I’m something of a morning person. I don’t particularly enjoy being a morning person, or getting up early, but I recognize that I can’t really sleep in, and that I’m at my most productive in the morning.
Not everyone wants to be a morning person and get up early. This is understandable. However, if you are trying to wake up earlier — and enjoy it — here are some tips that can help you turn into an early (or at least an earlier) riser:
Get High Quality Sleep
One of the best things you can do if you want to wake up refreshed and ready to greet the day is to get high quality sleep. If you sleep well, and rest well, you will be more likely to get up when you need/want to, and feel better about it.
Some of the things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep include:
- Relaxing before bed
- Avoiding food or drink that will keep you up (stick to small amounts of soothing drinks)
- Setting a sleep schedule
- Engaging in physical activity during the day
- Create a good sleep environment
Improve the quality of your sleep, and you won’t need to sleep in as much.
Gradually Adjust Your Wake-Up Time
Don’t try to get up two hours earlier all of a sudden. Instead, wake up 15 minutes earlier, or 30 minutes earlier. Try that for two or three days. Once you’re used to the new schedule, set your wake up time for another 15 to 30 minutes earlier.
When you start to wake up earlier, make sure that you allow your body to adjust to an earlier bed time as well. This means that when you feel tired, and ready for bed, it’s time to go to sleep. Let your body tell you when it’s bed time so that you can match your earlier morning. You’ll get better sleep and feel better in the morning.
Actually Get Out of Bed
The hard part, for some, is actually getting out of bed. There are all sorts of tricks for forcing yourself out of bed, from alarm clocks that mimic the gradual lightening effects of the morning sun, to startling noises that force you up, to the idea of putting the alarm clock on the other side of the room. There are even alarm clocks that will jump down off your nightstand and roll away, forcing you to give chase in order to turn it off.
Whatever you do, try to get away from the habit of hitting the “snooze” button. Force yourself to get out of bed immediately, even if you don’t feel like it.
When you do get out of bed, you can lessen your discomfort by engaging in certain activities. I get up, drink water, and then do meditative yoga for five to 10 minutes. This helps me get the blood flowing, clears my head, and prevents me from feeling like I want to head back to bed. Figure out what you can do to keep you out of bed so that you aren’t tempted to just climb right back in. Engage in your day as quickly as possible so that you are moving forward, and not thinking of your pillow.
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