Sleep Consistency Matters.

by

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what greets me in the wee hours of the morn <3

We’ve previously established I sleep like a toddler.

I’ve bravely asserted I’m not sleep deprived!! and can easily continue my wonky ways for a few more years.

I’m up at 4 each morning and sound asleep by 10.

When asked (I am repeatedly) and I share my sleep-pattern the most common response is:

Wait, but you’re not up around 4 am on weekends–right?

Wrong.

I am.

I rise at the same time each morning no matter what my days holds.

This mishegas began long before Child-as-human-alarm-clock in response to a book called Stress for Success.

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It was the late 90’s and I’d recently opened my training studio.

I was *stressed* yet already a believer in the power of harnessing stress and making it work for–not against–us.

Stress for Success was good not great, yet one notion stuck with me.

Our daily rituals — eating, sleeping, working, exercising — enhance our ability to respond to stress.

More specifically, the book addressed waking at the same time daily is a helpful tool for keeping stress at bay.

Those words resonated with me.

The time we wake-up serves as an anchor to our day (not to mention our circadian rhythm demands consistency).

16 years later I *still* wake at the same time no matter my day’s schedule.

It’s not the Badge of the Busy! Busy! Mama! and more just how I do.

Given the number of my sleep-hours, however, I’ve wondered about studies which show not enough sleep results in too much adipose tissue.

Which is precisely why these statistics in Women’s Health Magazine caught my attention:

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Stress for Success may now be dated, but apparently my consistent wake time may contribute to my staying lean—even when the sleep isn’t as prolific as I’d like.

Quality + consistency = two sleep-stuffs I rock.

The thing is (I know–there’s always a “thing.”) the more I considered it the more I questioned the statistics:

  • Do our bodies thrive on sleep routines OR are routinized individuals more “disciplined” and is that what keeps ’em lean?!

(Alas, this is not a rhetorical query. I’m still pondering and await your thoughts.)

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Comments

  1. I have read more than once that consistency in sleep is important. I don’t get up at the same at the weekend but still early. I wake up at workdays at 5:15 am and at the weekend at 6.30 am always without alarm. I go to bed around the same time: 10:30 pm at workdays and 11:30 pm at the weekend.

    I found out this works for me. Now that I’m older I don’t need as much sleep as I used to.

  2. I consistently wake up at the same time every single day. My body is just programmed that way. Although, on the weekends, I do allow myself to stay in bed later. That is after my eyes fly open at my usual wake up time. It seems to be working out ok for me right now!

  3. I keep hearing how too little sleep contributes to obesity but I can’t get enough during the week.
    And then we are told you can’t catch up on the weekends.
    I’m screwed!!!! LOL

  4. Excellent question!!! As one who wakes at 5am and is in bed by 10pm no matter the day, I want to say it’s a little bit of both. Some weekdays it definitely takes a lot more discipline to wake at 5am but it helps my day move along as it should and get ALL the things done.
    Interesting.
    You should do your own study. I volunteer!!!

  5. When the science is so split, as it is in this case, I feel rutterless. I am completely unable to fall asleep on my own for the most part. This makes wakeups difficult. It sucks and it’s a cycle.

  6. I have excellent sleep consistency, except on the nights that I don’t (like when I have horrible night sweats and such like that). I feel like the sleep fits the sleeper–like with diet and exercise. Some people need everything the same and predictable but effective, others need something different all the time!

  7. I noticed that you always like my posts early in the am, that’s because I’m up at 5:30 every morning too. Having a regular sleep time and wake up time helps me regulate my migraines. I also get blogging stuff done before my toddler wakes up! My dog keeps me on track on weekends. His clock is always on time!

  8. I am a early to bed early to
    rise person person. The only time my body doesn’t wake me up at
    5 is when I am sick other wise I just naturally
    wake up then it works for me.

  9. This is fascinating. I’ve been tracking my sleep & wake times because I knew I wasn’t getting enough sleep and trying to catch up on the weekends. As a busy busy mama myself, I do love those rare weekend days when I wake up early and get to enjoy the quiet of the morning before weekend family time goes into full swing. But alas, I am unable to survive on 6 hours a night like you do, so it looks like I’m going to have to be much more diligent about getting myself to bed at a reasonable hour!

