The Early Bird Catches the Worm

Ever since we’ve been back on a regular school schedule for the last week, we’ve been going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, too. And you know what? It’s actually been wonderful.

At the end of every day, we’re utterly exhausted and worn out and ready for bed, and for the most part, have no trouble falling asleep. This was not the case during the summer. It would not be unusual for us to stay up until 11 or 12 watching TV, and then it would take a while to come down and fall asleep after that. Now though, it feels good to actually go to bed at a reasonable hour and wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to start the day. I am naturally a night owl. I love nothing more than to be up for hours after the kids go to bed cleaning and relaxing and getting things ready for the next day. But I have to say, so far, I am loving this new schedule of ours.

Also, did you know? According to Healthline.com:

“Ideally, people ought to go to bed earlier and wake up in the early morning hours. This pattern matches our biological tendencies to adapt our sleep pattern with that of the sun. You might find that you’re naturally sleepier after sundown.

The exact time depends on when you tend to wake up in the morning. Another consideration is the amount of sleep you need per night. People are most likely to be at their sleepiest at two points: between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.

The better the quality of sleep you get, the less likely you are to experience significant daytime sleepiness.

Circadian rhythm also dictates your natural bedtime and morning wakeup schedules. Once you get used to going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, your brain adapts to this schedule.

Eventually, you might find yourself going to bed easily at night and waking up right before your alarm clock without any issues.

Your circadian rhythm may be off-balance if you work irregular shifts or go to bed at different times throughout the week. This can result in periods of daytime sleepiness.”

So there you have it!

And lastly, I have been working on a compete blog re-design for the last few weeks that I’m excited to share tomorrow, so don’t be alarmed when you come to PJandThomas.com after today and it looks different. It’s still us, just with a few upgrades.