On the Ellen DeGeneres show you said that you get up at 4:00 am to meditate. I would like to become an early riser also, because the early morning is the only quiet time for meditation where I live, but also because I would like to get more done during the day. I never sleep through the night, and this has been a life-long pattern. I go to bed around 11:00 pm and usually wake up around 3:00-4:00 am for a couple of hours, then fall asleep again, waking at 8:00 or 9:00 am. If I have to get up earlier than this I feel a lot of anxiety and end up sleeping very little or not at all. I have tried many things to improve this (including doctors, meditation, hypnosis and counseling, EFT, yoga, spending time in nature, working on personal goals) but nothing has helped much. I have also tried getting up and meditating at 4:00 am, but I end up getting tired again and I have to return to bed. Our ancestors used to sleep for a few hours, then get up and return to bed, and I suspect that this ancient habit is partly related to my interrupted sleep. When I wake up, I feel groggy for a couple of hours and don’t really get going until about noon. I drink a few cups of coffee in the morning.
I am tired of living this way, and was wondering if you had any suggestions to help me adjust my pattern from that of a late riser to an early riser. Were you always an early riser, or have you been able to condition yourself in some way.? I deeply appreciate your writings, which inspire and uplift me when I am frustrated and depressed.