The art of waking up
Sleep dysregulation is a fairly common and frustrating struggle for people on the ADHD/autism spectrum, especially for adults. The battle to fall asleep and wake up at the right times is related to the difficulty changing gears that some of us experience. In fact, sleeping problems used to be listed in the
Leave the room immediately
My favourite trick to waking up early is bold and simple. As soon as you notice you’re awake, leave the room now. "Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room." says Zen Habits in 10 benefits of rising early, and how to do it. That’s it. No thoughts, just action. If you allow any words in your head, start the countdown… 10, 9, 8, boom! And suddenly you’re up and checking your e-mail in the other room, or whatever.
If you stay horizontal and start analyzing how many more snoozes you can afford, you’re already in the wrong race. The more intelligent and creative your brain is, the faster it will trick you and win.
Morning pill ritual
If you take a stimulant prescription like Dexedrine to be functional throughout the day, you can also use it to regulate your morning energy levels and avoid the dreaded oversleeping accident.
Every night before going to bed, fill up a glass of water and leave it with your morning dose on your bedside table, between you and your clock. Set two alarms, for example, like this:
- 7 a.m. – Beep! beep! Immediately take your meds. Fall back asleep if you want.
- 8 a.m. – 2nd alarm. Your meds have kicked in by now. You wake up alert and ready to start your day.
For more sleep advice, I recommend ADDitude’s article: End Bedtime Battles.
