Yay! It’s morning!

I used to be very much a Morning Person: go to bed earlier than my roomies, hop out of bed earlier, and sing cheerily until banned (my roomies and guests tend to be Night People).

Winter, however, begged to differ. February was always difficult, as sunrise comes rather late. Overcast days outnumber those stunningly deceptive bright days when blue skies and gleaming sunlight make snow look inviting.

But this year has been worse. In December I found myself setting TWO alarms: one to roust me from bed, the other to wake me up wherever I happened to fall asleep. (A nap between donning socks or a snooze while reading the weather report!)

Depression set in sometimes, or a malaise that’s hard to pin down.

The last few weeks have been warmer but rainy. In fact, it rained enough to flood the back garden. Crawling out of bed to face the day was a Herculean task.

I considered calling in sick because I felt so… off.

Then I happened to be reading about ways to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Several commenters mentioned that mild cases were staved off, not with light boxes but alarm clocks that simulated sunset and sunrise. They discussed build-your-own kits and name-brand lights.

Before I knew it, I was purchasing a Philips wake-up light.

I’ve been using it for a little more than a week now, and the change is dramatic. I am waking up in a leisurely way because the light simulates sunrise before the alarm starts. I’m also genuinely ready to sleep in the evening as my body winds down after sunset.

In other words, I feel like a Morning Person again!

Related Reading

I decided to relate the success I’m having after watching the unfortunate failure of another woman’s atttempt to become a Morning Person.

Are some people just naturally livelier in the morning? Perhaps necessity facilitates the transition. I know that I wasn’t so eager to jump out of bed in my teenage years, but later I had early classes and jobs.