“Hi, my name is Lauren and I’m a snoozer.”
Remember my blog post about being honest? Well, this is confession time. I can’t wake up on time. Some of you might think that this is just a minor issue, but to me it’s a big deal. It affects my life. I beat myself up over it. I need your help!
My modus operandi
I’m a very light sleeper, so I hear the alarm clock as soon as it starts going off. I realize that it makes no sense to snooze. All it does to me is gives me 10 more minutes of sleep and then I’m woken up again…and again…and again. That’s right—I’ve been known to snooze for up to an hour! And what good does it do me? NONE! I don’t really get more sleep because I’m disturbed every 10 minutes by the alarm. And I’m always stressed once I realize what time it is because I have to rush to get ready. So why do I do it? I have no idea!!! That’s why I need your help!
I’ve tried a few tricks
I set my alarm clock for a time that’s 20 minutes earlier than I need to be up. This allows me 2 snoozes. I tell myself that I only get 2 snoozes and then I have to wake up. And that NEVER works. I’ve tried tricking myself by setting the clock to be ahead by 10 minutes or so. Doesn’t work. When morning comes, I remember the “cushion” on the time, so I just allow myself more snoozes. I’ve tried setting the alarm for the exact time that I need to get up so I can kick the habit of snoozing. Doesn’t work. I still snooze, and then I’m even more late when I finally wake up. I’ve tried putting the clock across the room so I have to get out of bed in order to turn it off. Doesn’t work. When morning comes, I just fly across the room to hit snooze every time and then dive back under the covers. I’ve tried setting my alarm to be music instead of a buzzer. Doesn’t work. I still get up late, and then I have a song stuck in my head the rest of the day.
Ben has even tried to help me in my quest to get up on time. It bugs him that I’m always running late, so he is willing to help me. But I make it hard on him because I’m pretty sneaky about it. You see, he’s a very heavy sleeper, so when he finally hears his alarm go off (the one he set for me), he rolls over and tells me to wake up, I “fake” waking up (I’ll actually sit up in bed and clear my throat so my voice sounds like I’m awake), but then he immediately falls back asleep, so I quietly crawl back under the covers and go back to sleep. I know, it’s awful! I’m a terrible person for lying to my husband!
I place blame
I have a “normal” desk job, so I work Monday – Friday every week. Unless I have a meeting in the morning (which is rare), I don’t really have to be at work at any certain time (i.e., no accountability). They just trust me to get my work done, and I do. Ben is a firefighter, so he works two 24-hour shifts every week. So, two days a week, he gets up at 5:00am to go to work. The other five days of the week he sleeps in until about 9:00am. And the days that he works change every week—it’s a rolling schedule. What that means is that we don’t have any set pattern or schedule with our sleep. And for someone like me who is very schedule-oriented, that doesn’t help my problem with waking up on time.
Why does it matter?
Even though my boss doesn’t require me to come in at a certain time, I want to be there by 8:30am so I can get my work done and leave by 5:30pm. Leaving work at 5:30pm puts me home at 6:30pm, and that’s the absolute latest that I like to get home. There have been several nights that I’m not home until after 7:00pm, and that’s just not good—for me or for Ben. I took this role at work in order to have a 40-hour work week so that I could spend more time at home. And the best way for me to uphold that is to get to work by 8:30am every morning.
Plus, it just feels good to wake up on time. There have been a few days in my adult life that I did get up on time, or even early. And I LOVED those days! I started off on such a calm and relaxed note. It was wonderful! And I find that when I start my day off on the right note, I end up with a much more productive day. I do a real “quiet time” with God, I work out, and I’m more focused at my job. So why in the world is it so hard for me?
It really bugs me
I’m embarrassed to admit all of this because it’s like I have an addiction to sleep! And just so you don’t worry about me—no, this isn’t a sign of depression or anything serious—I just love to sleep! It really bugs me that I can’t wake up on time and that I’m perpetually late to things. It feels like something inside me just can’t get it right. And I feel like I better get this under control before we have kids or I’m just going to be even more late for things. I need help, people! So if you have any tips for me or things to try, I’d love to hear them.
9 comments:
Ya learn something new everyday - I didn't know this was an issue for you schedule-driven woman!
First of all, having kids will mean that THEY wake you up. I haven't used an alarm in about 10 years. And kids don't let you hit snooze... believe me, I've tried!
Second, sounds like you need to go to bed earlier, and regularly. Because at some point your body gets enough sleep and you can't lay there and make yourself sleep. I'm a 8 or 9 hour a night gal, so I shoot for getting in bed at 10 which means I'm usually in bed by 10:30 and asleep by 11, so I get up around 7 or whenever the kids make me get up. How many hours does your body need? 7? 10? Find out then adjust your schedule likewise - after you've used a Saturday to catch up.
I don't think that there will ever be anything that will motivate you to get up and stop hitting snooze. It'll just have to be life that requires it. I mean, if the house were on fire when the alarm went off you wouldn't hit snooze... if, when the alarm went off, a friend called with an emotional emergency and needed you to come over, you wouldn't hit snooze. And when you have kids and they are crying for you, you have to go get them. There are some things that just make you get up. It's life being your alarm.
