Sleepspan is the time distance from when you enter a sleep state, and you finally awaken in the morning – generally, this is between six and ten hours.

I live in Texas, and it’s December. Today, the sun rises at 6:35 AM and sets at 5:42 PM. There are about eleven hours between these two times. My goal is to get eight hours of high-quality sleep tonight.

I plan to wake up at dawn, which is about 30 minutes before sunrise. I will get out of bed and do some morning stretches. By this time, it is getting brighter, and the sun will show itself any minute.

I go into the bathroom, urinate, then go to the kitchen and drink ten ounces of cool water. This is how my day begins.

Sleepspan is over and I'm up with the sun.
Sunrise and I’m Up

My Sleepspan Does Not End with an Alarming Sound:

Waking up to a loud noise is a shock to your system. I wake up when my sleeping time naturally ends. This is usually as dawn starts lightening the sky outside my bedroom window. I am not shocked awake. Hy heart rate is low, my breathing slow, and I have no problem getting out of bed. I am rested, awake, and ready to go.

Unless there is a reason I must change my schedule, this routine is the same for me every day of the week. One of the secrets of excellent sleeping is a regular sleep routine.

If you don’t feel like I do when you get up in the morning, you can. The reason for this post is to help you do one simple thing — get a good night’s sleep every night.

Start Your Day at The End of Your Day:

Wherever you are, except in the extreme north and south, you have night and day separated by sunrises and sunsets. I wake up naturally because I plan it that way, and so can you. Sunrises and Sunsets are extremely predictable. Get a calendar with sunrise and sunset times on it, or simply follow the Weather Channel app as I do (you can probably get this free).

Before you start, decide how much sleep you want to get. This will vary amongst individuals and their behavior. For example, I do a very intense workout Saturday afternoons, so Saturday night, my sleepspan will be ten hours.

Remember, your wake-up time doesn’t change. It’s always with the break of dawn. In other words, you wake up at dawn and get out f bed with the sunrise. This is locked in.

Sleepspan ends at dawn. This is when I naturally wake up
Dawn and Sleepspan is Over

Preparing for Sleepspans:

Here’s what I do to prepare for mine:

To keep it simple, let’s say that sunrise tomorrow is 6:30 AM (obviously, this will vary from day to day). Dawn comes about 30 minutes before sunrise, so my waking time is 6:00 AM.

Now, I want eight hours of sleep which means I must be asleep at 10:00 PM – not going to bed at 10:00 PM or start getting ready for bed at 10:00 PM, but actually sleeping. If I’m fortunate, I will sleep without interruption and wake up naturally at dawn the next morning. I will be completely awake and thoroughly re-charged.

Here are My Sleep-Prep Numbers:

Unless I have something weighing on my mind, it takes me about twenty minutes to fall asleep. This puts me actually getting in bed at 9:40 PM. If something bothers me, I will go to bed an extra 20 minutes earlier, at 9:20 PM.

I also have some things to do before lying down, like cleaning my teeth, taking my nighttime supplements, and urinating. I also walk through my living quarters to ensure doors are locked, and everything is in place for the next morning.

All of these extras take 30 to 40 minutes, so I start doing them an hour earlier in case something unexpected comes up. This means that I start preparing for bed at 8:20 PM. in most cases, I’ll have around 20 to 30 minutes to spare, and during this time, I might check emails, read an article, or just mindlessly watch TV.

So You Can See the Methods and the Timeline that Leads to a Healthy and Productive Sleepspan.

I do this every day, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. Planning your sleepspan is the only way you’re going to get it.

Now here are some tips:

  1. Don’t drink water or other liquids after 6:00 PM – don’t need to explain this.
  2. Don’t eat a heavy dinner, especially after 6:00 PM. Digestion takes a lot of energy, and it can keep you awake.
  3. Don’t have more than two alcoholic drinks. You will wake up in the middle of the night if you do.
  4. Make your sleepspan a priority. Few things are more critical to your health than a good night’s sleep.

More tips: The CDC weighs in with tips and the value of good sleep.

Summary: We’ve always followed the sun:

For thousands of years, mankind followed the sun, and the sun’s cycles guided most human behavior. In modern times, we can alter light availability, yet the sun’s cycles remain within us as circadian rhythms.

Living at odds with our natural rhythms is unhealthy and can be disruptive. In all of our options for a healthy life, nothing is more restorative than natural sleeping and waking with the sun.

Plan your day around your sleep patterns – sleep is not an afterthought – it is life-giving. It’s revitalizing, healing, and restoring you. It is likely the most important part of your day. Plan your sleep to honor and respect your body’s natural rhythms.

OMY1

Note: I realize that many of my readers don’t have the option of sleeping as I do. Work often interferes with sleep timing. If you can’t wake up with the sun, try your best to simulate its rising with a special alarm clock – here’s one I have used. Sun Clock. (This one’s a little pricey, but good sleep is worth it.)

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