There was a time in my life when 8:00 p.m. meant it was time to start getting ready.
We’d gather in our going-out tops, put on a power-hour mix, and pre-game before heading out, convinced the night was just beginning.
These days, at 8:00 p.m. I am washing my face, fluffing my pillows, and deciding between a few chapters of my current spicy novel or a few guilt-free minutes on my phone scrolling before I inevitably pass out for the night.
I can honestly say, I’ve never been happier with my current 8:00 p.m. routine!
Somewhere along the way, probably between raising three kids, running a business, and entering my late 30s and 40s, I traded late nights for early mornings. It wasn’t a dramatic decision; it just happened as my priorities changed. Now, when friends suggest getting together for a night out, and someone mentions 5 p.m., I do a little happy dance! I can go out, enjoy time well spent with my people, a nice meal and great conversation, and still be home in bed at a perfectly reasonable hour.
A few times a year though, I can still rally. I’ll prepare during the day so I can stay up until the wee hours, when the clock strikes midnight, and hopefully not turn into a pumpkin. But the funny thing with staying out late is that I don’t even need alcohol to wake up feeling like I got hit by a truck. One late night can leave me dragging for the next 24-48 hours. My body doesn’t recover the way it did at 25, and I’ve come to accept that truth.
I am officially an early-to-bed person.
Most mornings my alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. While the rest of the house is still quiet, I am tiptoeing around, getting my sneakers and water bottle and heading out to the gym. Those peaceful hours before the world wakes up have become my favorite part of the day. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching the sunrise knowing I’ve accomplished something before most people have hit snooze.
The younger version of me would scoff at this new lifestyle. Missing out on all the action after 8:00 p.m. is something I’d never do. My dad used to tell me I was “burning the candle at both ends,” staying up late after a full day of work and grad school. Now, I am in bed, rested, and ready to take on the next day bright and early. I have started prioritizing what actually makes me feel good, and that is one of the unexpected gifts of getting older.
If you are the friend who leaves the party first, knows how to do a good Irish goodbye, and is secretly hoping to score the earlier dinner reservation, welcome, you are my people! Let’s celebrate the early bedtimes, quiet mornings, and the realization that sometimes the best part of adulthood isn’t staying out late but knowing exactly when to call it a night.
Early to bed, early to rise, turns out for me, it’s a pretty wonderful way to live.
