07/17/2026
Let's do a check-in on my 30-Day 4 AM Experiment! 🌅
So far, even though it hasn't been a perfect streak, I'm getting a lot of value from this exercise.
As I've mentioned before, I've always struggled with getting up on time—let alone getting up early. That might not seem like a big challenge to everyone, but for me, it's something I knew I needed to work on.
Here are a few things that have worked really well for me:
📱 Putting my phone across the room 📱
This one seemed obvious at first, but it actually served two purposes. (we love efficiency 😎)
Not only did I have to physically get out of bed to turn off my alarm (which was incredibly helpful), but I also had to fall asleep without my phone in my hand. That meant no getting sucked into the doomscrolling trap.
I fell asleep faster, slept better, and I honestly think the simple act of making my phone less accessible had a huge impact. 🤷♀️
💭 Setting the intention before I even went to sleep 💭
There were a few nights where I came home late from work, spent a little time with my husband and kids, and crawled into bed completely exhausted.
And while I'm absolutely allowed to feel that way, I realized my exhaustion was distracting me from my goal. I convinced myself waking up at 4 AM wasn't realistic—even though I still had plenty of time to get a full night's sleep.
My commitment to the challenge wavered, and those mornings resulted in sleeping later.
Maybe the extra sleep wouldn't hurt, but this challenge is about converting old habits into healthier ones. I recognized where my mindset shifted, and I reminded myself that just because I felt tired before bed didn't mean I wouldn't benefit from an early morning.
That simple mental shift made a difference.
⚖️ Finding the line between pushing myself and listening to my body ⚖️
I know myself well enough now to recognize the difference between making excuses and genuinely needing rest.
I'm currently working with my doctor to regulate my hormones, and over the last 10 days my menstrual cycle began.
I'm going to step onto a tiny soapbox for a second... 🎤
It shouldn't be taboo to talk about women's cycles. They're an essential part of our overall health.
Our bodies have different needs during each phase of our cycle. During the luteal phase especially, our bodies are working incredibly hard behind the scenes. We often need more rest, different nutrients, and a little more grace.
Needing to dial things back during that time doesn't make us less capable. It simply means our bodies are doing exactly what they're designed to do—and that takes energy.
Stepping off my soapbox now... 😅
I could genuinely feel in my muscles and bones that extra rest would serve me better than forcing myself out of bed at 4 AM. So... I slept until 7 AM.
However, I also recognized that I felt stiffer than usual (again... thanks hormones 😂), so I made myself get up and do some yoga.
I'm getting better at listening to my body.
Knowing when to push yourself and when to give yourself grace is an important skill—and it's one that develops over time. Don't expect yourself to master it overnight.
Overall, I'm really enjoying the extra time I've been creating for myself each morning. I've actually started looking forward to it. But I'm only 10 days in... 20 more to go!
Stay tuned! 🌅💪