  10. My husband is the same way he gets up at 4 every single day. I used to until I started working full time and baby sitting my twin grandbabies. I don’t get to much work accomplished with them being here so I stay up until midnight (or later), but I go right to sleep and get my 6 hours in. Anymore and I’m dragging any less…and I’m dragging. Six is perfect for me.

  11. I’m relatively consistent, but do vary up to an hour on the weekends (4:39 weekdays, 5:30 weekends). But I’m getting up early to run, so I’m not sure which is the causative effect here!

  12. Slept in ’til 6 this a.m. – which is two hours over when I usually get up, but I’ve got the day off and was up at 2:30 cleaning up kitty throw-up.
    I am no stranger to a nap either on the weekends-
    bet you might start taking one also when you are in your 6os. Keep me posted!

  13. As frustrating as it may feel, getting up at 5:30 am gives me plenty of time on a Saturday to get my work done and to the Farmers Market before everyone else. 🙂

  15. Somehow over Winter Break a switch flipped to where I went from needing a solid 8 hours of sleep to feeling refreshed with only 6-7. On work nights I am asleep by 10 and wake up between 4:30 and 4:45. This has crossed over to the weekend where I may go to bed closer to 11 and be wide awake {without the assistance of an alarm} by 6am.
    I enjoy being an early riser as it gives me the “me” time I so desperately need.

  16. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to get up every morning at 4am! I am an 8hrs a night or more sleeper and I think too little sleep isn’t good for you – it drags me down if I have a run of interrupted sleep. Different things work for different people and you are obviously a lark Carla and not an owl 🙂

  18. I usually wake up around 4:45 am daily without an alarm. When it’s cold and it’s the weekend, I might stay in bed while on my phone, but I’m up. This is interesting info on the chart about body fat and variability of time when people arise. Hmmm. Thanks!

  19. This has always been interesting to me. I have had difficulties falling asleep throughout my life, which definitely impacts my wake-up times. I’m also not a morning person, AT ALL. 😉 But I get by. I do agree that when I am sleeping more consistently I feel better, healthier and more energized. So there’s that.

  20. My father was an incredibly successful man—born without a pot to pee in, etc. He was an athlete (went to NYU on a basketball scholarship) and a scholar (math scholarship.) He was self employed my whole life, never overweight and fun.
    Never got up before 9:30 AM during the week (except for the year of golf or when we missed the school bus) On weekends he could sleep until noon.
    Worked at home to Johnny Carson and David Letterman after him. He worked until he died at 77—too young and maybe he could have lived another couple years if he had better sleep hygiene but then he wouldn’t have had the polka games that went on until midnight or later; taken classes in esoteric subjects; had late dinners with moi (who always wanted to go to sleep early because I had to get up between 4:00 and 5 for years.
    One of my biggest goals in life was to emulate his sleeping habits. Sometimes I do and I feel so good.
    I think we’re all individuals and someday our sleep will reflect our own internal rythmms.

  21. I stay on a pretty consistent sleep schedule also with the occasional missleep 🙂

    I think I read recently that if you are sleep deprived during the week it’s better to sleep in on weekends than not to.

  22. This is super interesting. I wake up at 5 during the week and between 6-7 most weekends, unless I’m totally exhausted. These days I take the extra sleep with no qualms being preggo, but that’s something I’ll have to keep in mind! It won’t be a 4 am, that’s too hard core. But I could deal with 5 🙂

  23. It is an interesting question. Routine is comforting. Does that comfort have a component? I am an 8 hour sleeper falling in the 60 minutes wake up span. What about nappers? Really interesting this morning, Carla!

  24. I think our bodies thrive with a sleep routine. I adore getting up early. They day seems so much longer! My problem is shutting it down early, at a consistent bedtime.

  26. I find waking up at the same time each day very difficult because of my nightmare disorder and chronic insomnia. I never really know what kind of sleep I’m going to get, or what time I’ll eventually fall asleep at, so it makes it tricky to be able to discipline myself to get up at the exact same time when the amount of sleep might vary drastically. But at the same time, I’ve really liked it when I have, in the past, gone through stages of waking up at the exact same time. Maybe I just need to force myself to do it to get into the habit of it.

