Time-saving Tips for Late-Risers: Succeed As a Night Owl in an Early-Bird World

Are you familiar with the woman who jumps out of bed at the crack of dawn, meditates, cooks breakfast, takes the dog for a walk, showers, dresses, flat-irons her hair, and then gets to work on time? I am not that woman. I am not even on the same planet as that woman. A late-riser all my life, I prefer to hold on to every last moment of sleep, then hustle through my morning routine without a minute to spare. Yet I, too, arrive at work fed, groomed, on time and no more frazzled than my early-rising counterpart.

Studies have found significant differences in brain function between early-risers and night-owls. Our biological clocks are set from birth. Unfortunately for us late-risers and night owls, our natural tendency toward late bedtimes and sleeping-in can make mornings a misery.

Organization and advanced planning are the late-risers best friends. The key is to leave yourself few choices between waking and walking out the door. If you have young children to tend to, that's another story altogether. But if the only butt that you have to get moving in the morning is your own, here are a few tips to get you pulled together and out the door in the minimal time possible.

The Night Before

• Select the clothes that you plan to wear to work. If you're wearing separates, try them on. Iron any piece that looks creased. Lint-roll the pet hair. Hang the outfit at the front of your closet in easy reach.


• Select all of your accessories. Lay out earrings, necklaces, bracelets, scarves, watches. It's easy to lose 15 minutes selecting your jewelry in the morning.


• Select your shoes. Decide if you'll be wearing trouser socks, stockings, etc. Know what you'll be wearing from head-to-toe, including undergarments.


• If you brown-bag lunch, have it packed and ready. Coffee can be set ahead using a coffee-maker with a timer. Do you bring a tote-bag to work? A laptop? Be sure all of your necessary supplies are ready to go.


• Don't change purses or pocketbooks on work days. Check that your cell phone is in your bag and charged.


• A "can't miss" note on your door with reminders (Take Lunch!) will save you a lot of aggravation later in the day.


• Put any items that you don't usually bring to work (a book for a friend) in your car.

The Morning

• Determine, realistically, how much morning preparation time you will need. Work backwards, factoring in your driving time from home to work, breakfast (a fast bowl of cereal works for me), getting showered and dressed, fixing hair and makeup, and any other time-consuming morning tasks. Will you need an hour and a half to get out the door, or can you power through your morning routine in 45 minutes? Don't short-change yourself.


• Give up the snooze alarm. Don't allow yourself the opportunity to drift back to sleep. When the alarm sounds, get moving.


• Shower for efficiency. Save the long soak for the weekend.


• Wear the outfit that you selected, take the lunch that you packed. Last minute changes are bound to throw off your schedule.


• Don't let yourself get distracted by phone calls, texts, or last minute conversations. Unless it's a true emergency, it can wait.

Most importantly, get a proper night's sleep. Although a night owl may feel more productive staying up until the wee hours, its critical to establish a healthy bedtime routine. A backwards sleep/wake cycle can be destructive to maintaining jobs and responsibilities that require early waking. While it may not be possible to change your natural rhythms, you can adapt and succeed in an early-bird world. Just be prepared!

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