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Comment by sqs | Hacker News Reader

I used to be a night owl but switched to being an early riser in the last 3 months. I didn't intend to switch and am not sure why it happened, but here's what happened that probably contributed to it:

- Started working out 1-2 hours per day (trail hiking/running)

- Stopped reading my iPhone in bed at night, now I just read my backlit Kindle

- Company switched to all-remote (used to commute to SF)

- Had a daughter (~9 months old now, so not coincident with the sleep switch)

- Almost all of my job responsibilities are management now (previously I was still doing more IC-like work)

- Cut down on sugar intake

If you asked me 3 months ago, I would have sworn I'd be a night owl for the rest of my life. So, this is quite a (pleasant) shock to me. Posting this in case it's helpful to anyone who's a night owl and thinks it's impossible for anyone to switch.

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The largest factor was having a kid. It happens to all of us. When you have a kid, suddenly sleeping in an extra hour isn't an option anymore and your body adjusts. It's also much easier to fall asleep early after getting up early to take care of the kid!

Yeah. When she was under 6 months, being a night owl was a huge benefit because it was easy for me to do the overnight wake-ups and feedings. Now she is (crosses fingers, knocks on wood) usually sleeping pretty well through the night, so there aren't overnight feedings anymore.

That’s awesome. Reminder that for some people nothing will work. I’m diagnosed DSPD; I feel like the laundry list of life changes folks tout contributes to a lack of understanding and empathy for legitimate medical issues.

> - Had a daughter

Not coincident, but helps a lot. Anecdotally, in my circles, the switch happened when folks had children or when they joined the military.

I had a similar experience, and starting to run was what did it. These days I wake up at 5am and run for 1-2 hours. I've been on this schedule for over a year now, and it's completely changed my life. I don't know how I used to function waking up 15 minutes before work.

I started a new job, started walking to/from work (c.2 miles/3km each way), started IF, reduced my caffeine intake dramatically.

For the first 2 months or so I was able to sleep early and wake earlier. Now I've got used to the exercise - that's my theory - I've shifted back to being more wakeful at night. Which is fine for work hours as that's flexible (but perception of early risers is that late risers are lazy, so still a little problematic). But, I'd like to shift my pattern to match my kids' schedules better.

> - Cut down on sugar intake

This is what does it for me. Refined sugar in most forms, and excessive fruit will keep me up at night.

That having been said, I'm not productive in the mornings. I don't write good code, or create good solutions before 10 am still. Early morning have become my time to catch up on administrative work, or reading.

Yeah, I see way too many people watching an hour of tv on their phone or iPad in bed before going to sleep and then complaining they cant go to sleep. I find that I sleep a lot better if i put away screens for an hour before sleeping.

> Stopped reading my iPhone in bed at night, now I just read my backlit Kindle

I think you mean your front-lit Kindle. The iPhone has a back-lit screen.

I only have to have a kid to change my sleep, nice.

What is IC work ? Seen it a lot around here lately but have no idea what that is.

I think he means "Individual Contributor". i.e., not management.

I concur. I used to work at a company that had IC levels for individual contributors and M levels for management.

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