The problem with sunrise is that it changes with the seasons and DST; here in Seattle it's 5 AM in the summer and 8 AM in the winter. Unfortunately my other obligations don't change with it.
...not to mention the fact that "sunrise" sometimes doesn't happen at all in Seattle, especially during the winter. You can wake up in the morning, go to work, come home in the evening and go to bed without really experiencing any exposure to sunlight during the day.
I had the worst problem with getting up in the morning while living in Seattle. Since I moved to San Francisco, the problem has largely abated. I'm still most productive during the evening, but at least here I can control my schedule.
I live in the "Sun City." The sun shines an average of 302 days a year, but I still have trouble keeping a normal schedule. It seems the only way for me to get up early regularly is to have something that requires me to be up early (school/work).
It wasn't a serious problem for me. Yeah, it's a little tougher, but if you got into the habit of waking up at 6:00 AM in the summer, so long as you continue to do the "shut off all electronics and use a low-watt bulb (or a candle)" in the evening, eat breakfast at the same time every morning, and get enough exercise during the day then the strategy works in a similar way.
The big difference is that the original author refuses to shut off his TV, computer, and phone at night.
