Updated on February 11, 2023
My Problem: I wouldn’t say I like alarms. I think they’re terrible, and I sleep through them usually. I’d like to use the fewest number of alarms necessary. No more than 2-3. Preferably one, but a second is okay if absolutely necessary.
It’s very beneficial to wake up early, but not everyone knows how to wake up early without being too tired throughout the day.
The first step to getting up in the morning is knowing when your body does not need more sleep, and the best way to do that is by becoming familiar with your internal clock. There are many ways to regulate this: Bedtime routines, daily exercise, and even exposure to daylight can help you adjust your body clock. Once you’ve done all of these things, it’s time to look for more powerful methods of waking yourself up.
However, these strategies only work if you wake up in sync with your body. So while the external strategies may work, they can be counterproductive if you’re waking up when your body needs more sleep. Let’s take a closer look at some of these easy yet effective methods.
Consistent Sleep Time
The ideal way to train yourself to wake up early is by falling asleep at a regular time each night. This will allow you to regulate your internal clock and prepare yourself for sleep every day by getting used to it.
To do that, make it a habit of going to bed at the same time each night so that you fall asleep in less than 10 minutes. Instead of staying awake until 2am before hitting the sack for 4 hours, try falling asleep within 10 minutes of going to bed.
Consistent Wake-Up Time
The second step is to make sure you wake up at a natural time. The earlier you’re waking up, the more likely your body will start releasing cortisol during the night, which plays a crucial role in reducing sleepiness. It’s important to have a consistent wake-up time, because even if you’re sleeping in sync with your body clock so that you feel tired as soon as you go to bed, it won’t mean anything if you’re only following a random schedule.
Snooze Less
Another effective way to wake up early is to start using the snooze button less. In fact, the snooze button may make you more tired and cause you to wake up later. Studies have found that the snooze button may cause you to think you’re going to sleep longer, so when your alarm goes off again after 5 minutes, it will be harder to wake up. So if you feel the need for snoozing, try getting away with it for only 3 minutes rather than turn it off completely.
Wake Up Slowly
It’s best to wake up and gradually get ready for the day (and we don’t mean hitting that snooze button!). For example, having breakfast at 6 or 7am and stretching for 20 minutes will help produce more melatonin when it does hit. And the effects of melatonin as a sleep hormone won’t be that big, so you’ll wake up while your body is still tired. You will also have more motivation to accomplish more during the day.
Lifestyle Changes
The third step to waking up early is making some simple lifestyle changes. Waking up at 5 or 6am may sound like a Herculean task, but sometimes the most effective solutions are also the simplest – with just two changes, you may find yourself sleeping better and waking up earlier than ever before!
The first thing you can do is to avoid using mobile devices and tablets 2 hours prior to coming into bed each night. The amount of blue light emitted from these devices may make it more difficult to fall asleep. Not only that but staring at the bright screen does nothing for your sleep. Instead, try listening to audiobooks and soft music under the covers while you log out of social media to help you relax and feel sleepy.
Be Productive
And finally, most importantly, consider how you’re going to use the extra time that comes from waking up earlier.
If you would like to wake up by 7am but your normal waking time is 9am, try not looking at the clock during these 2 hours and instead see if you can get some work done or be more productive in whatever way possible.
The hour or so you’ll save in the morning from waking up earlier can be used to accomplish something that might not have been possible otherwise.
Conclusion
The idea of waking up early can be intimidating, but it’s also doable! With these simple methods and ideas, you can gradually train yourself to wake up early and have more energy throughout the day. It’s never too late to start practising good sleep habits today.
So if you’re tired of being tired, take the first step toward waking up early by adjusting your bedtime and wake-up time.
References & Sources
- How To Train Yourself To Wake Up On Time In The Morning – healthline.com
- 8 Genius Tips for Waking Up Early – herzing.edu