How to get used to 4:30 am swim … for parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You and your swimmer will get used to it. You will be very tired at first. Be sure to eat healthy, drink lots of water, and don’t over caffeinate. You will need to go to bed earlier, and your body should lead you to that earlier bedtime naturally. You will be less busy in the evenings because there won’t be evening practice for the swimmer! You and your swimmer may actually really love the new routine. It can be very energizing to exercise first thing. You can also be very productive in the early morning as an adult.

Great for them and their swimmer. Not so great for the sibling. Also wait until HS. Still think that kid is gonna go to bed at 8? They may still be great about practice but they will be soooo sleep deprived.

Sincerely,
Mom of HS swimmers

[Anonymous]

We’ve adjusted. DD is in bed by 7:30 and asleep by 8. I go to bed around 8. It sucks to be on a different schedule than my husband. This is 6 days a week/11 months a year. It is really annoying to me clubs can’t make practices later in the summer. However, we are both adjusted to this sleep schedule. I would think car pooling would make it harder. Our other kids know they have to be quiet after 8 but we don’t make them adjust their schedule.

[Anonymous]

Keep the health of the marriage front-and-center and the family, as a whole, not too stressed. No sport is worth a tremendous amount of disruption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never be able to adjust to that. It's not just a question of shifting sleep times, some people's bodies just don't do well with such an early wake-up. My natural wake-up time is 7-8am. I can't wake up early one day and late the next day.

Rather you than me, OP.

Me again. If your family can do that, more power to you, of course! But my son was diagnosed with sleep apnea at 15, I don't sleep well (never been diagnosed, but I suspect I have some episodes)... I am truly convinced I'd shorten some of our lives if I did that. I would never pick an activity that interfered with my family's sleep schedules. Life is hard enough already.

Sleep apnea is a symptom of a problem. A 15yo shouldn’t have sleep apnea. Hett to him checked out so he can sleep better. My kid had it and did a sleep
Study then had adenoids/tonsils removed. Sleeps great now.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I'm shocked by all the negative responses here since in real life I know many people who do! My 16 year old does 1-2 early mornings a week on double days, and she has never once complained. She loves it and grades have never suffered. It doesn't affect DH or younger sibling, just me. And once she gets her driver's license, it will only affect her. If you have a kid that is planning to swim in college, it's just a part of the process. There are thousands that do this, so it isn't unique by any means.

How did I get used to it? My pre-covid work schedule was to get to the gym by 5:30am, so it wasn't that big of a change.

[Anonymous]

We have been doing this for 2 years now. I am more of a morning person, but even I admit getting up at 410 is never fun.

What works for me is to get up, drop off at swim and go straight to the gym. Then go to bed by 9pm.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I go back home and sleep for an hour!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous.

+1. We told our kids from the time they were little- no sports involving water, liquid or frozen.

My kid has 5:50 am football practice.

OP you’ll get used to it. It sucks for the first few weeks but you’ll get used to it.

My oldest had 5am swim practice for a year before she could ride herself.

[Anonymous]

It is hard, we did it starting in 7th grade. I tried to get to bed by 9 on the mornings that I needed to drive. My husband and I were very excited when they got their license.

[Anonymous]

Np. One parent told me she brought her sleeping bag and slept in her car in the parking lot while she waited for her daughter. I should have asked her why didn’t she go home instead of waiting. I would never sleep at 4:30 or 5:00am in the car in the parking lot!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We as a family are all going to bed early (with some push back from the younger kid), so we got that down.

I am confused as to why this is affecting your younger child. I understand that your husband has a health condition, but isn't he in the house asleep? What time does your younger child's school start that you couldn't circle back to get them up and drop them off? The earliest school starts where we are is 8.

I thought they just meant that the youngest child has to go to bed early because the rest of the family does.

That's what I assumed also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np. One parent told me she brought her sleeping bag and slept in her car in the parking lot while she waited for her daughter. I should have asked her why didn’t she go home instead of waiting. I would never sleep at 4:30 or 5:00am in the car in the parking lot!!!

I will occasionally nap in my car. I don’t drive home because then I’m just losing time to sleep if I need it and would be less likely to do so after being awake twice as long. Second, and more importantly, I don’t love the idea of leaving my teenage daughter (13) somewhere at that hour and not being right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you never will. it sucks worse than anything else.

hopefully your kid is motivated to set alarm and get up, but be warned it gets hard in the cold winter months to go and leave in the dark.

Your whole family has to be quiet after 8 pm.

You won't be able to go to bed at 8pm, so you will be chronically sleep deprived.

Your child will have to stay up late occasionally or will want to, then they will be sleep deprived

Are you 16? What kind of adult speaks like this?

[Anonymous]

It would work for our family. We are veryearly risers. I am typing this at bedtime, 8pm. I wake up 4:30-5 and work out. DH and I start work at 7am; we leave the house at 6:30. We and boys and daughter all wake up by 5am and work out and/or practice our instruments or finish homework after a good night sleep; not at night when struggling to concentrate.

[Anonymous]

Quit your job now, OP.

Adjust your sleep schedule.

Avoid carpooling - too complicated and tiresome.

Everyone is in bed, asleep by 9 p.m.

Invest now in great hair products for your DC. Figure out best shampoo and conditioner to get the chlorine out and maybe even a deep conditioner. Make sure DC gets regular trims.
Chlorine did a number of my DC’s skin and hair.

Get as organized as possible - rinse out suits immediately in cold water, drip dry. Have swim bags unpacked and repacked daily. Make DC get organized and follow a routine.