How to wake up early (with pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

For some of us, waking up early means falling out of bed, walking around the house like a zombie until at least the third cup of coffee, and then taking a mid-morning nap to at least feel alert on average. Not anymore! To wake up effectively early, you need to reset your sleep pattern, develop efficient morning habits, and become a more early morning person than you are today.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Getting used to it

Step 1. Set a time to wake up

If you want to be ready and kicking at 6am, great! This will be your goal. Every day of the week you will have to work hard to achieve it. Success will need to be achieved gradually, to avoid shocking your system.

Exactly, every day of the week, including weekends. Until you are completely rescheduled, there will be no pause. Once you reach your goal, you won't even feel the need anymore

Step 2. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than usual

If you are normally used to sleeping until 9, a trauma from the alarm going off at 6.30 would not help you. Well, it could happen once, but then you'd spend the whole day drinking coffee and regretting your decision. Then set the alarm for 8:45 tomorrow. The next day? At 8:30. And even when the long-awaited Saturday comes, anticipate waking up by 15 minutes until you reach your hourly goal.

If up early is really problematic for you, stay at the same level for two days. On Monday and Tuesday you can get up at 8:00 and then on Wednesday set the alarm at 7:45

Step 3. Give yourself enough time for a good night's rest

If you usually sleep from midnight to nine, you can't continue to go to bed at the same time and expect to wake up perky and cheerful at 6. As you gradually get up earlier, you will have to go to bed gradually earlier and earlier. The goal is by no means to sleep less (sleeping is wonderful after all), the goal is just to make it easier for you to get up early. Science tells us that getting the right amount of sleep at night will make it easier for your body to do so.

You can also try conditioning your body to sleep less if giving up the nighttime hours really seems too limiting. The idea is the same, but respecting a time to go to sleep

Step 4. Get excited

To jump out of bed with pleasure, you need something worth getting up for. So find something to get excited about! If you can't think of anything, use this experiment as something to do in full force. After all, the path to new, more productive habits is definitely something to be proud of.

What awaits you the next day so you can't wait for the new day to begin? Size is no indication of effectiveness, even small things have great value. Enthusiasm for your delicious morning breakfast also comes in handy! Mmh, can you already taste it?

Step 5. Prepare for the benefits

Waking up early has a connection with many different positive things. Research states that early risers receive better grades, are generally more dynamic, are able to anticipate problems and plan more effectively than those who sleep late. We hope you can handle your impending magnificence on the way.

It's a bit like the chicken and egg story. Early risers have more time to exercise, for the family, enjoy quieter times at work, and avoid getting stuck in traffic. So is it sleep that improves their lives or is it their quality lives that make them sleep better? Find out for yourself

Step 6. Mentally prepare to wake up early

Mentally review your routine so that you have an appropriate strategy. If you have some sort of plan, you don't need to think about it… act directly.

• If you need to go out at a certain time, think about how long it will take for each step of your morning routine. Consider the things you can eliminate to make the process faster: Do you really need the shower or that cup of coffee?
• While lying on your bed, about to fall asleep, repeat to yourself, "I need to get up early. I have to wake up at 5am, make coffee, shower, shave, and be out at 5.45am. It takes 20 minutes. to get to the airport, another 10 minutes to put the car in the parking lot and another 15 minutes to get to check-in. I can have breakfast directly at the terminal before take off ".

Part 2 of 4: Sleep Better and Wake Up Easier

Step 1. Start a night routine

In a way, our bodies need to be shut down. The hustle and bustle of the day turns us into human-sized Duracell bunnies and it's simply not possible to get 60 to 0 in the blink of an eye. You choose the routine you prefer, whatever it is, but repeat it daily for at least 15 minutes, your body will interpret it as a valid clue.

The routine can consist of a shower, a cup of hot milk, listening to some classical music, or performing relaxing exercises, such as yoga or Pilates. If you choose to read, make sure you do it without bright lights (more on that later). Dedicate your bedroom to sleep only. Refrain from doing heavy activities just before bed, as this will inhibit a peaceful sleep

Step 2. Dim the lights about an hour before going to bed

Bright lights can suppress the melatonin hormone, becoming a possible cause of insomnia and stifling fatigue. Try turning off TV and computer screens and the like an hour before bedtime.

