If you’ve ever worked a night shift, then mornings can be a bit of a pain as the sun bleeds through the curtains and you just can’t get sleep.
The world comes alive just as you want it to go quiet so you can get some restful sleep and no matter what you do, you never achieve that deep sleep that comes with normal sleep patterns
Well, thankfully I don’t have too many of those mornings, but what I do have are repeated daily starts where I have had little of no sleep. No matter what time I get to bed…last night it was 3am after a late shift at work, I was still rousing from my slumber at 6am.
My normal waking moment is anywhere from 4am to 6am depending on how late I go to bed but I usually spend the first few hours in a semi trance like state. Operating on a malfunctioning autopilot until the afternoon whereupon I am hit by a wave of tiredness.
This is me right now; awake…wide awake but still dreaming of being in bed. I know if I went to bed I would be restless so it’s best just to work through the morning with coffee, toast and keeping myself busy…and try to last out the day until normal bedtime.
I find that if I fight my way through the day, even in a zombie like state…I am much better for it the following days. Almost using the anti jet lag technique in the same way to fend off my fatigue…and the key is to kick the brain cells into gear and keep them at high revs for at least a few hours yet.
Now, I’m not saying that this is the optimal way to tackle the problem but it certainly works for me…and I also find that I am at my most productive when I am in these quiet morning rituals.
There is always a mental fog on the first morning after a night shift…like the morning after a late night out with friends or a very early start as you head off on your holidays, but the key is not to pretend it doesn’t exist but rather embrace it and recognise that you won’t be at 100% for at least the next few hours.
So in an ideal way, you need to find things to do that gradually bring you back to life. For me it’s usually writing or brainstorming ideas for more videos or just planning new routes for my bike rides.
So as I sit here typing away trying to convince myself that my self help technique really works, I shall leave you with this little gem of advice. If you’re feeling tired at the wrong time of day, then try to avoid rest and sleep as this will just screw you up for your normal sleep pattern. Keep ourself busy, go to the gym, ride your bike or keep your brain active. Do things that keep you alert but are not dependent on your focus being at 100% either.
Allow yourself to be operating slightly substandard and eventually your normal you will return and the whole day won’t have been a complete waste of time either.