Question on Ramadan

Wa Alaikum As-Salaam

They are all very valid questions and Ramadan, esp. in the summer can be challenging. It's not supposed to be easy, but equally, it's not supposed to be so tough so as to affect your health, and allowances are permitted in certain circumstances.

Although the fast does end at sunset, it starts at the Fajr prayer which is a good bit before sunrise. There are a few different calculation methods used to figure out the Fajr time - some are based on the angle of the sun relative to the horizon, some are based on when a specific fraction of the night duration is reached, and different calculations work for different parts of the world. Islamicfinder is a very popular and reliable website used to look up times, and that would put the fast start time at around 2.45am this year.

Most Muslims make an extra effort to attend Taraweeh prayers in their local mosque during Ramadan, which take place 1-2 hours after sunset, so it's often close to midnight before we get to sleep. So the usual routine is eat after sunset, pray, snooze for 2 hours, eat, go back to sleep and wake up at 7-8am, and a lot of people have a snooze for an hour or two before sunset as well to make up for any sleep lost. During the weekends I sometimes stay up until 2 and then have long lie in afterwards. I suppose everybody copes differently and people organise their days to whatever works for them. Efficiency at work can be affected (although you can be surprised with how well you can still function once your body is used to it - a lot of the Algerian football team were fasting during their game against Germany in the last world cup, and they pushed them all the way). Some people just get on with it, some people will take some annual leave during Ramadan, and if somebody genuinely feels that their performance at work will be compromised, they can not fast during Ramadan and make up for it afterwards (e.g. at weekends, or later in the year when the fasts are a bit shorter). I know of at least one surgeon who does the latter, and that's understandable given that they need every ounce of concentration for the job. The last Olympics were on during Ramadan as well, and scholars issued rulings that it was fine for athletes to not fast and make up for it afterwards. Other examples would be pregnant and breast-feeding mothers are permitted to not fast, people with various medical conditions (e.g. diabetes) are also exempt from fasting, but they would still be expected to pray as usual.

Specifically regarding opening the fast sooner if you have to sleep early - I haven't heard of that being allowed. I think it's a case of either you can do it in full, or if not, you have to make it for it afterwards - but once again, there's nothing stopping you from sleeping earlier, waking up for a quick bite and then going back to bed again.

It must be some advantage to have done it year after year, but I don't think fasting is that much more difficult for new converts. Reason I say that is because we are creatures of habit, and our bodies adapt quickly - the first couple of days of Ramadan are always the hardest, but once your body learns that food/water aren't going to be readily served, it quickly learns, and as soon as Ramadan is over, our bodies quickly forget and very soon we're back starving for lunch at 1pm.

I hope that's of some help, feel free to ask any more questions.