Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

You'd think that to wakey wakey for eggs and bake-y would be reason enough, but I find myself physically incapable of waking early enough to get myself ready for the day, thus I always get up RIGHT before it's too late, and running out of the door.

SCHEDULE: I SHOULD be waking around 4-430AM to prepare/eat breakfast, and prepare for the day, but instead I wake at 5:30-5:40 and rush. From there I walk and train to work, where I walk again from the station to work. I work 8 hours. I walk home. I'll eat and then a couple hours I work out again, falling asleep by 10-11p. My classes @ the gym are at 8pm, so I cant exactly get to sleep AT 8 which would be a full eight hours rest.

I've cut down on coffee, cause Ive heard that could be a contributing factor? Some say it's mental, but I feel like, if thats true, how do I get myself to get over that?

Thankss

flag	asked Jun 27 at 16:44 paleono 1,358●3●18

2

Because you aren't sleeping enough. Get some more sleep! – Karen Jun 28 at 0:04

Casey · Answer 1 · 2012-07-03 03:18:36Z UTC

8

Go to sleep at (let's just call it) 11 and wake up at 5:40 if you're waking up "late"?

That's not even 7 hours, no wonder you can't wake up an hour before that.

edited Jul 3 at 3:18

answered Jun 27 at 17:41

Casey
7,766●8●39

Happy Now · Answer 2 · 2012-06-27 20:21:43Z UTC

The problem here is that you are a normal human, and expecting your body to live on a superhuman schedule. Sounds like a long commute, is there any way you could live closer to work, or sign up for a lunchtime gym?

Getting up before the sun comes up isn't really what our bodies do well. If getting up that early is what you really need to do though, you are going to have to drop the 8pm workout, and make that your bedtime. 11pm bedtimes are for people who wake up at 7-8 in the morning. You need the sleep more than you need the extra exercise, one workout per day should be enough, and without adequate sleep you aren't going to see the results you want anyway because insulin and other hormones go crazy cuckoo without enough sleep, and blood sugar regulation goes right out the window. I once worked a schedule where I had to wake up at 4am, and the only way I could get my ass out of bed was to get the brightest light I had and plug it into a lamp timer set to turn on about 1/2 hour before I needed to get up. Even with that, I felt like I had perpetual jet lag until I got a job with a more normal schedule.

Maybe do some high intensity training on the weekends, and fit some small workouts into your work day, or buy some weights or put in a pull up bar for home to lift either first thing in the morning or right when you get home, but no matter what you need more sleep.

Dan · Answer 3 · 2012-06-27 17:43:09Z UTC

3

Why not work out at home instead of doing classes? Then you would be able to go sleep earlier like you'd like.

I agree with the others that are saying you're trying to wake up too early.

answered Jun 27 at 17:43

Dan
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Karen · Answer 4 · 2012-06-28 00:02:44Z UTC

If you have to get up at 4-4:30, than you need to get to bed at 8. (It's quite possible to do this) Your going to be a lot better off doing that and either rescheduling your gym class ditching it if you can't get one earlier. Sleep is incredibly important to your health. A lot of people would probably say that the gym is useless without good sleep. You're pumping your body full of cortisol and you'll pay big time later of you don't fix the sleep.

Joshua · Answer 5 · 2012-06-27 17:58:11Z UTC

Lately I've been having trouble sleeping and waking up on time. It just so happens I've also been surrounded by this bitch of a tropical storm named Debby all this week and haven't seen more than 10 minutes of sunshine for a week onward.

The "Eureka" part of me assumed a correlation. Yesterday I made sure to get as much sun as I could manage from the grey sky, and wore my blue blockers last night while relaxing after work. And... I slept much better and woke up feeling good.

So, are you getting sunlight during the day, and minimizing all external light at night?

Crowlover · Answer 6 · 2012-06-28 00:18:24Z UTC

Uhmmm your cure for being able to wake up is MORE SLEEP!!

Your schedule sounds brutal - Sorry .

If you are not getting a 7 hours of sleep per night at least then you may be in for some health and performance issues (concentration, memory, immune system, increased fat etc etc)

Roth · Answer 7 · 2012-06-27 16:51:35Z UTC

1

What's your carb intake like?

When I'm in ketosis I have INSANE amounts of energy. I sleep maybe 5-6 hours a night and when I get up I want to run around and save the world.

answered Jun 27 at 16:51

Roth
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I may be kind of embarrassing myself for this, but, what is ketosis? I try to keep my carb intake to strictly veggies, I may not be getting enough, some tomatoesm zucchini, asparagus, carrots. – paleono Jun 27 at 17:40

Renee · Answer 8 · 2012-06-27 17:07:20Z UTC

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Maybe you need more than 8 hours? I need more like 9. And am always late for work!

answered Jun 27 at 17:07

Renee
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yep. same here. – PaleoVenus Jun 27 at 17:13

Christine M. · Answer 9 · 2012-06-27 17:21:00Z UTC

Prep your meals the evening beforehand to avoid the rush. Sleep "in" until 5:30 (4:30 is FAR too early) and use a wake-up light (something like http://www.usa.philips.com/c/light-therapy/hf3470_60/prd/en/) to help you wake when the sun isn't up yet.

If possible, work out earlier so that you're not keyed up so close to bedtime.

Sleepyhouse22 · Answer 10 · 2012-06-27 20:16:44Z UTC

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Have you tried napping after you eat when you get home?

answered Jun 27 at 20:16

Sleepyhouse22
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JayJay · Answer 11 · 2012-06-27 23:55:02Z UTC

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4-4:30 is not natural! Society be damned.

answered Jun 27 at 23:55

JayJay
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Elunah · Answer 12 · 2012-06-27 17:17:53Z UTC

0

You could try hacking your body's natural melatonin using lighting. I black out my room, and I find that I have a lot of trouble waking up until my lights have been on for at least 15 minutes. You could consider getting a couple outlet timers and plugging natural spectrum lights into them, set for 15-30 minutes before you want to wake up. Maybe try setting a dimmer light for 30 minutes and a bright one for 15 minutes.

answered Jun 27 at 17:17

Elunah
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The room is completely dark, I don't have a TV or anything shedding light in there, although the light timer sounds awesome, are they fairly expensive? – paleono Jun 27 at 17:41

Pre-existing lamp plus $5-10 lamp timer will do the same thing. – Happy Now Jun 27 at 23:55

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I use these ($16 for 2): amazon.com/gp/product/B0020ML73K/… – Elunah Jun 28 at 13:06

Runes · Answer 13 · 2012-06-27 17:41:50Z UTC

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You're just not getting enough sleep if you wake up 4:30. Your body knows better. :)

answered Jun 27 at 17:41

Runes
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Rob · Answer 14 · 2012-06-27 19:54:09Z UTC

-2

You're over training.

answered Jun 27 at 19:54

Rob
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Eh, well, I gym it up 3-4 times week – paleono Jun 27 at 20:03

1

Ummmmmmm, WTF?? – Karen Jun 28 at 0:17

Why can’t I wake up?

14 Answers