Early to Rise

For the better part of a decade, I’ve maintained a habit of getting to bed as close to 8pm, maybe 8:30pm as possible. I then read for a spell before getting a solid 8-hours of sleep and waking up at 5am. Individual preferences will vary on this, and biological predispositions make this sort of schedule a cake-walk for some and a near-impossibility for others. What nudged me in this direction after a lifetime of being more of a night owl was the undeniable realization that I’m most alert, cognizant, and capable in the early hours of each day. Now, I cherish my mornings and the simple little first-thing routines that are enjoyable unto themselves, but which also give me what I need for the balance of my day. The main downside of this sort of sleep-wake rhythm is its impact on one’s social life. The distortion of that old saying about being an early riser is right: early to rise, early to bed, makes a person healthy but socially dead. Building and maintaining a social life when you…