[LorenzoLlamas]

Hey man, there may be a LOT of things going on here, but I can relate. If I don't get my day STARTED by 6am (or so), I see it slipping away from me. Others below have alluded to it, also. Diet and exercise are important (but the world is jacked when it comes to 'exercise', pushing gyms and supplements and dumb sporting events. Honestly, just keep lights low at night before dusk, don't be on devices after dark, read only paper books after dark, and start getting up early (tons of info out there if you search). Get up at 5am, go for a walk and get a coffee (not a sugar bomb - just a small coffee like your grandfather probably would do) and be back at 6:30a to start work. According to you, you'll be done well before lunch. Make plans for a lunch date with friends/family (sounds like you can afford it) and have a healthy fun salad-ish eating out time. Then go do something fun - or go see a movie matinee - or go do things for other people (volunteer, visit your kids if you have any, go make some if you don't... ha ha, or go help other business owners solve problems since you sound like you have good ideas in that area, or go talk to wayward youth at schools... something! Switch it up so you look forward to that afternoon 'you-only' time. Then, do your personal errands at end of day (like the rest of us working stiffs) like groceries, laundry, house cleaning, etc... one last check of devices before dusk, then it's either date night, relaxing at home, maybe a night out 1/2 times/week on the town, etc... No coffee after noon, no alcohol before noon, walk everywhere you possibly can (and keep stretching that), no devices after dusk, and I promise you, no matter what, you'll be feeling at LEAST 3x better in a month or so. Happy holidays, dude.

[usaphp]

> Get up at 5am, go for a walk and get a coffee (not a sugar bomb - just a small coffee like your grandfather probably would do) and be back at 6:30a to start work.

I never understand these suggestions of waking up at 5am, I, on contrary feel myself much better if I can enjoy a late dinner/Netflix with my wife after kids are in bed or going out with friends. Waking up at 5 am means you need to fall asleep at 9pm. It means that if on a weekend your friend invite you to hangout or on Friday after work - it will be hard to adjust to this time change on a fly and you will feel miserable with them and the next morning too.

[stefs]

people are different when it comes to a good time to get up. what works for one doesn't work for another. some are naturally early birds, others late risers. personally i had a job for about two years that forced me to get up at 6am and i felt sleep deprived and miserable for the whole two years because even after all those months it still felt natural for me to go to bed after midnight.

this is also the case without screens; i used to attend a training camp a couple of years prior. up at 6am, morning sport, breakfast, nap, training, lunch, nap, training, dinner, cards then off to bed at ~10pm. after 2, 3 days i get used to it and start staying up longer until i'm back to going to bed at or after midnight and then sleeping through the morning sport.

i guess people are just naturally different when it comes to sleep times.