Productivity Gurus, I See Your 5 a.m. Wakeup and Raise You Two Hours
How a few acts of self-care are helping me cope with a return to shift work
These days I get more done before noon than most people. But that’s only because I’m waking up mere hours after most have gone to bed. My work day starts at 3 a.m.
There was a time the sleepy, gradual reveal of early morning sunlight was a rare site. The start of a travel day, maybe crossing time zones. Or the end of a long and memorable night. But when your work day starts at 3 a.m., witnessing sunrise is a regular, mid-shift routine.
This isn’t the first time I’ve worked the early morning shift. When I first started in TV I worked the 3 a.m. writing shift. At the time I was told this is how I would ‘pay my dues’ in the industry. It seems I owe some back taxes, because the shift is back in my life.
And it’s just as rough as when I remembered.
For the first few weeks I spent my down time in a sleepy fog. Too tired to get anything done. My concentration was terrible. And I craved all the carbs. I could feel the old irritability set in.
And it worried me.
The last time I worked the 3 a.m. shift, I ended up in therapy. I would cry uncontrollably and unprovoked. I felt like all I did was work and wait to sleep so I could force myself to work again. I was miserable.
At the time I thought I was just sleep deprived. But in hindsight, it’s possible I suffered from shift work sleep disorder. See, when you interrupt your bodies natural sleep rhythm because of shift work, it affects your whole body and sense of well being. Not only do shift workers average fewer hours of sleep, but the quality of sleep you get isn’t great either.
I didn’t understand this 15 years ago. Instead, I tried to power through feeling groggy and tired. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” was my mantra. And most mornings I wanted to die rather than start my day in the middle of the night.
But this was also 15 years ago, before I devoted part of my career to lifestyle content and became a bottomless encyclopedia of self-care advice. I have a better understanding of how my body needs sleep, and how to amp up the care when I’m not able to give it a proper night’s rest.
This week I made five simple changes. It’s still a struggle to start the day at 3 a.m. But instead of feeling like all I do is sleep and work, I now feel like I get to live a little in between. That feeling is priceless.
Waking at 3 a.m. means my bedtime is 7 p.m. That’s right, I’m a middle-aged woman with a toddler’s bedtime. The human brain is not wired to sleep or feel sleepy at this time. Nor is it designed to be productive when the stars are out. This whole schedule throws your mind and body completely out of whack. But there are some things you can to minimize the misery.
Change #1: Minimalize Your Bedroom
You may have heard sleep experts tell you to not bring electronics into the bedroom — no TV, no phones, no tablets. The idea being the blue light interrupts your sleep.
It also keeps your brain active at a time when it should be winding down. I have a screen-free bedroom (except for my phone, which is also my alarm clock). But for some reason, a large dresser was giving me all kinds of stress.
For one, it sat right beside my bed. The side I sleep on. So I felt closed in. Also, no matter how hard I tried, there was always clutter on top of this dresser. And the clothes inside never stay KonMari folded for long. I would look at it and think of laundry, then my usual cleaning to-do list, then the list of repairs I need to look into, then the bathroom reno I keep putting off. All while I’m supposed to be putting on my pj’s.
So, I rearranged the closet, purged some clothes, and put the dresser behind closet doors. Now when I walk into my bedroom, there is only the bed and bedside table for the alarm clock. There are no other triggers to set my mind in motion.
Your bedroom is for sleeping only. When you have to force yourself to sleep when there’s still daylight out, you do need to go to extremes sometimes to amp up your sleep hygiene.
Change #2: No Booze, No Coffee
Alcohol affects your sleep any number of ways. So when you’re already setting yourself up for a lousy night’s sleep, alcohol just makes a bad situation worse. The main culprit is the high sugar, which spikes during the night and wakes you up when you’re fighting to sleep.
My main issue with coffee is the time of day I was drinking it. Coffee in the middle of the night just overwhelms my system. The gut rot isn’t worth the artificial alertness. Green tea, however, is a lovely way to start your very early day.
