Good Morning, Sunshine!

Introductions and Initial Thoughts

I have to admit, I almost wasn’t going to take part in this experimonth.  I covet my sleep too much.  On a wonderful day, I sleep ten hours and take (a) short nap(s) at will.  I’m not a crabby person typically, in fact, I’m pretty darn upbeat, but when kept up past my bedtime, (or past naptime, for that matter) I can turn into a rather un-nice person.  So what made me change my mind and take the 5am challenge?  This was the first Experimonth that Evan, my husband, was interested in participating in.  So to show my support and excitement that he was actually considering it, I jumped on board.  I knew that had I done this one alone, I wouldn’t mind the early mornings so much but I’m not sure I would have been able to stick to it. 

Planned “Failures”

We’ve already decided that Sunday is sleep-in day.  In normal months, that’s our rule, too.  There’s something good for you about waking up naturally.  This month, we think it will give us incentive to stick to the plan the rest of the week. 

Also, with the longest day of the year approaching, we plan on enjoying the daylight as much as possible without paying attention to the clock.  If that means the following day we need to sleep in a bit, so be it.  (By the way, as a side note to Beck:  While I have never had any criticisms about experimonth, here’s my first – 5 am would have been so much easier in the winter when it would actually be dark at bedtime.   I feel like I’m in first grade again arguing that it’s not time to sleep because the sun is still out.  Are you all suffering this, too, or is it my northern latitude causing the problem?)

The Past Week in Review

Day 1

• Erin out of bed: 5:02 , Evan: 5:03
• First words uttered for the day: “This is the stupidest experimonth ever.” –Evan       (His mood was better when he woke up more.)
• Incentive to get up: coffee, juice and breakfast stew - a soul-warming concoction of potatoes, peppers, onions, fakon (the pet name for my veggie bacon), eggs and lots of cheese

Day 2

• Erin and Evan out of bed: 5:03
• First words uttered: “Get it!” –Evan to Erin when it didn’t register to her that the alarm was going off.
• Incentive: more coffee, juice and breakfast stew

Day 3

• Erin and Evan out of bed: 5:06
• First words: “It’s wake up time.” –Erin
• Incentive: Large coffees at Starbucks.  We had the whole place to ourselves.

Day 4

• Erin: 5:10, Evan 5:15
• First words:  “Doesn’t it count that we’re awake? We don’t need to be out of bed at 5:00.”  –Evan who was soon disappointed by my answer.  Although, I suppose technically we have never been out of bed at 5 on the dot.
• Incentive:  coffee and egg-in-the holes made with love

Day 5

• Erin: 5:09, Evan: 5:17
• First words: “Crap…crap……….CRAP!”  –Erin, as she frantically tries to hit the snooze but it doesn’t seem to be registering her banging.
• Incentive:  breakfast sandwiches on homemade biscuits

Day 6

• Erin: 5:20, Evan: sometime before 5:27
• First words: “Get up, I’ve snoozed twice now.” –Erin
• Incentive: Breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe - we were the youngest ones there by a few decades.