How to wake up early in morning in WINTER?

[shivajikobardan]

I am from Nepal. It is not that cold here but our house don't have proper heating system as there is no concept of that in Nepal. I am waking up at 10 AM, 9 AM and so on. I want to bring that time to 7 AM. How do I do it? Please tell.

 

[jtbell]

What time do you go to sleep?

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Get a room heater. Period.

I sympathize with you. I know how difficult it is to even stay awake in Winter. I live in Kolkata, where temperatures generally do not go below 12-13°C, but it is still difficult for me to wake up. Typically, throughout the year, I do not drink tea or coffee, but in Winter, I get addicted to the latter. Sometimes, I stay sleepy even after drinking strong coffee, and that really hampers my ability to work.

Recently, we bought a room heater because my father needs it. Now that we have again come to northern India for treatment, the machine is working day and night. But now that the room is at an ambient temperature, I find that if I have the requisite amount of sleep, I can easily get up at 6 or 7 in the morning. After that, even if I go out in the cold, I do not feel sleepy any more.

Assuming you have the requisite amount of sleep at night, a room heater could certainly help you out.

 

[Office_Shredder]

One thing that works for me is putting my alarm somewhere that I can't reach from the bed, so I have to get out of bed to turn it off.

 

[berkeman]

I am from Nepal. It is not that cold here but our house don't have proper heating system as there is no concept of that in Nepal. I am waking up at 10 AM, 9 AM and so on. I want to bring that time to 7 AM. How do I do it? Please tell.

When I first read this, I was thinking that Nepal must be pretty far North and not getting much sunlight. But it looks like you are only about 28 degrees North, and have plenty of sunshine even in the winter.

Do you have your window shades drawn all the time so sunlight is not making it into your home and bedroom areas? I'd recommend opening up the blinds (sleep with them open) so that the early sunshine from sunrise helps you to wake up. And yes, get the heaters as suggested by others in the thread.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Do you have your window shades drawn all the time so sunlight is not making it into your home and bedroom areas? I'd recommend opening up the blinds (sleep with them open) so that the early sunshine from sunrise helps you to wake up.

The OP will be able to throw more light regarding his situation, but it is common in this part of the world (my country too) to have houses designed built such that there are one or more rooms that receive no sunshine at all in the winter.

To the OP: I don't know exactly in which part of Nepal you live, but if electricity is a problem, you can try to get hold of a bukhari. But then, these come with associated risks like piling up CO in your room and do not help in forest conservation, so an electric heater would definitely be a better alternative.

 

[berkeman]

To the OP: I don't know exactly in which part of Nepal you live, but if electricity is a problem, you can try to get hold of a bukhari. But then, these come with associated risks like piling up CO in your room

Yikes, yeah, CO bad.

A better option (for light, not heat) might be adding some skylights, as discussed in a recent thread in the DIY forum:

https://www.veluxusa.com/products/sun-tunnels

Sounds like a real complicated project. Angles, motors, cams, blinding white walls, degrees of latitude.

If only there were something commercially available!

 

[weirdoguy]

Get a dog My dog wakes me up at 7am, regardless if he needs to go for a walk or not.

 

[rsk]

I don't really have any advice to offer but sympathise. I spent a year in Nepal (in KTM) and found the winter really hard going. On weekends I just stayed in bed until I woke naturally (unless it was my turn for electricity early in the morning) but on work days, the thing that got me going was the thought of the little cafe I stopped at en route to work which made fantastic coffee. I'd picture myself sitting there with a book and a coffee and that would entice me out from beneath the covers.Edited to add - it was the winter of 2015/16 so the year of the blockade, when fuel was hard to come by. There were days I never got warm at all.

 

[shivajikobardan]

When I first read this, I was thinking that Nepal must be pretty far North and not getting much sunlight. But it looks like you are only about 28 degrees North, and have plenty of sunshine even in the winter.
==.> the problem in nepal is that we don't have heating system. yes the days are very sunny. in fact, i would call there is no winter in nepal as the temperature during winter is just 10-20 degree celsius.

Do you have your window shades drawn all the time so sunlight is not making it into your home and bedroom areas? I'd recommend opening up the blinds (sleep with them open) so that the early sunshine from sunrise helps you to wake up. And yes, get the heaters as suggested by others in the thread.

i sleep in a room with no sunlight in morning...it is very hard to have rooms with sunshine here as there is competition among people whose house is the tallest lol.

 

[sysprog]

To the OP: I don't know exactly in which part of Nepal you live, but if electricity is a problem, you can try to get hold of a bukhari. But then, these come with associated risks like piling up CO in your room and do not help in forest conservation, so an electric heater would definitely be a better alternative.

