tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post4400624167727235949..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: Mission for the Month - Bedtime!EcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-80164320657725330352013-09-12T18:25:41.422-06:002013-09-12T18:25:41.422-06:00Well, I'm making slow progress. Putting the em...Well, I'm making slow progress. Putting the emphasis on relaxing in the evenings rather than on bedtime per se seems to be helping. Time will tell though, 'cause this sure ain't my first rodeo where this issue is concerned!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-63767523740462646982013-09-12T15:49:27.952-06:002013-09-12T15:49:27.952-06:00We have similar timeframes & time management i...We have similar timeframes & time management issues. I have no real advice as most of the things I try only are temporary solutions, and not long lasting habits. If you crack the code, let me know!Done By Fortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246597867355460723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-84890966839102907262013-09-09T17:23:20.325-06:002013-09-09T17:23:20.325-06:00I think I'd be exhausted if I tried to keep th...I think I'd be exhausted if I tried to keep that schedule! Limiting caffeine is a great idea. I have a cup of green tea with breakfast every day and then that's it for the caffeine. But, I've never really been a fan of that "buzzed" feeling! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-34872444595093078992013-09-09T13:51:05.326-06:002013-09-09T13:51:05.326-06:00I have to get up at 6.30am for work but I tend to ...I have to get up at 6.30am for work but I tend to not go to bed until around 11.30pm or midnight as I like that quiet time where I can think and relax. The result is being pretty tired most of the time! I really need to go to bed earlier and one measure I've taken is not drinking anything with caffeine in after 6pm. So far, so good!debtfreeonedayhttp://diseasecalleddebt.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-59358248412207209972013-09-07T01:43:56.603-06:002013-09-07T01:43:56.603-06:00Ha! My football timezone gripe is that those east ...Ha! My football timezone gripe is that those east coast games start soooo early in the morning! Can't tell you the number of times I've actually had to set my alarm so I don't miss an 11am kickoff!<br /><br />I know what you mean about hitting your stride in the evening. I am finding that giving myself time to wind down is helping though. Plus, putting the focus on ensuring that I get to start winding down earlier sorta takes the pressure off. I don't feel like it's such an effort to get to bed earlier like I used to.<br /><br />Time will tell though... this is certainly not the first time I've attempted to alter this pattern! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-88186236636155616412013-09-06T19:47:25.097-06:002013-09-06T19:47:25.097-06:00ALL. THE. TIME!! Seriously, my body wants to wak...ALL. THE. TIME!! Seriously, my body wants to wake at noon for starters. When I was a teen, the weekends were mine and every one could set their clocks by my wake up time. It never mattered what time I went to be, 3 am or 8 am I woke at noon. Of course, being a mom that had to change. But now that I am single and free, I am back to falling in bed around 3 and waking between 10 and 11, simply because everyone seems to wake me up thinking I've slept long enough. <br /><br />Chores were always a problem for me. I hit my stride after 8 and want to work like crazy, but then I want "me" time before bed which pushes bedtime even later. And my mornings have to start slowly or I am grouchy. <br /><br />I have tried really hard this summer to go to bed earlier, it works for a few days then I slip back into my regular routine of being up late. Of course now it's football season and being on the east coast the games end really late, especially when they are delayed by 40 minutes :-) So now at least 2 days of the week I'll want my "me" time after the games which means....3 or later bedtime. <br /><br />At my age I think I should just give up and resign myself to enjoying the middle of the night and the hell with what everyone else thinks I should be doing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-9891898207439976032013-09-05T01:47:23.803-06:002013-09-05T01:47:23.803-06:00Well, they say that you should always get up at th...Well, they say that you should always get up at the same time whether you have gotten to bed on time or not. I dunno though... I have a hard time convincing my body that sleeping in isn't a good idea! :-)<br /><br />But I do think there's something to be said for the cold turkey approach. Sorta like moving to a different time zone or something like that. <br /><br />My main problem is that things always seem to derail my in my efforts to get to bed. Tonight it's sick kitties. Sigh.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-45934217299948845492013-09-04T07:43:43.652-06:002013-09-04T07:43:43.652-06:00School in Brazil starts at 7:10 (University usuall...School in Brazil starts at 7:10 (University usually at 8:00). Inhuman, right? I've slept through many first periods...