Science claims that all of these light sources disturb our inner biological clock. When you sit in front of your computer, TV and cell phone until 2 am, your body has no idea what is going on; as far as he knows it could be as much as 2 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon. Turning off the lights means letting your body know it's time to go to sleep and therefore it's time to go out

Step 3. Try to get enough sleep

It's a simple truth, but no less important: getting enough sleep will allow you to wake up earlier.

• If you have slept the recommended hours during the night, it is easier to get up early in the morning. So plan:

  • 7 - 9 hours of sleep if you are a man.
  • 8 - 9 hours of sleep if you are a woman.
  • 9 - 10 hours of sleep if you are a pregnant woman.
  • 10 - 12 hours of sleep when it comes to children and the elderly.

  

  Step 4. Sleep with the curtains ajar

  Sleeping with the curtains ajar helps your body stop producing melatonin and simultaneously increase adrenaline production. You will help your body be ready to welcome the new day when it hears the sound of the alarm.

  • Remember we said lights keep you awake? Even when you sleep the lights wake you up… bizarre, right? Natural sunlight will be felt by your body, even while it is asleep.
  • Sunlight can also warm your bed, allowing the temperature to tell you it's time to get up. If possible, consider positioning your bed so that you can also enjoy this effect.

  

  Step 5. If you wake up during the night try to go back to sleep

  Stay in bed to avoid waking your body by moving. Stand up, however, if you've been tossing and turning for more than 20 minutes. Engage in a relaxing activity (such as reading or stretching) until you are ready to go back to sleep.

  Getting up in the middle of the night could be a symptom of a larger problem. Evaluate your habits and the environment around you. If you are doing everything right (you will know at the end of this article), consider seeing a doctor. You may be suffering from a sleep disorder and get valuable help

  

  Step 6. Adjust the temperature

  Most doctors will tell you to keep your room between 18 and 22 ° C.) However, what is easy for one person may not be easy for another. If you have trouble falling asleep, consider changing your temperature. You may find that with the push of a button all types of insomnia will go away.

  If you don't sleep alone, cover or uncover yourself in layers. Negotiate with your partner looking for common ground. At worst, electric blankets exist

  Part 3 of 4: Waking up Easier

  

  Step 1. Place the alarm away from your bed

  Not being easily reachable, you will be forced out of bed. Putting it back on the bedside table means falling into the temptation to press the snooze button and go back to sleep for another 9 minutes. Not useful at all.

  • Consider buying a new one. There are tons of alarms with different ringtones. Maybe yours isn't right for you, if so, consider buying a different one.
  • Respect who sleeps with you and any roommates. If you share a bedroom with someone, let them know you need to wake up early and ask for permission to set the alarm. This way you will be able to prepare for the alarm sound tomorrow - earplugs or sleep directly in another room.

  

  Step 2. Avoid using the snooze function

  As soon as the alarm goes off, get out of bed and start your day. You will end up waking up and feeling better than those mornings when you indulged in a sleepy state. Literally jump out of the covers (as much as possible) and focus on getting your new and wonderful day ahead.

  Using snooze will not make you feel rested. It is a fact discovered by scientists, it is not in fact the restful REM sleep that you prolong by postponing the sound of the alarm. It is therefore just a waste of time that will only make you feel worse as well as guilty

  

  Step 3. Awaken your senses

  Once you get out of bed, treat yourself to the much-deserved reward, that is a cup of tea, coffee (that aroma that spreads in the air will surely give you the right sprint), cold water or a pleasant shower. Whatever it is, it's important that it helps awaken one or more of your senses. When body and mind are stimulated, we automatically wake up to catch the stimuli.

  Light and sound are also valid allies, in addition to taste, smell and touch. Throw open the curtains, turn on some music and get your day off to a good start. The better your morning, the better the afternoon and evening

  

  Step 4. Try to wake up at the end of a sleep cycle to minimize the feeling of exhaustion

  • When you sleep, the sleep cycle goes through several stages, REM and non-REM stages. The non-REM phases include three stages: N1 (Falling Asleep), N2 (Light Sleep), and N3 (Deep Sleep). Usually, you slip into REM sleep about 70 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep and that's when you dream.
  • Each sleep cycle lasts approximately 90 minutes and repeats 4 to 6 times throughout the night. If you wake up during deep sleep (N3), you may feel tired and disoriented. So it's best to wake up during the lightest sleep phase when you are most active, especially REM or N1.
  • Try setting the alarm to a time multiple of 90 minutes from the current time.
  • Consider using a special calculator like this one to schedule the best time to wake up.

