Time to Develop Good Sleeping Habits

Or is it return to good sleeping habits?

Some people, as you see, have no trouble getting cozy and getting their ZZzzzs on at any time.  The rest of us aren’t quite so lucky. 

With back to school just around the corner we can no longer ignore the ugly fact that we have to start getting up extra early again. 

Here’s my routine.

• Wake up at 5 am, stretch and make my bed.
• 5:15 Turbo Jam
• 6:00 Shower, brush teeth, put make up on.
• 6:30 Wake up kids, make breakfast,
• 6:40 Blow dry & dress
• 7:00 water flowers
• 7:15 guide kids along, do pony tails, backpack checks, assist in pick up rooms, etc.
• 7:40 Leave to drop Drew off at Middle School at 7:50 (bell rings at 8:10)
• 8:00 Arrive at Elementary school and read with Sari until 8:30 when the doors open.
• 8:40 nutritional breakfast shake
• 9:00 start work.

I WISH!

More like…

• fly out of bed at 7, pull kids out of bed and throw cereal and clothes at them.
• 7:15 brush teeth, wipe off eye make up, poof up or pat down hair, whichever works.
• 7:30 start yelling.
• 7:40 put on some pants and continue yelling.
• 7:50 pull out of the driveway.
• 8:05 drop off Drew.
• 8:20 drop Sari off in the foyer with the other children of crazy unorganized school of choice moms. 

Either way, no more staying up til 3am and sleeping in til 10am.  Not that I do that, but I’ve heard tell of it.

On the serious, I have a technique.  I wrote about it in more detail on my hubpage  but the point is to get not only ENOUGH sleep but to time it properly in 90 minutes cycles. 

The reason you are sometimes groggy or grouchy when you wake up is because you disturbed your sleep cycle at the deepest point. Whereas if you time your sleep to wake up at the very end or beginning of the cycle you feel refreshed and energized. 

Here’s your table for corresponding go to sleep and wake up times

• in bed at 8pm, up at 5, 6:30, or 8am.
• in bed at 9pm, up at 4:30, 6:00, 7:30, or 9am. 
• in bed at 10pm, up at 5:30, 7:00, or 8:30.
• in bed at 11pm, up at 5:00, 6:30, or 8:00am.
• in bed at midnight, up at 6:00, 7:30, or 9:00am.

If you are going to bed any later than midnight, which is pushing it, you are not allowing yourself the sleep you need to feel your best and do your best each day.

It might sound kooky at first, but think about it.  Sleep cycles and REM are not new ideas.  It only makes sense that you would wake up better and feel better if you were not interrupted during your deepest sleep.  In addition to your groggy factor, the mind and body operate at maximum potential if those sleep cycles are not interrupted.

I think it would be fun for everyone to try scheduling their sleep this way for two weeks and report back and tell me what you experienced.  Anyone?