I tried my Dog's sleep schedule for 30 days
I wanted to fix my sleep and morning routine, which had been inconsistent for a while, and my Dog's routine was the perfect one to go after. Snoopy wakes up at 4AM, gets her morning light, plays, eats, and is napping by 9. April, with the summers starting, seemed just right to feel the fresh morning summer breeze. My birthday in the first week was also a motivational factor to sort things out. I found out from a Dr. Huberman video that it takes 3 days for your circadian rhythm to adjust to a new sleep cycle, especially an early morning one.
I had been reading a lot about sleep cycles and optimal routines, but that doesn't help a lot unless you fix your "Night routine". Sleeping early has become increasingly rare over the last few years, thanks to widespread internet access. That was my first challenge, and a particularly hard one for someone who slept at 4am through college days. Unless, it wasn't! Our body is made to move with the sun, and it felt instantly fresh to sleep by 10PM and wake up at 4. Look how the tables have turned!
Getting morning light within the first hour of waking up helps reset your circadian rhythm and morning alertness by regulating cortisol and melatonin. You can understand these jargons better with this short reel. Now the hard part was done, and it took me around 4-5 days. Working out when you're fresh is possibly one of the top 10 feelings of being a human. It is one of the most rejuvenating, empowering, and fundamental changes you can bring to your life.
My workout is a no-equipment simple set of exercises which involves 120 push-ups, mountain climbers, and 50 Hindu squats all spread across 3 sets with 10-minute breaks of 1k steps each. So, an easy hack to get my 3-4k steps early in the morning! I end it with Surya Namaskara or Sun Salutation, which is an ancient 12-step yoga sequence. This 45-50 minute routine has been the single best addition to my fitness routine, and it was much easier than I thought, especially the freshness afterwards throughout the day.
After this, I proceed with my morning coffee and chores until I realise that it's just 5:30 AM! There are many things that fall in place once you get into the right habits, and I got to see this in real time. Snoopy is already on her second nap by then, unbothered and completely winning at life as always. Ideally, I will do this throughout my life as it feels like the right way to live a human life. If you've read this far, I would encourage you as well to adapt to Snoopy's routine!