Something quite interesting has been happening lately.

Danny and I have been going to bed earlier — not so much out of choice as out of our bodies forcing us to; we’ve both been falling asleep on the couch, or the floor, or in front of the computer, by 9:30 or so each night. We fell asleep in the middle of the election results and only woke up when there was all the noise and commotion of the news anchors calling the President’s victory. Maybe we’re truly exhausted. Maybe it’s this time change. Eating dinner when it’s pitch-black outside definitely makes me feel like it’s late. Either way, we’ve been in bed before 11:00 every night this week. And the results have been pretty telling.

I’ve been able to wake up — really wake up, not just flail out of bed — when the alarm goes off at 6:45. I’ve been able to kick-start my mornings and get actual work accomplished before 8:00 a.m. I’ve had more energy. I’ve enjoyed the beautiful morning sunshine spilling in through our windows instead of trying to cover my face and block it out. I’ve also wanted to take naps during the day, but we’re focusing on the positives here, okay?

Never did I think there would come a time when I would willingly trade my precious nighttime relaxation — with a book, a movie, a board game with friends — for an early bedtime and rising with the sun. It makes me feel like a child. Or maybe a real grownup. I can’t quite decide, but either way, I feel like I’ve officially left my college-aged days behind. This trend might not last though: In another week or two, we might be turning on the TV at 10:30 p.m. again. But for now, we’re early birds. No worms here. Just a couple of people who have decided we really, really like our sleep.

~ Laura