I'm not a man and I'm still working on the "wealthy" part, but I think Ben Franklin was onto something with his recommendation to turn in early.
Let's start with the admission that I'm a morning person. That's not a choice, it's just how I'm hardwired.
As it turns out, Dottie is a morning dog. Depending on the season, our first trip outside every day is around 3:30 or 4:30 a.m. We both go back to bed for a while after that, but if I want to get a lot of sleep, I need a good head start the night before.
Around the time I stopped performing with my last band, it occurred to me that there was nothing stopping me from going to bed whenever I wanted. Tired at 8:30? It's bedtime! Feeling sleepy at 9:00? Time to put the dog in her crate and settle in for the night.
It's. Been. Wonderful.
I need a lot of sleep to function properly and going to bed well before 10:00 p.m. pretty much guarantees that I will get it. Now that I'm achieving eight or more hours of sleep per night almost every night, I feel better physically and mentally. I don't find myself canceling plans as much. I get more done every day. I think I'm even getting by on less caffeine.
I know that early bedtimes aren't for everyone, but they certainly work for me. The next time you're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and fried, give it a try.
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