One of the main benefits of summer holidays is being able to sleep late (if you are not a morning person). It can become a problem, however, when autumn returns and you have to get back into the habit of waking up early. This transition can be difficult, because your body has natural circadian rhythms that can be disturbed when your schedules change. The good news is that your body's "clock" can be reset, along with your alarm clock, and you can be able to get to school on time and well rested!
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Change Sleep Times Before School Begins
Step 1. Determine how long you need to sleep
In the summer, you probably got into the habit of sleeping in the morning and staying up late. To prepare to get up early for school, you'll need to reset your internal, or circadian, clock to make it easier for you to get back home.
Although we are all different, the general rule is that children between the ages of 5 and 9 should sleep 10-11 hours a night, and children between the ages of 10 and 18 should sleep 8½-9½ hours a night
Step 2. Set a time to go to bed
Calculate what time you need to go to sleep to be able to wake up and go to school in the morning. For example, if school starts at 8:00 am and you have to leave home at 7:30 am to get there on time, considering you need an hour to have breakfast and get ready, you should go to sleep at 9:30 pm, to sleep nine. hours and wake up at 6:30.
If you can't fall asleep quickly, you may have to go to bed earlier than the time you calculated. If you need half an hour to fall asleep, and according to your calculations you should be asleep at 9:30 pm, go to bed at 9:00 pm
Step 3. Reset your internal clock
Move your bedtime back by 15 minutes every 3 to 4 days. Wake up 15 minutes earlier the following days. Do this every day of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays, until you are able to sleep at the time you set - 9:30 pm in the example above.
- If you stay up late, this method may take several weeks, so plan ahead.
- If you haven't planned well, you'll need to speed up the process. Try going to sleep 1-2 hours earlier every 1-2 days and waking up 1-2 hours earlier the following mornings. It will be difficult at first, but it will certainly be less difficult than trying to change your sleep pattern in a single day, especially if it was the first day of school, when the nervousness will keep you awake.
- Stick to the schedule even on weekends. If you don't, your circadian rhythm won't be regular, and Monday mornings will be really terrible.
Method 2 of 5: Resume the School Period Morning Routine
Step 1. Have an early breakfast
In the summer, you will not only have upset the rhythm of sleep: the whole schedule of your days will change, and even if it can be fun and relaxing to eat and do everything at unusual times, it is just as difficult to return to the norm when autumn arrives. When you wake up, have breakfast at the same time you would have it for school.
- Studies have shown that breakfast helps you wake up and gives you more energy. Eating in the morning supplies glucose to the body, the body's energy source, so it's not surprising to feel lethargic upon waking up. Breakfast will energize you, as it will break the night's fast.
- Research has also shown that eating carbohydrate-rich grains can improve mood, and make you go to school more willingly.
Step 2. Prepare as you would for school
After waking up, act as if you are going to school. If you normally start your day with eating, do so. If you shower instead, start with that. Your goal must be to regain the right habits, so at the beginning of school you will not be unprepared when you hear the alarm and getting out of bed will no longer be so traumatic.
- Make sure you finish the job. For example, if you normally style your hair and put your makeup on before school, do it during the prep period as well.
- Try to complete all the activities in the time you have when you need to go to school. If you get used to it now, you won't have to rush into it in the future.
Step 3. Get out of the house
If you can, leave the house at the same time you would for school. This will force you to respect the times and will get you used to leaving the house in the morning. Here are some suggestions:
- You could go to the library. Complete the readings you had to do in the summer or review math.
- Go to the house of a friend who is trying to get back to school. You can go to the park, the cinema and the shopping center together.
- Sign up for a morning class. Many art institutions, dioceses and natural parks offer summer courses for students.
Method 3 of 5: Resume the School Period Evening Routine
Step 1. Dinner at the right time
In the summer, you may have gotten into the habit of eating at odd times. You should therefore start eating again at the time you would when you go to school.
- If you've gotten into the habit of eating fast food sandwiches on summer nights, go back to nutritious, balanced meals. Healthy foods not only benefit the health of the body, but also that of the brain.
- To decide what time you should have dinner, consider your evening schedule, which will consist of after-school activities, homework, time you need to get ready for bed, free time you want to reserve, hours you need to sleep, and activities of the people living with you.
Step 2. Read in the evening
Reading in the evening (and doing it in general, if you haven't picked up a book for some time) will restart the circuits of the brain. You will be able to study more easily and you will get into the habit of doing your homework in the evening.
- You can also enjoy sudokus, crossword puzzles, children's educational books, quizzes - anything that can get you back into an evening routine that includes study and homework.
- Try to find your habits and do activities that can help you in the process, such as searching online for geometry problems. It will actually be like doing homework rather than solving puzzles and sudokus, and it will also help you improve your school grades.
Step 3. Get ready for bed
You may have lost the habit of showering every night or even brushing your teeth. You should now resume doing these activities regularly. As with the morning routine, stick to the same hours you will have when you go to school.
Resume or make a habit of preparing clothes for the next day before bedtime. So in the morning you will be less rushed and less stressed, especially if you never know what to wear
Step 4. Go to sleep at the appointed time
After resetting your internal clock, continue to go to bed at your appointed time, even on weekends. Resist the temptation to break the rules and you will soon reap the benefits.
Method 4 of 5: Sleep Well
Step 1. Relax before bed
Limiting stimuli in the evening serves to make the body understand that the day is about to end. You can't expect your energies to drop from 100 to 0 just by slipping under the covers of your bed. So spend 30-45 minutes slowly shutting down your brain and body.
- You could do this with a hot shower or bath. When you get out of the water, your body temperature will drop, and your body will react by producing melatonin, the natural sleep hormone.