  Part 4 of 4: Lifestyle Changes

  

  Step 1. Do not exercise in the latter part of the day

  Many doctors claim that a moderately intense cardio workout performed in the afternoon helps people fall asleep at a reasonable time. So go to the gym, play a sport or take out the treadmill that you had locked up in the attic. Movement will help you fall asleep earlier.

  Avoid working out late in the evening. Exercising in the last hours of the day raises your body temperature. Since sleep is thought to be caused by a drop in body temperature, working out late in the evening could be detrimental to falling asleep early

  

  Step 2. Avoid caffeinated drinks in the evening

  They would keep your body awake and could lead you to suffer from insomnia. Limit your daily intake to less than 500 milligrams.

  A large cup of American coffee contains approximately 330 milligrams of caffeine. A Red Bull stands at 80 milligrams. Just for the record

  

  Step 3. Try sleeping more to catch up on lost sleep

  People need more sleep when the previous day or days did not get enough rest. So if you only got 5 or 6 hours of sleep on Monday (which normally shouldn't happen), be diligent and get 10 or 11 hours of sleep on Tuesday to make up for the previous day's deficiency. Otherwise, you could be feeding a vicious cycle of morning sleepiness.

  Do not take long naps during the day to make up for missing hours of sleep. The closer you get to your normal bedtime, the more devastating a nap can be. If you need to get some sleep, try to get it before 3pm and limit the duration to less than 45 minutes. You will get as much rest as possible without risking not being able to fall asleep quickly at the right time

  

  Step 4. Avoid eating large meals before bedtime

  Not only will the influx of flavors wake you up, but once you're lying in bed you may have a hard time staying there. In addition to your waistline, your vital energy the next day will also suffer greatly.

  Digestion slows down while you sleep, and having a large meal before bed exposes you to stomach acid (as well as forcing you to make trips to the bathroom). Going to sleep overflowing can make it difficult to fall asleep, so it's best to avoid it

  Advice

  • If you use a telephone or electronic device as an alarm clock, choose an unusual, catchy and cheerful ringtone that will wake you up. Change it often so your body doesn't learn to keep sleeping or refuse to wake up by hearing it.
  • When you wake up, go straight to the bathroom and wash your face and eyes with cold water. The sudden change in temperature will help reduce the numbness a little faster, bringing vigor to the nerves and senses.
  • Try to find the amount of sleep that is right for you. Some people only need seven hours of sleep to wake up full of energy. Choose a week or a weekend where you can go to sleep at different times but always get up at the same time. Note your energy level upon awakening.
  • If you are sleepy in the morning, take a cold shower. It will increase your blood pressure by waking up your body considerably.
  • Before going to sleep, remind yourself that you will get up early. This can often be useful and allow you to wake up earlier than usual.
  • Read a book! Not a boring one, your favorite. Your brain will undergo an automatic shutdown when it is tired from reading. You will fall asleep more quickly.
  • Maintain a regular sleep pattern. Fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day.
  • Do physical exercises that stimulate your body. Push-ups, jumping jacks, and lunges are great for releasing morning fatigue.
  • If you have trouble waking up in the morning, sprinkle your face with cold water. Alternatively, before going to sleep, place 2 tablespoons in the freezer and the next morning, when you wake up, hold them on your eyes for about 1 minute. Both will help you open your eyes and wake up.
  • Get out of bed slowly so as not to feel dizzy.
  • As soon as the alarm goes off, get out of bed and start your day. Talking to yourself can come in handy and help your mind prepare for the things planned for the day just begun. So tell yourself that you are not tired and constantly remember your daily plans, insisting that you do not feel fatigued. The hours will flow smoothly.
  • Make sure you have set the alarm and avoid using the snooze function and then go back to sleep. You can choose an alarm clock that vibrates in your bed or next to you, it is also a very useful method for children with deafness and for the elderly.
  • Don't sit on the bed after getting up, you may fall asleep again!
  • Place the alarm clock on the other side of the bedroom for you to have to get out of bed to turn it off.
  • Get a good night's sleep the previous night. Try going to bed early and reading a few pages of a good book.