Roommate wakes up really early?

[Anonymous]

Hey guys. So I just started the school year and discovered a problem: my roommate and I have vastly different sleeping schedules. She's an early bird, and wakes up at around 5-6 AM. In comparison, I like waking up at 8-9. When she wakes up, she tries to be as quiet as possible, but I'm kind of a light sleeper, and I wake up regardless, and find myself unable to go back to sleep.

I invested in ear plugs, but they fell out during my sleep, and so I still woke up.

What should I do? I'm not going to ask her to change her entire morning routine for my convenience. I'm considering two options currently.

Option 1: get some sleeping pills and take them nightly. I've never taken sleeping pills before, but they could potentially help me sleep heavier.

Option 2: change my own sleeping schedule, and wake up at 5 AM as well.

What do you guys think? What would you do in this situation?

[Betwyn]

Is there a reason you stay up late?

I would honestly suggest you get up early...

You can use the time more productively in the AM then PM and it is good to train your body for when you join the workforce...

or.. you could give her sleeping pills...

[Asker]

I mean, if I'm going to wake up at 5, then, to get the 7.5 hours of sleep I usually get per night, I'd have to go to bed at 9:30. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know the last time I went to bed at 9:30. 9:30 is still prime-time for hanging out with friends. 5 AM is not.

[Betwyn]

7.5 hours of sleep?

I usually obtain about 5...

in bed 12:30-1ish.. up 5:45...

[Asker]

From a neuroscience perspective, sleeping less than around 6 hours on a regular basis is really bad for you. There's a small percentage of the population that are physiologically wired differently and can handle that (and by small percentage, I mean small percentage, like 1% of the population). But for the rest of us human beings, 7-8 hours is needed, and less than that is sleep deprivation. So sorry, but your suggestion that I sleep less doesn't work for me. Thanks!

[Betwyn]

Well, then that sorta leaves you with no choice then but to change your sleep habits to match hers...

or pump your system full of poison's (drugs) to artificially make you sleep.

[snowangle]

Don't start waking up at 5, eeeh. ;P The sleeping pills would be worth a try. I suggest starting with just half a Melatonin before bed.

[Asker]

Okay thanks! Do you feel drowsy when you wake up though?

[snowangle]

I didn't, however I did have very vivid dreams when I took it.

[Asker]

Haha well I have vivid dreams anyway, so it's not a big deal. thanks!

[cavmanier]

You could get better ear plugs or a white noise machine or leave a fan running. You can even point the fan toward the ground. The white noise really helps with noise.