<br /><br />When I was unenployed, my sleep pattern was pretty much like yours -- sleep at 5am, wake up at noon, feel crappy and guilty about it. Then I got a job in another town, and suddenly had to get up at 6am to travel every day. I thought it would take me a long time to adjust, but it didn't, and I had (unsucessfully) tried wening myself many times as well. So I say keep going! I now go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 7, even if I don't have to (most people don't show up at the office before 10), because it feels sooo much better than sleeping/getting up late :o) Seriously, when I get up at 11 on weekends I feel like crap all day.Belenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-72367481402071307552013-09-03T21:40:35.958-06:002013-09-03T21:40:35.958-06:00Well, having several hours of downtime before bed ...Well, having several hours of downtime before bed seems to be helping me. That plus melatonin! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-60499130803971103902013-09-03T18:23:58.502-06:002013-09-03T18:23:58.502-06:00LOL I am a night owl too. I'm in between jobs...LOL I am a night owl too. I'm in between jobs right now (deliberate break between jobs) and I've been sleeping till 11am. Now, even though that wonderful Portlandia theme ("Sleep till 11 . . . ") is going through my head, I realize two things:<br /><br />1. The way I feel when I wake up after sleeping 9 hours has made me realize that when working, going to bed at 1 and getting up at 7, I live in a constant state of sleep deprivation, that is having a negative effect on me. 8-9 hours seems about right because it's clearly what my body does when left to its own devices. <br /><br />2. I won't be able to keep sleeping till 11 when I start my new job. <br /><br />This means -- eeek! -- figuring out how to get to sleep earlier. <br /><br />That will probably involve meds. Midlife hormonal changes have only made my tendency toward insomnia worse, and I don't think I will "naturally" go to sleep at 10 or 11 pm anytime, ever. Never have, not even when I was a little kid. <br /><br />If you figure out how to make a nocturnal-biorhythm body go to sleep at 10 or 11 pm, let me know!Stefanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07239847432599114367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-31455188906350040912013-09-03T15:51:54.795-06:002013-09-03T15:51:54.795-06:00Ha! Can't say that I've ever had the exper...Ha! Can't say that I've ever had the experience of waiting for anybody else to wake up, but I can imagine it could get annoying. :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-82659039495037362932013-09-03T15:18:03.394-06:002013-09-03T15:18:03.394-06:00The downside of 6am is that I don't have to go...The downside of 6am is that I don't have to go to bed that late to be a total zombie in the morning! But, overall, I think I prefer being an 'annoying morning person' (my friends hated sleepovers with me when we were teenagers...and I always used to clean up at house parties because waiting for everyone else to wake up was BORING!NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-64594270672749003872013-09-03T13:33:24.744-06:002013-09-03T13:33:24.744-06:00That was supposed to say "struggling to IMAGI...That was supposed to say "struggling to IMAGINE" - spell check failed me again!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-17580211506996766162013-09-03T13:26:37.809-06:002013-09-03T13:26:37.809-06:00I'm the same way when I'm working on softw...I'm the same way when I'm working on software. It's like it takes me soooo long to get my brain into the zone where all the gears are clicking and I've got all the variables in my head, that it's just more efficient to keep working than to stop and then have to rev up my brain all over again! <br /><br />I totally agree - do what works for you!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-87775802613289882252013-09-03T13:22:53.980-06:002013-09-03T13:22:53.980-06:00It is a bit early for fall, but once football seas...It is a bit early for fall, but once football season starts, I just can't help myself!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-70345232137876527292013-09-03T13:21:59.191-06:002013-09-03T13:21:59.191-06:00Well, so far so good. I just put together a lasagn...Well, so far so good. I just put together a lasagna and stuck it in the fridge for movie night this week - meaning I did it ahead of schedule, and for no particular reason, and it sorta seemed like no big deal. This is a rather amazing development. Perhaps giving myself time to recharge my batteries is working after all!<br /><br />I'm even sorta feeling like cleaning the bathtub! Wait, who am I? And what have I done with me?!? :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-68547227129602683412013-09-03T13:17:41.628-06:002013-09-03T13:17:41.628-06:00Well, I've never experienced actually feeling ...Well, I've never experienced actually feeling awake in the morning. It generally takes me an hour or two to come to full consciousness and stop feeling like I'm gonna puke... no matter what time I get up!<br /><br />But I totally agree that life should NOT be a treadmill, and thank you for pointing out that I'm the only person keeping score here. I think I need to remind myself of that fact more often!<br /><br />Hope you're feeling better soon!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-77084124988205464122013-09-03T13:14:22.313-06:002013-09-03T13:14:22.313-06:00In bed by 9... wow! I never even had a job where I...In bed by 9... wow! I never even had a job where I got to leave work before 9... it sorta feels like early evening to me! The perils of working in the music world I guess. I must admit though, some part of me thinks it would be wonderful!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-45531744295447621212013-09-03T13:12:26.596-06:002013-09-03T13:12:26.596-06:00I sleep better when they're done too... which ...I sleep better when they're done too... which is how I ended up in this situation in the first place! But I'm finding that if I try to spread them out throughout the day, it's much less onerous than leaving it all for bedtime!