Recently read: Herman’s “On becoming a day person”.
Herman’s account feels familiar. Poor bedtime and waking discipline made my sleep erratic; insomnia made the pattern hard to break.
My solution was to get a wife with stronger discipline and piggyback on her routine. Sleeping pills helped make bedtime firm and mornings dependable.
Interesting work can stretch into the night and keep my mind active after the laptop closes. Sleep then depends on the pills.
I'm working on a firm end to the workday: stop at a set time, leave the problem alone, and give my mind time to settle.
Excerpts
I was recently asked on a podcast what my biggest game-changer was, whether it be a habit, way of thinking, purchase, or change of context. I didn't need to fish around for an answer, since I already know my biggest game-changer: becoming a day person.
I like to exercise in the morning because there are fewer commitments and plans that can derail me. The morning belongs to me, and I can do with it as I please. After exercise I shower, make a tasty breakfast, clean the kitchen, then get into work for the morning.
I tend to not open emails until after lunch so that my morning can be used for focussed work, one task at a time, no distractions. After lunch (and usually a nap) I dig into emails, admin, and other tasks that need tending to. This causes the rest of the day to get quite messy and unfocussed, but that's okay because if my morning goes right (and it usually does) then all the important things are already done.
I usually close my laptop around 3 or 4 and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in whichever way I see fit. Conveniently, around 8:30 or 9 I start getting tired since I've been awake for 15 hours already. I don't have any bright overhead lights on in the evenings, and the apartment has a nice warm glow which signals to my body that it's time to start winding down. And because I keep "regular business hours" my mind isn't overactive in the evening (it helps that I'm not on my phone). We're generally in bed by 9:15 and after about half an hour of reading (currently Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett) I'm fast asleep.