Daylight Saving Time begins this Saturday night which means that we lose an hour’s sleep on Sunday morning, much to the dismay of those who aren’t early risers to begin with. To help ease you through this painful transition, the Westheights staff have compiled a list of their own techniques for getting up early because we’re hoping to see you all on time this Sunday morning:
Coffee! Set the auto-timer on your coffee maker so that the delicious aroma of hot brewed coffee permeates the house and gently cajoles you to get out of your warm, comfy bed for a cuppa java. (Mimi)- For those people who use their phones for an alarm clock, find a more effective “ring tone,” like Pastor Todd’s melodic voice saying, “Wake up, little sleepy head. God loves you. Don’t you dare think about turning over.” Click here to download this nifty mp3 recording of our beloved pastor’s wake-up call. While I don’t personally use this, my daughter Kiana does and it must work because she doesn’t sleep in! (Mimi)
- I have an alarm that allows two settings. Presumably, that’s ideal for a couple, when one spouse gets up at a different time than another. But in my case, it’s ideal for a seriously non-morning person, who will hit snooze multiple times and finally turn an alarm right off rather than get up. Now I have a back-up. (Charlene)
- On really early mornings, I put the alarm clock out of reach, so that I have to get up, or at least get all the covers off for the big reach, in order to turn it off. And then of course I get back in bed, and hope I have the discipline to get up when the back-up alarm goes off. (Charlene)
- Well, I usually have the opposite problem (How can I sleep longer?) so I am of no help. Some people put the alarm clock across the room so they have to get out of bed (and get cold) and then they are up for sure. (Todd)
- My contribution is putting the alarm clock across the room, as Todd and Charlene have already suggested. However, I must mention that this technique is not foolproof. Perhaps you already know this story, but in high school I tried this trick in order to get up in the middle of the night to study. When the alarm went off, I got up, walked across the room, hit the snooze, and went back to bed. Nine minutes later, I did the same thing. And then again. And again. I continued this insanity for 6 hours straight! (Melanie)
If putting the alarm clock across the room doesn’t work, here’s an alternative: http://www.nandahome.com. I bought a knock-off “Clocky” for Tom years ago as a gag (which sadly never really worked properly… guess you get what you pay for. The idea, though, is fun!) (Gillian)- I forgot about “Clocky”! My trick is to keep the blinds open so that the sun blinds me (no pun intended)! (Tom)
- We let the cats into our room so they keep stepping on my face. (Tom)
- What I do at retreat is put my phone with the alarm on right beside my head, at the pillow. Tips for waking up, once the alarm has gone off: 1) Cold water on the face; 2) Throw the blankets off because coziness is the enemy; 3) Get up AS SOON AS THE ALARM GOES OFF. Otherwise – I fall asleep again. (Tom)
- I’m the worst sleeper-inner in the family. When it’s imperative that I wake up early, I assign one of my loved ones the task of using any measure to get me out of bed. I’ve had all the sheets and blankets pulled off the bed, hyper bodies jumping up and down on the mattress, and have even been licked! My favourite, though, is a hug or kiss. (Mimi)
I’ve recently obtained what I would argue is the best kind of alarm clock. It makes a variety of different noises at a variety of different volumes. I just wish I could control when it went off… (Gillian)- This isn’t my story, but when Beth was a teenager, her father had to go to work early and she would inevitably sleep in. Her father would put the alarm clock under a cooking pot, and hide it under her bed. When it rang (it was one of those old fashioned really loud alarm clocks, made worse by being under a metal pot), she would have to crawl out of bed and under the bed to turn it off. (Terry)
- I’ve waited and waited for somebody else to say it, but nobody else has stated the obvious so I’ll have to add this final DUH! contribution. I go to sleep earlier! (Mimi)