Controlling how and when you wake up, travel style

Sean sleeping in London, England.

Ask anyone with whom I’ve traveled or anyone with whom I’ve lived… or anyone who will listen.

I am crafting the ability to control when I wake up. If you’re planning on backpacking, you better, too.

Last week we had to wake up at 5 A.M. for a day of traveling. We didn’t get to sleep until after 1 A.M., so we were a bit concerned about getting up on time - especially because Sean doesn’t believe a damn word about my ability to wake up on my own. Well, fortunately, the mechanism works; my laptop overheated and turned off, so the alarm turned off. I managed to wake up on my own and we were on our way.

To begin this trip, when Sean and I had to wake up at 4 A.M. after going to sleep late to prepare this site, I got up - alarm free. Sean didn’t trust me; he set his own alarm.

Back in Brussels, Sean, his brother Brian and I decided we had to try a good, old European discoteque. After a few rounds of karaoke, Belgian ale and a couple hours of dancing - seriously, just three dudes dancing - we got home at 3:30 A.M., needing to wake up by 7:30 A.M. to catch a complimentary hostel breakfast and bailing for Paris. I got us up then, and after an hour nap later in the day - alarm-free.

This is a great tool, and I want to make it more exact.

You ought to pack a watch - that much I’ve recommended. But don’t depend on it.

See, when you’re running from hostel to hostel, or sleeping on some stranger’s couch, or in a train station or the sidewalk, your tools fail you. If you have room and bring an alarm clock, there’s no plug. If it is battery-operated or wound, it dies. If you have a watch or a cell phone, you forgt to set it.

So, learn to wake yourself up. It it is a lot more refreshing to wake up on your own, than a blaring alarm.

Start on days you don’t need a specific time to wake. Pick a time, think clearly about what time you’re going to sleep and when you want to wake up. Train your brain, friends. But, have the off-switch. A nice late sleep is great after a few weeks of train traveling and backpacking.

Anyone have better tips?