I've tried using the morning hours to be my time for bible study, or exercise, or even just being showered for the day before the kids awake... and along time ago I decided to face the music and realize that I will never be able to accomplish anything by getting up early. I'm just NOT a morning person.
and it's okay!
Love you, sister!
All of this blogging is making me realize just how alike you and I are! I've ALWAYS had this problem! Deception part included! (I used to promise Mom that I was getting up... she'd come in like half an hour later, find me under the covers still, and scream, "Sarah I thought you were already up!! We have to leave in five minutes!!!" Gosh, I was awful... Sorry Mama.) But I love my sleep too... a lot! I'm definitely a 9-hr girl. If I get less than about 7, I'm useless. This may have to adjust in the future... unless my kids inherit my feelings toward sleep instead of Tyler's (he'd never sleep if it wasn't absolutely necessary)!
For me, this problem does go in phases though. What I've figured out is that the only thing that can get me up without snoozing is changing up my routine with something exciting... When I start snoozing five times, it usually means I've gotten too bored. Don't really wanna go to work... just not feeling the whole "get outta bed" thing. So, if I've got something new to do, I'm more likely to want to get up and do it. Like if I've got a new hair product to try or a new breakfast idea.
For example, Tyler and I started having coffee every morning (though not together because he leaves an hour earlier than I do), and I started wanting to get up to have my coffee! Yay! After a month and a half though, I wasn't as excited because I was bored with it... I do that every day... blah... I don't need to get up for that. So, when we were grocery shopping Saturday, I decided to get some more shampoo because I was basically out (Ooo, fun! Hair products!!). This morning I totally got out of bed to go use it, and I got to work nearly ten minutes ahead of schedule!
I guess that's all a bit elaborate and silly, but you gotta do what you gotta do... even if it means buying a new product every month! :) Until you and I have little ones waking us up in the wee hours of the morning, something else will have to do!
What time do you want to get up? I could call you in the morning and talk to you while you walk to the bathroom and brush your teeth! :)
I know this is an article in Parenting but you should read it, it's good!
http://www.parenting.com/article/Mom/Work--Family/End-School-Morning-Tardiness-Really
I have the same problem as you . . . it is a big deal now, especially yesterday when I got a call from Mason's school saying he was tardy!
I really think its a "mind" issue - no tricks will help! You have to decide you want to/need to get up early and then no excuses - just do it! Easier said than done, I know!
Maybe you could set up some sort of alarm or timer that would go off at home in the evening or at work in the morning that you would have to be there to turn off. Or cook something in the crockpot that you have to get up to start or be there to turn off??
Let me know what you try!
Hi Lauren - I'm a friend of Brooke's here in Jackson, and I have to laugh because I struggle with being on time myself. But one thing that helps me wake up (and this would only work on days your husband is also working), is making us a quick - say less than 5minute breakfast (Bagel, waffle, toast and egg, etc) as soon as I get up, then crawling right back into bed to sip my coffee and eat my breakfast (in bed) while reading or watching the news. Obviously I don't have kids, but the whole "slowly and peacefully waking up" part of the day is crucial to my sanity. If I'm running late, it's usually because I sat in bed too long drinking coffee, and not because I slept in. If you can't handle crumbs in the bed, or on days when your husband is still asleep, you could fix breakfast and curl up under a blanket in a cozy chair, which is almost as good as breakfast in bed:)
My mom still gets up a few minute early so she can drink her coffee and read the paper in a quiet house. I think establishing some sort of routine that you actually look forward to in the morning (not working out for me!!) can be a big motivator to shut off the snooze button in a decent amount of time. Then you just have to limit your time doing what you enjoy, so you're not still late, which is my current struggle:)
Best of luck! Also I've found taking vitamins helps a lot with energy - I just started taking them myself a few weeks ago.
The part about sitting up and clearing your throat to fake out Ben got me. That's hilarious!
Lauren, put a can of Altoids by your bed, and put one in your mouth when your first alarm goes off. It will wake you up. I know it sounds weird, just trust me on this.
Gosh, I never saw this as a problem until your blog :). I even converted Trey into a snoozer. I agree with your sis on the getting to bed earlier part though. Trey actually got me getting to bed earlier. If I'm in bed in time to get a good 8 hours of sleep, I wake up before my alarm...and then excitedly hit the snooze just for fun and enjoy some moments of wakefulness in bed.
Tiff
So from one sleep addict to another...I hear you! I hate getting up...can't stand it. So I have a few suggestions, but they only work if you are dedicated to them for a few weeks to help you get into a routine. First of all is go extreme. Don't just get up on time or a little early, get up way early. Plan an hour or so of Bible time, breakfast, workout...something that needs to be done before work. You'll have to go to bed earlier, but you'll love how much longer your day feels. If after a week or two you've had enough getting up at normal time will now feel like sleeping in. I also agree with Anna's suggestion. I've had people call me in the morning and started my day with a great conversation..and once I'm up, I'm up!
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