A little introduction: I've always been a terrible sleeper. Well, scratch that. I've always been great at sleeping... for like 10 hours at a time. Waking up in the morning has been painfully difficult. When I was going to college, I used to have my mother call me to make sure I woke up after 3 different alarms went off...

I still use multiple alarms. An app on my phone plays bird noises for about 10 minutes before going Urrghgggg!! at me. Then, 15 minutes after that my quieter alarm goes off. 15 minutes later a more annoying alarm goes off, and 30 minutes after that the radio, on full blast, comes on. Additionally, I have a full-spectrum lamp on an appliance timer to approximate morning sunrise as best I can.

But I still suck at it. These technological "fixes" don't seem to do it.

I've been trying to change this - by setting very specific night and morning routines and trying to follow them. And this works, to an extent. I _need_ to be up by 8:30, and my alarm/wakeup process begins around 6:00. When I first started doing a nightly routine (10pm, make some Bedtime Tea, put pajamas on, shut off the TV, brush teeth, etc) I was able to be out of bed between 6:00 and 6:30. Then motivation started slipping. I'd do only parts of the routine, or maybe leave the TV on a bit longer, or something. This morning I woke up at 8:30. Crap...

Soooo... why am I posting this? For advice. I have read all the research and KNOW that sleep is important, I WANT to wake up earlier (thus getting to work earlier, and having more time after work), but for some reason I can't seem to do it consistently. Any advice or tips?

I have the same problem as you. I have two alarm clocks and my wife's. I just started taking Natural Calm yesterday because some Paleo guys at RobbWolf.com suggested it. I want to go to bed earlier so that I can get 8 hours of sleep. I drank the stuff and fell asleep when I wanted and woke up without the alram clocks this morning.

It's called Natural Calm. Check out the reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Calm-Rasp-Lemon-powder/dp/B000WVY4PE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1265250777&sr=8-1

Wow, I had no idea that magnesium was so important.

Without a proper test is there any way to judge if one is deficient?

Should a paleo diet provide enough magnesium?

A completely paleo diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals we need. The caveat is that what we are eating can only approximate a paleo diet.

This line of thinking always makes me sad. It's hard to find good real foods in the middle of a big city. Grass fed ground beef costs like $8/lb and they usually have like 3-4 lbs on hand.

What, in the natural order of things, would provide lots of magnesium?

Quote from: phrakture on February 04, 2010, 11:57:11 AM

What, in the natural order of things, would provide lots of magnesium?

Almonds, for starters. Tuna, as well, but I think tuna is not coastal and would probably be outside the paleo man's reach.

Long list (including non paleo foods) in link:
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/magnesium-foods.htm

Interesting that grains seem to be the best sources of dietary Magnesium.

Does anyone have any info on how Magnesium affects sleep?

If you need to get up at 8:30, I wouldn't aim to get up at 6:30.  Start your nightly routine at 11:30 instead of 10:00 so you won't feel like you're wasting time.

What I meant was: in order to not be late to work, I need to wake up at 8:30, shower, and go. However, I can be early to work.

The few days where I woke up at 6am were great. I did dishes, listed to the radio, etc. I actually want to be up hours before I head off to the shower and leave for work.

What I'm trying to accomplish, in addition to actually getting regular, decent sleep, is to convert myself from a "night owl" to a "morning person".

I've been taking Natural Calm since last Thursday. I go to sleep at 10pm and wake up at 4am everyday and I am not tired when I wake up. Previously, I was waking up with the alarm at 5:30am and felt exhausted. Does Natural Calm put you in a well-rested state?

I've tried this man's advice, it works pretty well.

How to Get Up Right Away When Your Alarm Goes Off
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/