The one depicted in your link (expanded: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhari_(heater)) has a chimney $-$

 

[shivajikobardan]

The one depicted in your link (expanded: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhari_(heater)) has a chimney $-$

View attachment 294993

I have invested in electric blanket as well. My feet even in day used to be so so cold. Now it feels better, in the past I could not even work when my feets were cold. At least these days I can study in winter as well Thanks god...I hope this thing lasts long man...
Is there any way to make good use of that in this case?

 

[sysprog]

I have invested in electric blanket as well. My feet even in day used to be so so cold. Now it feels better, in the past I could not even work when my feets were cold. At least these days I can study in winter as well Thanks god...I hope this thing lasts long man...
Is there any way to make good use of that in this case?

Compared to a space heater, an electric blanket has the advantage that the electricity it uses is applied close to the body.

A wood-burning stove with a chimney may be more economical for full-room heating than an electric heater, depending on the local availability and cost of firewood versus that of electricty.

The safest and most fuel-efficient heaters are catalytic $-$ they don't produce CO $-$ in a sealed room, they'll shut down if the O2 level goes too low for adequate breathing supply, and there is no flame $-$ they are subject to availability and cost of natural gas or propane, and are apt to be rather more expensive than other heating devices, but they can be a good choice if the right fuel supply conditions are present.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

The one depicted in your link (expanded: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhari_(heater)) has a chimney $-$

They always come with a chimney, are very comfortable, no doubt. But having used these a number of times during our trips to northern India (some of those place are near the Nepal border), I can tell you that if you keep this thing burning throughout the night, in the morning, you will feel suffocating and your room will have a smoky feel to it. So, some CO₂ (and maybe CO too?) is left behind in the room, which is probably not good. In addition, you have to feed it firewood throughout the night.

I have invested in electric blanket as well.

They make life very comfortable, no question on that. But make sure the one you bought is from a good company. I have seen some people getting electrocuted by those blankets. Two of our neighbours passed away a few years back after they were electrocuted with such a blanket at night. They didn't even get a chance to move it away from their body. One of my relatives' bed caught fire after a short circuit in such a device. Thankfully, they were not in bed at that time and were quickly able to contain the fire, otherwise it could have been fatal.

 

[shivajikobardan]

They make life very comfortable, no question on that. But make sure the one you bought is from a good company. I have seen some people getting electrocuted by those blankets. Two of our neighbours passed away a few years back after they were electrocuted with such a blanket at night. They didn't even get a chance to move it away from their body. One of my relatives' bed caught fire after a short circuit in such a device. Thankfully, they were not in bed at that time and were quickly able to contain the fire, otherwise it could have been fatal.

bro i will tell you sad reality of nepal. there was only 1 electric blanket in the market(that 9 level heating controller blanket). we don't have choices. I personally don't use it at night...i use it to warm my feet as my feet are badly cold in winter...i simply can't focus and study during that time. electric blanket help me for that...you are now making me scared to use that electric blanket.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

I personally don't use it at night...

Then it is fine. If you use it with caution, probably there will be no trouble. For example, one day, if you feel that it is giving light shocks, promptly stop using it and get it inspected (if possible).

 

[Tom.G]

When I first read this, I was thinking that Nepal must be pretty far North and not getting much sunlight. But it looks like you are only about 28 degrees North, and have plenty of sunshine even in the winter.

The latitude isn't the problem, though the altitude likely is.
Kathmandu is about 4,600ft. and the highest point is Mt.Everest, around 29,000ft.

Brrr!

@shivajikobardan, to more easily get up earlier, go to bed earlier.

 

[Jarvis323]

One factor that most don't consider is the build up of CO2 in an unventilated room. Without enough ventilation, CO2 levels will rise well beyond healthy limits and will begin to cause lethargy and cognitive impairment, and in the winter people tend to seal off their homes to retain heat. I noticed this problem myself when I had been stuck indoors during wildfire season and I bought an air quality monitor. It only takes an hour or so of being in my little studio for the CO2 levels to get to higher than recommended levels.

To combat this problem, you could try making sure to go outside to breath some fresh air at regular intervals, and also after you waking up in the morning. You've got to also dress extra warm I guess to make this possible. Maybe you could combine this with some exercise, like jumping jacks or something? Or maybe there is an outdoor chore you can schedule to take care of in the early morning.

 

[Mondayman]

Try getting up an hour earlier and going to bed an hour earlier for a week or two. Work your way down to 7AM wakeup. If you can exercise, that would be a good idea. Being active and getting sunlight seems to help with sleep.