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Beep … beep … beep.
The big, red number 3 glaring at me from my nightstand was daunting. But I couldn't hit snooze – I had to get up. I was a morning radio-show host.
When I first told my family and friends that I'd landed the gig, they were shocked. My roommate mocked me: "Have you ever even been up early enough to listen to a morning show?" Very funny.
She knew I was the kind of person who would stay up late and sleep through my alarm. I'd even begun to rely on her for a final wake-up call. She'd bang on the wall between our rooms to get me out of bed.
My nighthawk tendencies were not a recent development. As a kid, I would read two or three books in bed before finally dozing off.
In university, I always started assignments at 2 a.m., with deadlines merely hours away. I felt I was more productive in the deep night.
When I worked as a server, I always opted for the late shifts.
But I was determined to change my ways.
As I strategized on how to make the transition to morning person, I noticed that people have an obsession with sleep. The subject would come up in conversations with friends, co-workers and even strangers.
"What time did you go to bed?"
"Did you sleep okay?"
"Are you tired this morning?"
We are rarely satisfied. Just like we gripe about the weather, we complain that we're exhausted or feel embarrassed about sleeping too much.
Almost every day for the duration of my stint as a morning host, I was asked a very specific question: "What time do you wake up?"
The job called for me to be out of bed at 3:30 a.m., sometimes even 3. In preparation, I spent a week leading up to my first day trying to condition myself to wake up to dark skies.
At first, setting my alarm for a number that started with 3 was too unnerving. I found 4 slightly less intimidating, so I started with 4:55 a.m. Most morning shows start between 5:30 and 6, so this was a step in the right direction.
I also decided to start drinking coffee. I was never the biggest fan of a strong roast, but I knew it was time to embrace the drink so many people rely upon every day. I forced it down every morning during my training period.
My body was not accustomed to this amount of caffeine, so one cup had astounding effects. Perfect. I planned to drink two cups before my first shift to ensure I'd be able to host the heck out of that show.
The night before the big day, I set three alarms: my phone, my clock radio and an old-school alarm clock with a shrill bell that could snap someone out of a coma. But I was still nervous that I wouldn't wake up, so in true nighthawk fashion I stayed up late and never fell into a deep sleep. How can you ensure you'll be awake in time? By simply staying awake, of course!
In the morning, I downed my two cups of coffee and walked into the radio station wired. I was met with a busy schedule that included coming up with trivia questions, writing entertainment segments and monitoring the roads for traffic updates. I didn't have a spare moment to focus on the fact I was awake at an ungodly hour.
It was only a matter of days before I felt comfortable with my routine. Each day I set my three alarms, but I always awoke to the first; sometimes even before the first. With my blinds shut, I couldn't tell there was no sunlight outside. I'd make my coffee and read the news, just as many people do every morning.
Then I realized that 3 a.m. was just a number. Hearing the buzz of an alarm and seeing red lines forming a 3 before the colon is something we are conditioned to dread. But waking up is waking up, no matter what number is on the clock.
People would brace themselves when they asked what time I set my alarm for in the morning. When I said 3, their reaction consisted of groans and pained faces. It was typically followed by more questions about sleep.
"Well then, what time do you go to bed?"
"Are you tired right now?"
"Do you ever sleep in?"
But it was no big deal. I had the job for one year, and the whole time I managed to maintain a lifestyle that didn't force me to forfeit my evenings. I took a nap every day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., then stayed up until 10, sometimes 11. In the morning, I was always able to wake up at the crack of stupid, no problem.
Now I'm back to working a 9-to-5 job. When I wake up at 7, it feels like I'm sleeping in. On days when I need to get things done around my apartment before work, I have no problem setting my alarm for 4 a.m. But when I do, I still set all three of them, just in case.
I no longer believe in being an "early bird" or a "nighthawk." Early is a state of mind.
Amanda Cupido lives in Toronto.