Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
“What does every man wish he had more of, but never knows when he has it?” says the Riddle.
“Sleep” replies the Answer.
I’ve come to think that battles of “Morning commute rush” and “Groggy afternoon malaise” are won the night before, particularly in the time I go to sleep. The earlier the bedtime, the less likely the following morning would seem like a rat race, or the afternoon turn into a sleep-deprived stupor.
It is said the sleep hours before midnight are worth double those after, and I’ve found this has some truth to it.
However, there is a counter force that resists earlier bedtimes. Long work hours means there’s no evening to be had. So watching a late movie tempts to improve the work-life balance. Thinking laterally though, the long work hours may be shortened if adequate sleep is obtained the night before – as the better productivity results.
So the more sleep, the more likely this vicious cycle will get a puncture.
Typically, my mind is the freshest in the early morning, especially if I’ve had my seven hours of sleep. I like to do my work/homework around 4-6 a.m., so by six-thirty I’m ready to go, and wide-awake to face the day. Of course, this means going to bed at eight or nine, but I’ve realized that most of what I do before midnight is useless time-wasting anyway.
The extra time to put on coffee, check email, think about the day’s plan, slowly meet everyone as they wake, or just cram for a test, is very much worth the early turn-in hours.