early!
Kez | acaciasdreams.com
I used to start work at 7am and finish at 5pm, and I LOVED it. I felt like I could do anything! Ha. Man, that just made me realise that I really miss leaving to go to work. 🙂
Enjoy the new roster. xx
I do my best work between 11pm and 2am. I am a total night owl which is totally incompatable with kids. I am dreadful in the morning and just so slow to wake up. I envy being able to bounce out of bed.
I am generally a midnight until 6 (though often awake at 530 especially if I try to go to bed earlier…..or in summer). In qland on hols last October with the kids….My super early riser was waking even earlier and in the end I went with it. I just left them to it with my husband still asleep and hit the road by 5 going for long walks…..I loved it!
Ah Chantelle….. I’m an early riser too! When my kids were little I learned quickly that early morning was the time I had alone to accomplish projects or finish a book. When the kids were older, they learned to get up early to prepare for school without rushing. Early morning is a good thing!