Rooster or owl?

[rayinpenn]

My wife kids me that I fall asleep as my head hits the pillow. The truth is that isn't far from reality. I sleep soundly and easily - If I could bottle it I would and I'd be rich. The trouble is I like to hit the sack around 9:30. Lately if truth be told I am not above the 1 hour catnap.

When I used to visit my dad the cheap flights to Florida were $60 each way. I would escape the cold for a few days and as I remember I would be treated to some 80 degree winter days. I would sit outside and eat the giant tangelos that he kept in bucket. I would go to the pier or shore and toss some bait, catch a few fish but mostly sit in the sun. What I remember most is that he went to bed quite early and that first pot of coffee was pirqilating well before the sun was up.

I've never been a night owl, even in college I preferred to get a good nights rest. Now I'm in bed by 9:30 and if the dog scratches at 5:30AM I am awake and happy to get up for her and that first cup of coffee.

Do you go to bed early now then say 20 years ago? Have your sleeping habits changed?

 

[chilkoot]

I'm slowly creeping toward earlier and earlier (by which I mean midnight as opposed to 1:00 a few years ago). I'll probably reach that 9:30 point before too long.

 

[Jerry1]

I guess I'm a night owl. I started working part time (three days M-W) and my sleep schedule is totally screwed up. On my off days, I stay up late and sleep in. Then on the days I have to be somewhere, getting up is painful. I've tried going to bed early, but I guess if you don't do it regularly, it's not possible to do as needed. If I go to bed at 9:30, I'll wake up a couple hours later and then be up all night.

I think I've always been wired this way. I really liked working afternoons when I was going to school.

 

[W2R]

Probably quite a few of our members can relate to this: I never got to decide when I was going to sleep until I retired. I was going to school, being awakened for chores or church, going to work, or being awakened by kid or by pets or by spouse or by alarm clock, every single day of my life before I retired.

So, I thought I was a morning person but then again, how could I know?

I'm still not sure but I stay up 3-4 hours later now than I did for most of my life. What I would like the best is a 25-26 hour day, so that I could stay up late, sleep enough, and still get up early.

 

[rodi]

I skew early - but I still use the alarm clock since my schedule is dictated by the kids. Only 4.5 years till the youngest is off to college... then I'll be able to tell you for sure.

 

[6miths]

Definite night owl. Came in handy on the 33 hour shifts. lol

 

[Just_Steve]

W@rked mid shift, midnights or rotating shifts for 25 years has broken my sleep clock, been retired for 15 months and no sign of normal sleep patterns yet.

 

[Fedup]

Definitely night owl. I used to stay till 12:00 am, my husband would get up early and make breakfast and lunch for the kids so I can sleep late. However, before I retired, I had a job that I had to get up early, I was miserable. Now I go to bed around 9:30 to 10:30 pm, and get up around 7:30am.

 

[tps7742]

I worked a rotating shift for 36 years and now get a good nights sleep every night. I go to bed early around 9:00 to 10:00 and get up before daylight most mornings. I do not miss working the shift work at all but I did enjoy it due to the off time while the masses were working.

 

[Lisa99]

Night owl as a kid and we'll into my early 40s.

Now I love early mornings before sun up so am in bed by 10 at the latest. No idea why I changed, but I like it.

 

[euro]

night owl here - Hit the sack between 1-2AM, wake up between 8-9AM now. Ah, the perks of RE

 

[Nemo2]

"Early to bed, early to rise.....makes a man..." OK, so I got the first part.....but what happened to the 'wealthy & wise'? I've been ripped off.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Roowl? Olwster? I went to bed at 2 this morning and got up at 6 to get on the exercise bike. 4-5 hours of sleep is pretty typical, and I'm rarely asleep before midnight. Pretty standard to get up with or just before the sun.

 

[euro]

"Early to bed, early to rise.....makes a man..." OK, so I got the first part.....but what happened to the 'wealthy & wise'? I've been ripped off.

According to Ted Turner (asked how he became successful), it goes: "early to bed, early to rise, work like hell... and advertise"

 

[MRG]

According to Ted Turner (asked how he became successful), it goes: "early to bed, early to rise, work like hell... and advertise"

Ted is also a bipolar person. Some of them (probably Ted) work absolutely unbelievable hours, expecially when on a manic.

I've always been amazed by his apparent ability to turn a terrible disease into what might be an advantage to him.

 

[HadEnuff]

I tend to follow the sun. In the summer, with the late sunsets, I tend to go to bed "later", which for me means 11-ish, and wake up earlier, which in the summer, for me, means just about as soon as the sun peeks in my window.
In the winter, I struggle to stay awake until 9, and sleep until 7:30, and need more naps. While 6 hours of sleep may work in July, in January I may need more like 10.

 

[Walt34]

Definite night owl here. During the last 11 years at my job I worked in an office and eventually worked 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM to get around the worst of the traffic, which meant I had to get up at 4:30 AM, and wow, that was hard!

During the first 18 years on the job I worked rotating shift work so I never really got used to any one, but the hardest was day work and the easiest was late afternoon/early evening to nighttime. Midnights were easy up to about 3:00 AM or a bit later.

 

[marko]

Early AM person for me. I'm usually up by 5AM in bed by 9:30.

Spent 20+ years with horrible jet lag; never really knew what time it was! Now, RE'd I like the mornings. DW is a late sleeper so I have half the day to myself!!!!!

 

[NW-Bound]

Rooster or owl?

Some are hens.

 

[dirt_dobber]

Early riser here. Usually go to bed about 9 and wake up at 3:30 a.m. every day.

 

[Winemaker]

W@rked mid shift, midnights or rotating shifts for 25 years has broken my sleep clock, been retired for 15 months and no sign of normal sleep patterns yet.

Same here for 35 years, been retired for 2.5 years. Current pattern is in bed at 10, up by 6, but not always. Always up earlier, never later. When I sleep you can move the house, even when we travel.

 

[Eagle43]

Retired 13+ years. I cannot sleep later than 6 a.m. Go to bed around 10:30 p.m. And 15-20 minutes nap just after lunch. I really hated Megacorp's after lunch meetings. I had a hard time staying awake. Now, it's zzzzz if I feel the need.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[street]

Rooster here. I go the bed about 930 and up around 5 to 530.

 

[zinger1457]

My wife kids me that I fall asleep as my head hits the pillow. The truth is that isn't far from reality. I sleep soundly and easily - If I could bottle it I would and I'd be rich. The trouble is I like to hit the sack around 9:30. Lately if truth be told I am not above the 1 hour catnap.

Not necessarily a good thing for everyone. Falling asleep immediately is considered one of the signs that you may have a sleeping disorder, especially if you are tired during the day. But if you are sleep soundly throughout the night then probably not an issue.

 

[kcowan]

Retired 13+ years. I cannot sleep later than 6 a.m. Go to bed around 10:30 p.m.

11-5 for me. No nap (other than spontaneous dozings).