I typically go to bed around 1:30am, and wake up around 9. But in two weeks I have a marathon with a 7am start - and a 4am wake up to catch the bus. I know from painful experience that I do not do well without enough sleep.
Over the next 13 nights, what's the best way to move my sleep pattern "forward" by a few hours? Gradually? Or just set my alarm for 4am tomorrow and every day until my body adjusts?
rip van boston wrote:
just set my alarm for 4am tomorrow and every day until my body adjusts
This.
You'll be used to getting up at 4 am in like 3 days.
It takes 1 day for each hour you want to shift. So from 9 AM wakeup to 4 AM should take you less than a week.
P.Whelan wrote:
rip van boston wrote:just set my alarm for 4am tomorrow and every day until my body adjusts
This.
You'll be used to getting up at 4 am in like 3 days.
Dude, I am in the same situation. Have a 7 am race next saturday and I have been getting up between 10-11. Today I got up at 8 and I will be getting up an hour earlier each day until I get to 5 am.
I still hate morning races and always try to run evening races but some are unavoidable, especially the longer ones. This is a 15k so I won't have to run "fast" until a few miles in.
Sometimes you can just get up real early one day and you will be so tired that night you can start going to bed at an earlier time. (unless you take a nap during the day)
or you could just set an alarm and be a little tired on race day, but then nap in the afternoon after the race. What do you need to do after a marathon anyways?
Why the heck would they start a race at 7 am??