<br /><br />I'm struggling to imaging willingly getting out of bet by 6am. I am so jealous of people like you!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-76781950679601145792013-09-03T11:43:24.032-06:002013-09-03T11:43:24.032-06:00THANK YOU! I'm constantly told I should take b...THANK YOU! I'm constantly told I should take breaks when I'm studying and no one seems to believe me that breaks don't work for me, that I need to keep going until I'm finished! <br /><br />Some of my classmates freak out when they find out I haven't started my assignment due in 2 days time, but I do it all in one go for a couple of hours and my system has worked fairly well for me so far since I'm an honour student! <br /><br />Everyone needs to find what works best for them, particularly if there's a block of time during the day where we are at our most productive. I often reckon that if my education was flexible, I'd be most productive in the middle of the night!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-67232831922767400582013-09-03T09:55:08.091-06:002013-09-03T09:55:08.091-06:00This is sort of the same approach I had to take wh...This is sort of the same approach I had to take when I had a baby and a toddler--there are times in your life when you can't get all of the "shoulds" done and "good enough" has to be just that--good enough! <br /><br />I love your autumnal leaves although I'm not quite in the mindset for it yet ...Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-45847554328287216452013-09-03T08:30:33.689-06:002013-09-03T08:30:33.689-06:00Sounds like a great plan! I've found that my t...Sounds like a great plan! I've found that my to-do list always gets shoved to the evening because I'm too darned tired to do it in the morning, which gets me to bed late, which means I'm too tired to do the chores in the morning before work. I keep trying to only let myself do one chore after 7pm. Hasn't worked so far, but I think I'll be inspired by your progress. Looking forward to hearing how no chore-evenings go for you. Good luck!zoe @ my unhoardED lifehttp://idonthoard.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-26037872440116896402013-09-03T04:18:42.115-06:002013-09-03T04:18:42.115-06:00The dreaded To Do list. Of course, for the past m...The dreaded To Do list. Of course, for the past month & a half due to my work accident, my schedule has been dictated by how my pain level is for the day. I'm at a point where anything accomplished is reason to celebrate. <br /><br />I've found that over the years my circadian rhythm has changed. I used to literally jump out of bed in the morning & hit the ground running. Now it's difficult to get going in the morning. Once the sun sets, my battery shuts down now and I can't seem to do much of anything. <br /><br />I do think that rushing through a long list of chores at the end of the evening is a recipe for trouble getting to sleep. I think your giving yourself time to relax once up before jumping into your chores is a good idea. Lessening the pressure you have put upon yourself should make the chores less odious and make your days and evenings more pleasurable. Life shouldn't be a treadmill. Enjoy it while you are still young. No one but you is keeping score. Connie, Orlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03352603326494248659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-40207967474779681492013-09-03T04:15:33.443-06:002013-09-03T04:15:33.443-06:00I can't function on too little sleep, so I mak...I can't function on too little sleep, so I make my 9pm bedtime nonnegotiable. (It helps that I'm usually dead tired by that time.) So around 8, I start my bedtime routine - take care of kitties, pack lunches, brush my teeth. I usually finish before 9, which means I can lounge in bed for a few minutes with a magazine (books are dangerous in bed ;) ). Some nights, I'm running late - but as long as I take care of the cats, I get in bed by 9 and forget the rest.<br /><br />I like your relax in the evenings/early mornings idea. That's one of my favorite aspects of the weekend - getting a nice, slow start :) Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05307066665335899370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-86322097368945999742013-09-03T00:04:43.042-06:002013-09-03T00:04:43.042-06:00Weirdly, I find that I sleep better if I have done...Weirdly, I find that I sleep better if I have done chores before bed...perhaps because I know that I will wake up to a clean house! Although, really, I don't suppose that the chores need to be done at bedtime, I just end up doing them before bed as I have not done them for the rest of the day.<br />Whilst I don't really have problems with sleep, I do have the problem of trying to solve things by giving myself even more rules..l too have found this to be really unproductive and guilt inducing! For instance...the to do list...I am trying to think of this as a reminder list rather than a 'must complete all of these things NOW!' list, as the latter just makes me feel bad when I don't finish everything. Being more chilled out about it means that I will do random jobs not on The List as they occur to me, rather than adding them to list where they become another chore...<br /><br />PS we have totally different sleeping patterns...I am usually up at 6am and in bed by 10pm...4am makes me tired just thinking about it...I'd be better getting up at 4am!NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.com