I can't believe I've made it to a 6am wake up time!

I've always been a night owl, and usually ended up staying up too late and then getting up late in the mornings. Where I should have been getting up at 7, it was usually ending up nearer 8.

Well I decided to take this in hand a couple of months ago now. I would go to bed for 11pm, no exceptions. And no reading in bed. Light off, head down. I took an over the counter sleep aid for a couple of weeks to help me get into the habit and got that going well. I was then easily getting up at 7.

I then started finding I woke earlier than 7 even without the alarm, so figured I didn't need 8 hours, and it could be useful to me to get up earlier, go to work earlier and therefore leave earlier, and have more time in the evening (I have flexible working times, to an extent.)

So I started moving the time back gradually, in 10 or even 5 minute increments. I stayed at 6:15 for a while, but now I've rejoined the gym and want to go there at 4pm (the earliest I can leave work) I've gone to 6am to get into work for 8. This gives me plenty of time to get a good breakfast, do some reading, get ready without rushing too much and still pop into the coffee shop and get some java and a bit of banter on the way for the train. :)

I'm sticking with the bed and wakeup times on weekends too and that's even more useful! I get out early on Saturday to do my grocery shopping. Sunday I get to enjoy a really peaceful couple of hours and a leisurely pot of coffee and still then get on and get a load of housework done before lunchtime.

If you'd told me at the start of this year I'd be getting up at 6am every day and loving it, I'd have laughed at you. Me?! Night owl extraordinaire? No way. But it was the small increments that did it. Five, ten minutes earlier every couple of days, easy.

Oh and no snooze alarm allowed and the alarm clock on the other side of the bedroom is key for me too.