I do allow coffee at noon. It’s a bit of a boost post-shift to help me get through the rest of the day. Plus I make a point of going out for coffee for the added fresh air.
Change #3: Learn Your New Energy Cycles
Here’s the bizarre thing about my body clock on the early shift: instead of peaks and slumps it has level ground and crashes. When I first started working this shift again, I tried to just keep momentum going until bedtime no matter how tired I felt.
Powering through fatigue just sets you up for misery. And forgetfulness. And brain fog. And most time fatigue wins. Many gym classes and appointments were cancelled because by the time the appointment came, I was too tired to put on a sports bra. And it’s always easier to order takeout.
So, this week I started experimenting with my post-work schedule and figuring out the good windows.
For one, I’m ready for a workout immediately after my shift. I literally roll out of bed and start working, so I haven’t showered yet. I found once I shower, the fatigue starts to set in. I now book my gym time for immediately after my shift is over and it’s made all the difference.
All I need is a 30-minute sweat sesh. Nothing mentally challenging. My brain needs the break after writing for 8 hours. The body is able to take over. Once I shower and pick up a coffee, I’m still alert enough to run errands.
By this time it’s 1 p.m. For years, my most productive and creative time has been between 1 and 3 p.m. This is now where I schedule my consulting work and blog writing.
Wind-down time starts at around 3 p.m. I’ll watch a bit of mindless TV (usually something on HGTV). That bit of rest is what I need to recharge enough to walk the dog, before it’s dinner and bed.
Knowing when to give your brain a break is vital. It’s not getting the recovery sleep, so it will seek out those moments in the day. Find your windows and know your limits. Powering through just leads to anger and irritability.
Change #4: Cut Back the Carbs
Your body will fight you on this. Your brain and body are tired and looking for easy energy. That’s why it wants all the carbs all the time. This 100% carb diet is where we’re cutting back.
I start the day with carbs. I figure my body is waking up at 3 a.m., I really should reward it with the carbs it wants right now. I typically have two breakfasts that are easy to make and easy to digest: dried cereal, toast.
But I also try to add some fruit and good protein. I’ll make overnight oats with banana and blueberry to start the morning. And I’ve discovered ricotta toast for the added protein.
Lunch is where you can really get ahead. The meals I used to make for dinner, I now have midday. I try to cram as many veggies into this meal as possible, even though I’m not craving any of it.
Remember, on shift work you’re not getting the restorative sleep your body needs at night. So you do need to be kind to it during the day. Amping up your veggie intake goes a long way here. This is a trick I learned marathon training: a diet rich in vegetables is usually recommended to help repair the wear and tar on your body from running. It just makes sense to apply the same when you’re sleep deprived.
Dinner is a light salad. It will be soup when it starts to get cooler. You don’t want your body to work on digestion when you’re trying to coax it to sleep. You also don’t want it to wake up from hunger. A balanced salad with some good fat, lean protein will do the trick here.
Change #5: Nap Smart, Nap Early
The early shift comes with a 30-minute meal break. Seeing as I typically eat at the computer, I have now turned the meal break into a power nap.
This is very different from the two-hour nap I used to take 15 years ago when I first worked shift work. Back then I thought the six-hour sleep combined with a two-hour nap would work itself out into the eight recommended hours of sleep.
So wrong.
Instead I was punishing myself with two rounds of attempted but interrupted REM sleep, which worked itself out to endless misery.
The 30-minute power nap, however, is like having a snack when you know dinner will be late. You want just enough to tide you over, but stop short of having a second lunch and ruining your appetite.
The main difference is, I’m not waking up groggy or sleepy. It’s like my brain hits pause for a few minutes and then starts back up again.
Now, I have no idea how sustainable this will all be. I’m still working this job on a casual basis. There’s no indication I will be working early mornings for another year. But if this past week is any indication, I have found a new system that helps make the day more manageable. Because there’s still a lot to like about this job, even with the toddler’s bedtime.
