Adjusting to HF schedule from IB (not a morning person)

About to accept a role at a L/S market neutral hedge fund. Couldn't fully diligence it but believe hours will be 7am-7pm (based in London, market opens at 8am).

Have 5 YoE in IB, currently mid-level aso and waking up around 8 / 8:30am (sometimes sending a few emails from home / even bed, then showing up in office around 10/11am). Not really a morning person, unfortunately am used to work well in the nights where everything's quiet.

Wondering what's the best way to adjust / if somebody faced similar challenges.

Would the best be to try go sleep and wake up a bit earlier every day the last 2-3 weeks before starting out?

Honestly this might seem quite trivial but believe it will be a real challenge to start with lol

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lol same here. I fucking hate mornings and I’m unproductive. Took me forever to adjust. My advice is to start forcing yourself into bed earlier about a month before. You’ll probably flip around, use your phone or whatever. Doesn’t matter - just get in bed before midnight and then sleep by 1am. Slowly bring that earlier. It probably won’t work cause you’ll end up sleeping in the next morning anyway and trigger this whole shitty sleep cycle but once you start work, the routine will kick in and you’ll be be •kinda* ok . I struggle till today.

 

Mornings are the worst for me as well, so I feel you. I would stop looking at screens after 9PM if you can help it, then read a book for example. This generally helps me wind down, and get sleepy. Then, the second you wake up get some sunlight, and go for a walk. No phones, no screens until you need to work. This will help set your circadian rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally early.

 

Faced something similar (transition from MBA with classes at 8 or 9 to HF). 
I am not a morning person either and must admit that I never really adjusted. 
Go to bed at midnight, wake up at 6. By 7 you should be half a normal person so that you're not a zombie on your morning market call. Have a coffee after the call and another one between 10 and 11. 

But from my experience, I would say that your biggest problem will be not having "quiet time" to work on your stuff. Always a bbg chat destroying your focus

 

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