![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fi on February 15, 2002, at 11:45:27
My usual strategies arent working too well. Mood OK so probably purely lack of willpower!
But does anyone have any crafty ways of getting themselves out of bed? The ones I use are going to bed at a reasonable time, cheerful chat/music on the radio when I wake up,and lying in a position that will get uncomfortable and telling myself I can only move out of it if that means getting up.
And willpower (involving lots of brisk self-talk which I just ignore..), which now works barely. I end up getting the last possible train to get to work in time (and sometimes the one after it) after rushing about to get dressed and ready. And work isnt too bad- its not that its going to be a miserable day.
I dont expect there are any magic answers, but tips welcome! Thanks.
Fi
Posted by IsoM on February 15, 2002, at 11:56:22
In reply to Getting yourself out of bed.., posted by fi on February 15, 2002, at 11:45:27
It's weird but I'm no longer having difficulty getting out of bed & getting going. I credit adrafinil for that.
Nothing used to work so good as a full bladder & if I stayed in bed, I'd wet the bed. :-)
Can you drink just enough before bed (or in the middle of the night if you get up then) to have a really full bladder in the morning? I apologise for a pretty lousy tip but before, that was the most compelling reason to get me out of bed. Otherwise, I'd always just fall back asleep.
Posted by Fi on February 15, 2002, at 14:34:17
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.. » fi, posted by IsoM on February 15, 2002, at 11:56:22
Nice one (not lousy)- certainly a hard one to ignore! Needs some personal research- usually if drink late end up having to get up in the wee small hours...
Thanks!
Fi (very glad she doesnt have to get up for work tomorrow!)
Posted by Shar on February 15, 2002, at 15:08:07
In reply to Getting yourself out of bed.., posted by fi on February 15, 2002, at 11:45:27
My approach was totally defeatist. 'Well, f*ck, I might as well get up now as later' and I would just drag my sorry ass out of bed to the coffee.
It helped when I got really sick and tired of the rushing around in the mornings, and of being late to work.
Good luck!
Shar> My usual strategies arent working too well. Mood OK so probably purely lack of willpower!
>
> But does anyone have any crafty ways of getting themselves out of bed? The ones I use are going to bed at a reasonable time, cheerful chat/music on the radio when I wake up,and lying in a position that will get uncomfortable and telling myself I can only move out of it if that means getting up.
>
> And willpower (involving lots of brisk self-talk which I just ignore..), which now works barely. I end up getting the last possible train to get to work in time (and sometimes the one after it) after rushing about to get dressed and ready. And work isnt too bad- its not that its going to be a miserable day.
>
> I dont expect there are any magic answers, but tips welcome! Thanks.
>
> Fi
Posted by m3 on February 15, 2002, at 15:21:49
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.. » IsoM, posted by Fi on February 15, 2002, at 14:34:17
Aha, but then if you drink *another* tall glass of water when you get up in the wee hours, you'll be more interested in getting out of bed a few hours later...
speaking from personal experience
m3
Posted by Kristi on February 15, 2002, at 21:37:29
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.. » Fi, posted by m3 on February 15, 2002, at 15:21:49
> Aha, but then if you drink *another* tall glass of water when you get up in the wee hours, you'll be more interested in getting out of bed a few hours later...
>
> speaking from personal experience
> m3
LOL..... I so do that too! Nice to know I'm not alone!!!
Posted by Rach on February 15, 2002, at 22:25:25
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.. » m3, posted by Kristi on February 15, 2002, at 21:37:29
Sometimes I put an alarm clock in a different room of the house to my bedroom. I turn it on to that really high pitched shrieking noise, so that the only option is to get out of bed to shut it off (and I am shocked awake, so I don't have time to whine to myself, I just have to get up to turn that horrible noise off). Then I try not to go back into my bedroom until I am fully awake.
Also, sunlight works for me. If my room is too dark, I sleep forever. But now, because I have moved house and my bedroom is extremely light, I can't sleep past 9am! Can you try to make your room lighter, or even leave the curtains open completely?
Can you get a friend to call you? I find that if I am woken up, and chat to a friend for awhile, I am more likely to be in a cheery mood, and it wakes me completely so that I find it hard to fall back asleep.
Hope this helps.
Posted by IsoM on February 15, 2002, at 23:40:13
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.., posted by Rach on February 15, 2002, at 22:25:25
Rach, I have a son who can't wake up. He'd get a friend to phone him, chat for a while & be right back asleep. He'd never even remembered that someone had phoned him.