- You can also prepare for sleep by avoiding all electronic devices and game consoles and by reading a book, listening to classical or relaxing music or doing simple stretching exercises.
Step 2. Avoid caffeine before bedtime
Caffeine is a stimulant, and although many people associate it with coffee, it is also found in tea, chocolate, soda, and some pain relievers. Sleep experts recommend avoiding these foods for 6 hours before going to bed.
It may seem like a very long time, but that's how long it takes for the caffeine to leave the bloodstream
Step 3. Avoid strenuous physical activity before bedtime
When you do intense physical activity, your body temperature rises, and it takes a few hours for you to return to normal levels. Since a lower body temperature is required to sleep better, do not exercise 3-4 hours before going to bed.
Regular activity, on the other hand, promotes good sleep. The mechanism that regulates this interaction is unclear, but many studies have shown that it exists
Step 4. Avoid electronic device-induced insomnia
Turn off the television and put away your cell phones, computers and tablets when you are in bed. These devices will not prevent you from relaxing just because you will be busy clicking, scrolling, typing, chatting and so on, but also because they lead the body to think that it is still day and, consequently, it is not time to go. to go to sleep.
- Here's why: These devices emit a type of blue light that mimics natural light and causes melatonin levels to drop. When this happens, your brain tells the body that it is not time to sleep; this interferes with your circadian rhythm.
- Television also emits this light, but the problem is felt more with cell phones, laptops and tablets, because you hold them closer to your face.
Step 5. Make your room darker
Turn off all the lights when you sleep. Your circadian rhythm, your internal clock, is mostly regulated by exposure to light and dark, which causes melatonin levels to decrease or increase. Since melatonin induces sleep, the darker your room, the better.
- You could also use dimmer lights during the 30-45 minutes of relaxation before bed, to let your brain know that it's almost time for bed.
- If you live with another person or there are lights you can't avoid, try wearing a mask to cover your eyes.
Step 6. Go to sleep at the same time every night
Make sure you always respect the set time. It may be tempting to stay up late on the weekend, but doing so will interfere with your internal clock and make Monday mornings a real nightmare.
Method 5 of 5: Waking Up Early for School
Step 1. Dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime
It will be easier to wake up early if you have slept well. Eating too much in the evening can make sleep difficult due to digestion, which is why you should avoid doing it. Spicy, garlicky, highly acidic or fatty foods are particularly problematic, as they often cause heartburn if you lie down too soon after eating them.
But remember that hunger can also interfere with sleep. So if you feel really hungry before bed, snack on oatmeal, bananas, milk and cereal, yogurt, raw vegetables, or some popcorn
Step 2. Prepare for the next day
One of the reasons why so many people hate getting up early is the rush with which they have to prepare to leave the house on time. To avoid this problem, choose and pack your clothes the night before, pack your lunch, pack your satchel, and make sure you get all the forms you will need signed at school.
- Arrange your clothes, shoes and accessories where you will wear them - whether it's in the bathroom or the bedroom.
- Put your backpack, PE bag, and musical instrument, if needed, near the front door, ready to be picked up.
Step 3. Eat a healthy breakfast
Continue your morning routine with a healthy breakfast. Your glucose levels will rise and you will have a good start to the day.
Step 4. Position the alarm so that it is difficult to press the button to snooze
Most of us have done this, probably more times in a row than we'd like to admit. However, postponing the alarm will only make you have more problems getting up and having to do things even more quickly. So move the alarm clock where you can't reach with your arm.
If you really have a hard time getting up, you can put your alarm clock across the room so you'll have to get out of bed to turn it off
Step 5. Use more than one alarm clock
Purchase and place more than one alarm clock in your room, at different locations. You could set them to play at the same time, or at different times, but no more than 2-3 minutes apart - otherwise you'll get into the habit of going back to bed after turning off the first.
- Buy different types of alarms, which have different sounds and volumes.
- You could use your cell phone as an alarm clock if it has this feature and makes a loud enough noise. On some phones, you'll even have the ability to download annoying sounding alarms, which can be frustrating but effective.
Step 6. Use the light to wake up better
Since your internal clock responds to light as a signal to get up, you can use this dynamic to wake you up better, even if the sun hasn't risen yet. There are some useful gadgets on the market that can help you.
- For example, there are many alarm clocks that can help you get up by slowly increasing the light, as if the sun is rising, to get your body to react and it will know it's time to wake up. Although the light produced is artificial, studies have shown the effectiveness of these devices.
- There are also lamps that light up slowly and simulate the sunrise. Some also have the opposite functionality - they can gradually turn off to simulate sunset and help you sleep.
- The best option, however, is to take advantage of natural light. Before the advent of Edison it is the method our ancestors used. Letting natural light into the room by leaving the curtains or blinds open when you go to sleep is the best way to stimulate your body. But since it's not always possible to do this when you need to wake up very early, artificial light sources are great alternatives.
Advice
- Keep a glass of cool water on your nightstand and drink it as soon as you wake up. It will kick-start your metabolism and make you feel more alert.
- Ask family or friends for help to wake you up early. You could ask a friend to call you every morning or your mom to tickle your feet.
- Alarms are only useful if you remember to set them!
- Try showering with a lemon or peppermint shower gel to get you off on the right foot.
- Remember why waking up early is important. So as not to have to do everything in a rush? Why do you hate being late? Why do you want to show up at school beautiful? To get good grades?
- If you find that something in your routine is not working, or if you want to add some activities, plan your actions and work towards making those changes!
- Reward yourself if you can wake up early on a regular basis. It can be a great motivation to get up early.
