Need a little help for mornings please!

[lalapin]

I'm doing really good on Concerta 36 right now, for about 6-7 weeks already. I still have a hard time with time management in the morning when waking up. I know I have to get up at a certain time in order do to the stuff I need to get ready to leave the house and I set an alarm for this. But I snooze, snooze, and snooze the alarm thinking "oh yeah I still have plenty of time ahead of me!.." Thinking I have a lot of time and being late/last minute was always a big problem for me, now it's much better since medication, but in the morning it takes a while for the meds to kick in and I continue to be on the run because of this! Each morning is the same: I never get my lesson!! So do you have any tips to share on how to set a morning routine that can be doable in that "unmedicated" period of the day? It's kind of crucial to have time to shower/eat/and get everything ready for the day without being stressed out because you're going to be late!

[SquarePeg]

Get yourself a really loud alarm, preferably something annoying but don´t put it next to your bed. Put it on the other side of the room so you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off.

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by SquarePeg

Get yourself a really loud alarm, preferably something annoying but don´t put it next to your bed. Put it on the other side of the room so you are forced to get out of bed to turn it off.

Thanks!

I tried this, it's already at the other side of the room, but I just run, snooze it and jump right back onto the bed! but the problem is not really about being too sleepy to get out of bed, it's more about thinking I still have plenty of time.

I also tried to advance the time by 20 mins but that didn't work either because I knew it was advanced

[Slapstick]

I set my alarm about 20 minutes earlier from the time I really do need to be out of bed. But I also have the alarm set for multiple times.

I do 4:45am, 4:50am, 4:55am, 4:46am and 5:10am. This pattern has varied from time to time -- I've previously have had alarms set for 4:45am, 4:46am, 4:46am, 4:55am and 5:05am.

Try different combinations and see what works for you. I find that if I have to get out of bed 4 or 5 times before I have to get up, by the time the final alarm goes off, I'm more likely to follow through.

[Pandemonium]

I stared putting my alarm clock on the other side of the room as well. It worked a bit, but after a while I had the same problem.

If you got a smart phone there are apps with alarm clocks where you have to solve math equations or type in complicated captchas. That actually helped me a lot (when put on the other side of the room), since doing that wakes me up a bit more, than just jumping out of bed and depending on how hard you set it and how many equations you are standing for quite some time. So sometimes I just start my morning routine, just because I'm already up and went too the toilet, where it's only natural to brush my teeth, etc..

[SquarePeg]

For my son I set the alarm 10 minutes before he needs to get something done and then the next alarm means he should have done it. So if you need to be dressed by 7.00, you will get a 10 minute warning. I know lateness is a problem for a lots of you.

[sarahsweets]

Have you ever had a sleep study?

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

Have you ever had a sleep study?

No, but my Dr. asked me tons of questions about the way I sleep and how I feel in the morning and didn't feel he would need to have me do this. I feel I get really good sleep most of the time, unless im anxious of course.

[sweetmusic]

I also have huge problems with mornings. "I don't do mornings" is sort of a cliche saying for me. One thing that sometimes helps me is keeping my Adderall (an extra bottle with just part of my pills in it) right next to my bed. I'll take my dose when I first wake up since I know it always takes me awhile to get going, with or withOUT the medicine. Worth trying!

[SquarePeg]

Is it one of those ADHD things whereby no matter how much experience tells you something, you just don´t learn from it and continue making the same mistakes?

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by SquarePeg

Is it one of those ADHD things whereby no matter how much experience tells you something, you just don´t learn from it and continue making the same mistakes?

DEFINITELY!!!!!!!! Well said!

[lalapin]

Originally Posted by sweetmusic

I also have huge problems with mornings. "I don't do mornings" is sort of a cliche saying for me. One thing that sometimes helps me is keeping my Adderall (an extra bottle with just part of my pills in it) right next to my bed. I'll take my dose when I first wake up since I know it always takes me awhile to get going, with or withOUT the medicine. Worth trying!

I'll give this a try! Certainly looks like a good idea!