He also got a loud alarm clock that wouldn't shut off. He could have it go off by his head (literally!) & not even hear it. I waited one morning & finally after about ten minutes went in to turn it off myself. It's scarey how he sleeps. He'd wake up anywhere in his room - one time he woke up & he found himself sandwiched between his mattress & box-spring.
Posted by Fi on February 16, 2002, at 7:58:45
In reply to Getting yourself out of bed.., posted by fi on February 15, 2002, at 11:45:27
Posted by noa on February 16, 2002, at 14:08:10
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.. » Rach, posted by IsoM on February 15, 2002, at 23:40:13
Light wakes me up, too. I now have a dawn simulator and it is so nice to wake up to it, much better for me than waking up to sound.
On weekdays, I usually can get up with this light and get moving. This is a change from years of feeling groggy and unable to get out of bed. The reason? Light box treatment.
However, weekends are another story. I don't set the dawn simulator, but the real daylight wakes me up by about 8. The latest was today--8:40 am. Then, I went back to sleep. What gets me up and out is having to pee, too.
Other things that have helped me are to have something pleasant to do first thing after getting out of bed, a transitional activity, like reading, playing a computer game, watching a morning show. I take my adderall first thing and then by the time my transitional activity is over, the stimulant is working anyway. And, during this time, I get my light box treatment.This could also work for coffee drinkers, I guess.if you are a coffee drinker.
Years ago, I set an alarm next to my stove top, and when I turned the alarm off, I put up a whistling kettle of water for tea, and would get back into bed. Then, when the hot water whistled, I'd have to get up to turn it off, and then since I'd set out the tea, I'd pour myself a nice cup of tea and that would be my transition activity.
Of course, having a morning activity does mean waking up earlier. But if you know that the first thing you have to do for the day is something other than getting ready for work, it might be easier to get up.
My main problem these days is on weekends, I may be out of bed, but I am still in my pajamas and in the house when I wish I were out and about. I just feel SO lazy and unable to get my act together. Often, if I can get it together, it is by mid to late afternoon. Today, I left the house at 2 pm. And this kind of routine gives me a headache.
I definitely need to get more sleep, though. I have a habit of going to bed way to late for me, since I have to be up so early in the morning. Then on the weekends i think I try to make up for it, but it doesn't really work.
Posted by Ritch on February 16, 2002, at 22:14:17
In reply to Re: Getting yourself out of bed.., posted by noa on February 16, 2002, at 14:08:10
> Light wakes me up, too. I now have a dawn simulator and it is so nice to wake up to it, much better for me than waking up to sound.
>
> On weekdays, I usually can get up with this light and get moving. This is a change from years of feeling groggy and unable to get out of bed. The reason? Light box treatment.
>
> However, weekends are another story. I don't set the dawn simulator, but the real daylight wakes me up by about 8. The latest was today--8:40 am. Then, I went back to sleep. What gets me up and out is having to pee, too.
>
> Other things that have helped me are to have something pleasant to do first thing after getting out of bed, a transitional activity, like reading, playing a computer game, watching a morning show. I take my adderall first thing and then by the time my transitional activity is over, the stimulant is working anyway. And, during this time, I get my light box treatment.This could also work for coffee drinkers, I guess.if you are a coffee drinker.
>
> Years ago, I set an alarm next to my stove top, and when I turned the alarm off, I put up a whistling kettle of water for tea, and would get back into bed. Then, when the hot water whistled, I'd have to get up to turn it off, and then since I'd set out the tea, I'd pour myself a nice cup of tea and that would be my transition activity.
>
> Of course, having a morning activity does mean waking up earlier. But if you know that the first thing you have to do for the day is something other than getting ready for work, it might be easier to get up.
>
> My main problem these days is on weekends, I may be out of bed, but I am still in my pajamas and in the house when I wish I were out and about. I just feel SO lazy and unable to get my act together. Often, if I can get it together, it is by mid to late afternoon. Today, I left the house at 2 pm. And this kind of routine gives me a headache.
>
> I definitely need to get more sleep, though. I have a habit of going to bed way to late for me, since I have to be up so early in the morning. Then on the weekends i think I try to make up for it, but it doesn't really work.Noa,
Glad that things are working for you! I have noticed the increased light intensity of late. It is accompanied with increased mild mixed-state-stuff, but that's OK! No more disinterested depression anymore. IF we all could go to work and SING!
Mitch
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.