I changed the Subject line in this topic to reflect the way the discussion has drifted.
I usually have a difficult time whenever Daylight Savings Time (DST) ends, when we set the clocks back and gain an extra hour over that weekend. (Oddly I don't have trouble going the opposite way -- I'm already waking up earlier in the Spring.) The trouble is that for the first week I usually wake up early (at the usual time -- an hour earlier according to the new time) and then I fall back asleep and overshoot the hour.
This year is different. Even before the end of DST, I'd been waking up at 4am to 4:30am and then having trouble falling asleep because I'd experience some anxiety. My
naturopathic doctor thinks that it's because my blood sugar has gone too low, and since my adrenal glands are weak, they no longer produce cortisol so instead they pump out adrenaline to boost the blood sugar. He advised me not to just lie in bed hoping to fall back asleep but instead to eat a protein-rich snack (such as a handful of macadamia nuts) and go back to bed. That was fairly effective. Sometimes I'd also take a GABA supplement if the anxiety was really bad.
After DST ended, I thought I'd awaken an hour earlier (3am to 3:30am) as a result of the clocks getting turned back. But that didn't happen this year. Instead, I wake up about 90 minutes after that -- somewhere between 4:30am and 5am. Lately I've decided I'd get up at this time. For example, this morning I got up at about 5:15am. (I like to dawdle a bit on the weekends.) The four cats don't seem to mind getting fed at this time; they seem to prefer it. Yet I keep sensing the warm bed calling at me to lie back down. I plow through that feeling, drink some coffee with almond butter mixed in it while listening to the smacking sounds of the cats, and by then the hyperactive black lab is scratching at the bedroom door. I tell myself that I'll let the dog out and then lie back down. I free the dog from the bedroom. He bursts out (like a caged velociraptor). I set down his food, which he gobbles within 10 seconds (yes, Shadow, that's You!) put his leash on and take him into the back yard. It's about 6am and Day is breaking, so I let him off leash and engage him in a vigorous game of fetch. He's so energetic, and the air is a crisp 32 degree F (0C), so when I tell myself that I'll lie down when I get inside, I don't really need to anymore.
And that's how I started my day this morning.
I think the lamp had a lot to do with delaying my waking time 90 minutes, and I'm grateful for it. I'm still using it so that I stay active and alert well into the evening.
When I was reviewing the "reset circadian rhythm" search results for inspiresuccess, I came across one unique suggestion that involved fasting the day before in order to adjust the digestive system's clock. I think if I wanted to wake a bit later, I'll have to try that because I feel the need to go to the bathroom (#1 and #2) as soon as I get up. By fasting, I might be able to delay that signal, too.