The best wake-up call

You might think that you have a tough time getting out of bed for work in the early hours to beat the morning rush hour, but for some 6am counts as a lie-in. Just a few weeks ago Fiona Philips returned to her early morning slot on GMTV after extended maternity leave. But how effective are Fiona's and other breakfast presenters' wake-up routines and what can early risers learn from them? We asked the stars how they cope with the demands of getting up at such unnatural times each morning, while a sleep expert gives his verdict on who has the best wake-up call.

Chris Idzikowski - expert at The Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service - says: "Our quality of sleep and how alert we feel is affected primarily by the 'time' of our 24-hour biological clock, which is a cluster of about 10,000 nerve cells in the brain. The clock facilitates sleep during the night and controls the increase in alertness during the day.

"Body temperature is strongly controlled by the clock, the minimum is at about 4am and the maximum around 9pm. Cortisol - one of the stress hormones - follows a similar pattern. The hormone melatonin is secreted when it is dark by the brain's pineal gland that cuts body temperature and gets us ready for sleep.

"The worst time for alertness will always be around 4am, but this will improve throughout the day - except for the biorhythm dip which facilitates the 'siesta' between 2 and 4 pm.

"The problem with getting up at around 4am is that this is when your brain says you should be asleep and we know that many shift workers have traffic accidents around this time. The adrenaline surges followed by slumps are the same as jet-lag. But it is all down to how you cope."

The rock DJ

Christian O'Connell, 29, is Breakfast show presenter for XFM. He is married to Sarah - a lawyer - and lives in Kingston

"After five years in the job, I'm conditioned to beating my 4.30am alarm call by a few minutes. I've slept deeply, but I'm feeling wide awake and have a shave, then down a protein drink with fruit and nuts plus multi-vitamins and various supplements to keep me healthy.

"After being driven to the studio in Leicester Square, I read the papers over a cup of green tea. I'm on air at 6.30 and the show is busy and fast moving, I'm not feeling tired at all, the adrenaline is pumping. However, at around 9.30, I often feel I'm slowing down, so I try to prevent this by grabbing some peanut butter on toast for slow energy release, or a bacon sandwich.

"Once the show is over, I go to meetings for the next couple of hours - sometimes we adjourn to the pub for brain-storming sessions - then I catch the train home.

I usually nod off, frequently missing my station. I always have a power-nap when I arrive home, but no longer than an hour and a half or I feel dreadful. I go to the gym three or four times a week, getting home at around 6pm.

"Then, I'll work on the next day's show while Sarah makes dinner - we eat around 8pm, usually pasta, chicken, or Indian.

"I try and have a social life - often succumbing to the pub - and also do ' Romanstyle' wrestling. Twice a month I DJ at gigs, which is a killer as I don't finish until 2.30am and rise two hours later. Most nights though, I will be in bed by 10.30, read for 10 minutes then out like a light. Five-and-a-half hours good sleep works for me.''

The expert says: "I'm not convinced multi-vitamins and supplements keep you healthy - a balanced, diet should do that - though this depends on Christian's alcohol intake during the 'brain-storming' sessions. Reduced sleep impairs mental performance as does alcohol, and both add up - so the 'usually nod off ' on the train admission could be the alcohol inducing the natural 'siesta-time' before it's convenient. Post-lunchtime naps - not on the train - for 30 minutes are beneficial.

"Exercise and nutrition habits seem to be good." RATING: 8/10