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Night Owls

Night Owls2010-04-19T00:39:26+00:00
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  • #93664

    wolfshades
    Member
    Post count: 211

    Interesting idea DogFather.

    My problem is just getting going in the morning though. Doesn’t matter how early I get up, I usually lose focus on pretty much everything I should be doing such that I get out the door with just enough time to get to work (and too often, I show up late for work – not a good thing). I work in IT so it’s not too bad a thing, but back when I worked in a factory you got seriously fired if you were late too often. And back then, I recall that the night shift was *far* better for me, in every respect. Never late, and I found myself so very alive into the wee hours of the morning. It didn’t bother me at all to work overtime and leave the plant just as the sun was coming up either.

    In the IT world, there just isn’t that kind of luxury anymore. You have to there when the bulk of business is going on. I do recall a few IT disasters that required late night/early morning overtime, and I remember that once again, the productivity factor was quite high for me during those times. I thought more clearly and everything was easier to focus on.

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    #93665

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    My morning routine runs like clockwork these days. I used to be late all the time but then I started to aim to get ready for ten minutes before I actually had to leave, that way when the time I actually had to leave I wasn’t being punished for taking longer than I should. It’s the old, set your alarm clock ten minutes fast trick.

    DogFather, it could be the showering that helped. I shower in the morning, having curly hair means I have to wet it anyway, so why waste time sticking my head under a sink if I can just change my routine? I find that the shower helps kick my system into gear and I’m a lot less skatterbrained that way. I also use a citrus scented bodywash, which also helps energize. They have minty ones with menthol in them for guys kicking around that really wakes you up. I also have a coffee pot which turns on automatically in the morning so as I step out of the shower it’s just brewing. I fix it and let it cool while I dress. Then it’s coffee, meds and breakfast, double check my backpack for everything I need then it’s out the door to work. It might be that you have a routine now that boots your system, which it sounds like. Taking a bit of time to let yourself wake up really helps.

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    #93666

    Mica
    Member
    Post count: 11

    I’ve been trying out the “Flylady” website that’s been mentioned here and, much to my dismay, Her dictate to get up in the morning and get ready (and she means ready – hair, make-up, shoes) right away is really helping. I used to get up early ( because I need time to wake up before I go, go, go) but then I’d spend so much time drinking coffee and reading the paper that I’d be late getting out the door anyhow. All the stuff I have to get done would be left to the last minute. It’s a simple solution but it seems to be working – as long as I stick to it!

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    #93667

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    @WolfShades – I’m in I.T. as well, and rarely have emergencies during “regular” hours. I get energized whenever something comes up at night, and I’ve done more than my share of late-night and weekend duty. I love the challenge of it, but my real purpose in life is to PREVENT that kind of thing from happening. If something does go wrong, the task of diagnosing and fixing the problem is the exciting part–but dealing with the people who were inconvenienced is never pleasant.

    @JayBird – I shower every morning anyway, arthritis makes it necessary. But the timing of the shower coming immediately after getting out of bed may have been the “shock” I needed to get going faster. I mentioned “easing into the day” in my earlier post. That’s certainly more comfortable, and it makes my mornings OH, SO PLEASANT, but maybe that kind of comfort is one of the things we need to avoid?

    I’m on day three of this experiment, and so far everything’s working great. This morning I got a full day’s work done before lunchtime. At lunch a friend asked me “What’s wrong? Why have you been at work so early this week?” He lives near my office and has a long drive to work, so I even beat him getting started.

    Now I’ve gotta find something interesting to do with the rest of this day beside watching YouTube.

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    #93668

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Day/night reversal is common among ADDers. I always mean to go to bed earlier, but I typically don’t go to bed until 4-6 in the morning–for a combination of reasons. It’s not that I work more effectively at night, per se, and I certainly don’t work effectively in the mornings as a result of my backwards schedule, but at night there are fewer distractions: my neighbour isn’t out mowing his lawn, there’s nothing on TV, I can’t get up and jump around, reorganize my wardrobe, use the treadmill, etc. because I’ll wake everyone in the house (with the exception of my ADD brother whose schedule coincides with mine.) The lack of distraction allows me to overfocus on whatever task I’m working on, which is good… when I’m doing something useful.

    It’s an ongoing problem; taking my meds too close to bed time gives me insomnia, but not taking them results in a deluge of creativity, often unrelated to daytime obligations, that demands I start overly ambitious projects around the time everyone else is headed off to bed. And, then I can’t stop until they’re done and I awaken from my hyperfocus trance.

    The best way I’ve found of mediating the problem is intense exercise in the evening, between 5 and 9pm, anytime after 9 and the endorphins just keep me awake.

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    #93669

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Oh boy are you all singing my song…does anyone else get a real kick out of staying up ALL NIGHT LONG even though it’s really STOOPID? I’m in IT too, so our schedules are not very constrained, and we can “work from home” (ha ha) anytime we like – and in fact I have done some of my best work at 3 a.m. Part of this phenomenon is that for many of us those night hours are the only ones that really feel like “ours.” I also find that the time right around dawn is really pleasant and stimulating even if I’ve been awake all night.

    But I’m not 20 anymore, and there’s a price to pay!

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    #93670

    Saffron
    Member
    Post count: 140

    @jireland, I hear you. Would that we could still indulge the quiet passion of the all-nighter past our 30’s without feeling like a car wreck afterward!

    @Larynxa, just read your version of “The Last Night of the World.” Loved it!

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    #93671

    BAM123
    Participant
    Post count: 71

    Does anyone get restless at night?

    I do o k during the day controlling symptoms and take a low dose of adderl xr – but from dinner time to bed time I get really restless and my mind races.

    This often leads to poor food and sometimes alcohol choices in the evening. I think I self medicate with food that is not to good for me or alcohol to mellow me out once the adderal has run down. Neither happens every night – but i could undo a day of watching my diet and excecise it the 3 or 4 hours between dinner and bed time.

    When I am super aware of my hutrition during the day time, I am less likely to wander, but stress, work, kids obligations can mount.

    Anyone experince anything similar or have words of wisdom?

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    #93672

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I have experienced something similar, to the point where back in high school I was getting maybe two hours of sleep per night by the time I managed to fall asleep.

    I start winding down about an hour before I need to go to sleep. I start with a soothing tea rather than alcohol. The best choices are something soothing like a rooibos (red) tea that helps calm your mind. Rooibos has been shown to help reduce anxiety and calm racing minds so it is a good place to start. I go through my nightly routine which helps cue my brain that it is time to go to sleep. I take my time with what is involved, like washing my face. It’s quite relaxing that way. If it’s a particularly rough night I have a hot shower which almost puts me right to sleep before I even get out of the shower. Finally, before I go to sleep I meditate. Any combination of these things can help slow the brain down enough to sleep.

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    #93673

    BAM123
    Participant
    Post count: 71

    Good advice thanks very much

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