Early to bed — early to rise
Early to bed and early to rise is a good habit. It seems to run in my family, through generations, naturally without effort.
My kid brother was an early riser. Young he was, well under ten, he got up early in the morning. His getting up so early was a folktale in our family. In early childhood, that was an exception.
Not so, his brother, me, his eight years senior. I got up past seven. It took my father to wake me up every morning by shaking my foot. My brother was already up, playing with his toys, beating me to the game of starting his day. This was the routine in our family, day in and day out.
My father got up early to make breakfast for his kids, about five in the morning before we left for school. By 9 pm, he could be seen falling asleep on the lounge. He struggled to keep up with us. Within minutes he was fast asleep in my parents' bedroom. Now you know where we got the ‘early to bed — early to rise’ gene.
My father falling asleep so early was a mystery to me then. If there was any business I had to discuss with my father, I knew to finish it all up well before his bedtime.
But by the time I was in my late twenties, I was sleeping early. 10 pm was my maximum tolerant limit for bedtime. Now, I was just like my father; early to bed and rise.
All my life, I fall asleep within a few short minutes of getting into bed.
I have been on a similar trajectory of sleep patterns to my father's. If I must stay up late for a party or a gathering, I must have a nap in the afternoon. That allows me to stay up a bit later into the night, perhaps the latest is 11 pm, until the sleep butterflies start circling me.
In my sixties, I get up early, by 5.30 am. My mornings are the best time of my day. I am super productive in the mornings. Moving into the afternoon, I am in cooldown mode from 6 pm. I eat regularly in between, exercise and walk. My meals are regular; breakfast at 6 am, lunch by 11.30 and dinner by 5 pm.
I figured through Google that the original statement “Early to bed — early to rise” was coined by Benjamin Franklin.
I googled further and came to know the scientific benefits of sleeping and getting up early
1) Helps to deal with negativity
2) Enhances chances of success
3) More persistent, cooperative, agreeable, and proactive
4) Sleep keeps you healthy
5) Reduces stress and makes you happy
6) Procrastinate less
7) Sleep makes you look better
I am a positive guy and am always on the go. Those who know me would attest to that. I do not procrastinate and am a fast operator.
Perhaps unknown to me, my inherent sleep pattern got me there.
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