Like most creatures on earth, humans come equipped with a circadian clock. Even though the average adult needs eight hours of sleep per night, there are "short-sleepers" who need far
1
sleep, and morning people who often come from families of other morning people. Then there"s the rest of us, who
2
alarm clocks to get up in the morning.
For those who fantasize about greeting the dawn, there is
3
. Sleep experts say that with a little discipline (well actually, a lot of discipline), most people can
4
their circadian clocks. But it"s not as simple as forcing yourself to go to bed earlier. It requires inducing a sort of jet lag without
5
your time zone. And sticking it out until your body
6
resets itself. And then not resetting it again.
To start, move up your wake-up time by 20 minutes a day. If you
7
rise at 8 a.m., but really want to get moving at 6 a.m., set the alarm for 7:40 on Monday. The next day, set
8
for 7:20 and so on. Then, after you wake up, don"t
9
in bed. Hit yourself with light. In theory, you"ll gradually get sleepy about 20 minutes earlier each night, and you can facilitate the transition by avoiding
10
light exposure from computers or televisions as you near bedtime.