Early to bed, early to rise…it’s apparently all relative

A recent article in the German edition of The International Herald Tribune described something for me that, up until now, I had only anecdotally been able to verify. The Germans are “early to bed, early to rise” people. However, my own observations are such that these trends, while perhaps unique for other EU counterparts, are not so “out of whack” with US sleeping behaviors.

First, perhaps it is important to clarify what is considered “early to bed, early to rise”, according to the article (which was written by a Brit). Whatever the definition, I can assure you that by nature, I will not fall into this category. I enjoy late night TV and reading too much to be asleep by midnight.

According to a recent poll, one out of 3 Germans rises before 6 am (which is double the UK average); another third gets up between 6 and 7 am. “OK,” I thought, “this is not so unusual with what I see in the US” (or at least in my part of the US). On the flip side, Germans hit the sack earlier than their EU counterparts, with 75% being asleep before midnight. Many respondents cited that they are in bed by 10 pm, however.

Lots of reasons for this trend were cited, with the primary reason being work-related. Other reasons included an apparently earlier start to the school day for German kids (school starts at 7:45 or 8:00 am, an hour ahead of most other European countries – this again, is not so unusual when compared to Texas school hours). A mere 44% cite that they get up early out of sheer habit.

This “early to bed, early to rise” mantra apparently correlates to holiday time as well, in which Germans have a reputation for staking out the best spots on Mediterranean beaches, or being first in line at the bakery or the local markets.

For Buddy and I, an early start to the day is essential, especially on the weekends. With a limited time to get your shopping and errands done, we have found that you can’t sleep the mornings away…”you snooze, you lose”.