    And that is such an interesting question on whether it’s the routinized individuals! Definitely a valid point. *wanders away to ponder*

  27. I used to be such a consistent, early riser and I loved it. Now, though fit and healthy, my joints are stiff in the morning and it is harder to get out of bed in the wee hours. Your post is convincing me, it might be worth another try to get back to that old, but familiar routine. I would love to have one productive hour before my kids get up!

  29. While I do wake up at the same time everyday I am constantly getting interrupted during my sleep from my children and I’m left completely exhausted every day. trying to figure out a happy median here.

  30. Usually when I let myself sleep I still wake up pretty early and at a reasonable time which doesn’t upset me as much as it did when I was younger. I usually always go to bed around 10 and just the time I wake up varies a little.

  31. I’m with Jennifer…I like having a sleep routine (when my mind and body cooperate) and getting up early and having the house to myself for a while. If I knock off the electronics at least an hour before bed, and get to bed at a consistently reasonable time (by 10:00 p.m.), I can usually sleep until 5:00 to 6:00 a.m.

  32. I wake up, like clockwork at 3AM. Sometimes I fall back asleep and sometimes it takes me over an hour. The only thing that seems to have helped is my humidifier. For some reason it helps me sleep and get back to sleep.

  33. I wish I could have sleep consistency, but I suffer from insomnia. I go to bed at the same time pretty much 7 days a week to try to combat it. Sometimes I sleep through the night, but then there are periods where I am awake every single night for days. I am always up at the same time every morning, too – even without an alarm, so I don’t sleep later on insomnia days. It sucks. Melatonin helps, but it isn’t a cure all.

  34. My difficulty is getting my night owl of a Sweetie to let me get to bed early. He wants to stay up, and likes it if i stay up with him! Thus even though i naturally wake early, my body isn’t well rested and i have a hard time getting up.

  35. Well, I have always NOT fit into these studies of too little sleep leads to higher body fat so.. I do think sleep is individual & some need more than others. I have changed over time based on what my body needs are & honestly, work schedule.. but I think it is more what is right for the person & their own particular daily habits – food & exercise too! 🙂

  36. The most important thing for me is the amount – 8 hours, minimum, or I start to fall apart. I may get a bit of sleep debt once in a while (staying up too late having fun), but I almost always make it up by going to bed earlier the next (balancing 6 hours with 9-10 the next night). I think consistency for me is definitely a distant second. If I could do both, it would be great, but I’m just not enough of a morning person (since I was a kid) to do it when I DON’T have to.

  37. One thing I refuse to sacrifice is my sleep. I know how important it is! I get up within the same I’d say 45 minute window every day thanks to the 16 month old, but I don’t mind because I think it’s good to get up and get the day going!

  38. I am all for consistency when it comes to sleep. Even if I think I want to sleep longer on the weekend, I don’t. Because I’m perfectly content with 5am. It’s how I roll.

  39. Really interesting topic! I always wake up at 5:30 even when j want to sleep later and the latest I ever sleep if there’s absolutely nothing to wake up for is 6:30 – it seems crazy late to me! As for the leanness, I’m inclined to think there’s a personality connection and not necessarily chemical, but those two things interact as well, so who knows!

  40. I’m consistently good at delaying sleep to where I get antsy about trying to fall asleep! It’s that post-dinner second wind…argh!
    I’ve woken up – on purpose – at the same time on the weekends as I do on the weekdays, and notice that I feel SO much better.

  41. I’m jealous. I’m convinced I’d be the most productive person if I could rise so much earlier than between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. I envy people who get up super early. I wish I had that energy but I guess its hard to change our wiring. Good post.

  42. I’m not a good sleeper and am really struggling of late. It’s something I go through from time to time. I usually take a couple of hours to get to sleep but I haven’t been to sleep before 2am for months now. It doesn’t matter if I go to bed at 9pm or midnight. I lie there and lie there. Sometimes it’s 4am and I wonder if I should just get up again….

    I’ve tried everything but nothing seems to work. Once I get to sleep I’m fine, but my mind is just too busy. (And I try meditation recordings sometimes as well.) I know it will improve a little when whatever’s bothering me is off my mind… I just need to wait for that to happen!

  43. Sometimes I am really frustrated since I keep on slipping up my sleeping routine. I want to sleep early badly, but sometimes I can’t. But still, I am hopeful that I can still establish a consistent sleeping routine 😀

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