18 Days Past Midnight

At the beginning of the semester, as the scientist I am, I decided to do an experiment. I am well known to have late nights staying up well past midnight studying for my exams, but I was curious just how much I was sacrificing my sleep to study for classes. Now, of course I know the science that sleep is better than staying up studying, but we all know the rush of needing to finish an assignment on a deadline or having an exam the next day. 

Throughout the semester, I saved a Snapchat memory every time I was awake past midnight, specifically studying for my classes. With the semester coming to a close, I have officially recorded 18 of these nights. Now, to some, this number may sound outlandish, but to me, it shows a grave mistake in my hypothesis. My expected number was much, much higher.  

I had prepared for this article all semester, but then something unexpected happened: I changed. 

I changed from the person who forced myself to stay awake, from the person who could never wake up early before classes, to the person who wanted to go to bed early, and the person who wanted to wake up early. 

I changed from the person who stayed up for hours completing an assignment to someone who could confidently leave it until the morning. My morning routine adjusted from begrudgingly waking up at 8 a.m. for my first class to waking up at 5 a.m. Somehow, I had become a 5 a.m. girlie. 

I know that this life is not for everyone, but I now understand why so many people do it. Not every day is as easy as the next, but once I got out of bed, I became my most productive self. I felt like I had a secret three or four hours of my day more than those around me and an extra three or four hours I could use to catch up on work or even just relax before I had to start my longer days.  

When I was first starting my 5 a.m. journey, I remember seeing a quote that the reason it is hard for people to get up early instead of snoozing their alarm is that they don’t have a reason to because their body tricks them into sleeping, so I decided to give myself a reason. Mostly it is preparing for my classes, but sometimes it’s working on a side project or a hobby that I want to advance. I usually use my time to practice piano or go to the gym. In the beginning, I felt unstoppable. 

I felt like my days lasted for hours; sometimes, it felt like I had lived for two days in the span of one, and I felt so much more productive. Instead of fighting against my body, I competed with the rising sun to see who could finish their assignments first.  

Now that waking up early has become part of my routine and the days have gotten colder, some of the charm has faded, but it comes right back whenever I have the chance to sit next to a window and watch the sun rise next to me. The sun and I have become friends, rising together to share a joke or just a hello before anyone else has the chance.  

Just last semester, I was the person who could never wake up early before a class, but now I am someone who can forget to set their alarm and still be up before class. My whole energy level throughout the day has been so much higher. I feel like I have finally found a rhythm that works for me, my brain, and my body.  

This article is a lot different from what I imagined it would be, but I am really proud of it. I have become the person that I have always wanted to be this semester. 18 days past midnight is something I am proud of, but my goal for next semester is to make it just 10.  

The best part about this transition in my life is that I learned how resilient I can be, even with starting a new habit.  I am so proud of myself that I was able to do something that felt like such a daunting task just a few months ago.  

If I can become a 5 a.m. girlie, there is no limit to what I can do. 

• 5am
• 5am girlie
• early
• earlyriser
• midnight
• sunrise