I write down what I want to get done the night before so it is clear in my mind. Also, lay out your workout cloths so they are right there in the morning. And use a regular alarm clock and don’t touch your phone until the workout is done. Or if you need to use it for something, block the apps that are time wasters from 5am to 7am.

@Maggie – so true that it is hard to get to bed! I try to get ready for bed earlier in the evening so I’m ready to dive in when it becomes a possibility.

@Marcia – if you can get to bed at 8 p.m. this is not a bad plan at all. Work 3-6 and then maybe 1-4/5 and you’ve put in a full work day. And party B could work 6-1 and for an hour in the evening.

@Allison – will he ever go back down? That’s been a saving grace with my little one – he will go back to sleep pretty quickly for any wake-ups that happen pre-6 a.m. After that is a different matter but I was really glad to learn we didn’t have to start the eat/active cycle at the first wake-up.

@Emma – I think “better than nothing” should be the theme song for this period of time…

@Dana – I suspect many people are going to find that it will be tough to go back to leaving for work at 6 a.m. after this. I am hoping my middle schooler can just bank sleep or something before the next school year….

@KGC – It is frustrating to start early but not be able to end early. Of course, with all the kid/homeschooling stuff, it might be necessary to work hours that stretch longer through the day but aren’t so concentrated. I know this is what I’m doing. Yesterday I was doing work at 5:30 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m., but I had various other things in the middle – I suspect it was an 8 hour day at max.

@Calee- yes, waking up early does require getting enough sleep. I aim to work early most days but if it’s been a bad night with the baby I just don’t force it. I will live to fight again another day. (Hope the move went well!)

@OMDG – yep, that does sound pretty appealing. I think the only way it would work is if it were possible to go to bed at 8 p.m. No one in my house (and I include the baby and 5-year-old in this) is asleep at that time.