Waking up early for some people is one of the hardest things they have to do. No matter how early the alarm goes off, and regardless of how many alarms they set, it’s simply an impossible, grueling task.
Time is certainly a valuable commodity. Many of us lead busy lives, with a million things to do in a matter of hours. And before we know it, the day has ended.
Isn’t it true, though, that one of the most satisfying feelings you can have is settling into bed after a long, successful day, and reflecting on how you’ve achieved everything you planned to do?
Studies have noted that people who wake up early are more proactive, productive, perform better at their jobs and are generally more optimistic. In fact, there are quite a few benefits to waking up early.
Here are 5 Simple Ways to Teach Yourself to Wake Up Early.
1. Psyche yourself up through preparation.
If you know that the next day requires an early start and that you need to achieve multiple goals, prepare yourself mentally the night before.
- Build awareness in your mind of the importance of being early.
- Arrange your schedule, beginning early in the morning, and fit all the tasks together into a complete puzzle.
Knowing that you must start at a specific time in order to achieve your targets for the following day is a way of setting a mental alarm clock for the next morning.
2. It’s all about routine.
A regular, fixed sleeping pattern does wonders for the body and the mind.
It’s not necessarily about getting a specific number of hours of sleep every night. It’s about getting the appropriate amount of sleep that your body requires.
Establish a routine of going to bed at a fixed time and getting up at a fixed time.
If you usually have a random sleep schedule, it will take a while to establish a routine, but keep at it, and eventually it will stick.
3. Have a good night’s rest.
Our bodies need to rest in order to repair and build themselves. **We also need to make sure that our sleep time is quality sleep time
.**
You can help your body to wind down at night by taking practical steps. For example:
- Do a relaxing activity before bedtime.
- Dim the lights to avoid confusing your body about the time of day.
- Avoid liquids, so that you remain asleep through the night.
Some people resort to drinking water before bedtime because this will force them to wake up in the morning and try to make it to the bathroom in time!
Others use guided meditation mp3s. You will get a great nights sleep using this mp3.
4. Don’t you dare touch the snooze button!
Hitting the snooze button is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to train your body to wake up at a certain time. If you press it once, you know you’re going to press it a couple more times before you eventually wake up in a panic because you’re running late.
Hitting the snooze button will actually make you more tired. It is a way to set up your day to be less productive.
- Force yourself to wake up and jump out of bed the instant your alarm goes off.
- Open your eyes, stretch, and sit up.
- You’ve already conquered the most challenging hurdle. Don’t even think about lying down again for only a few more minutes of sleep!
5. Math can help you.
The average sleep pattern comprises of several 90 minute cycles, each cycle beginning with Non-REM sleep and then leading to REM sleep.
Setting your alarm to go off during the initial stages of non-REM sleep will make it easier to wake up, as this is when we sleep lightly.
Set your alarm for a time that is a multiple of 90 minutes from when you’re going to sleep, so that it goes off during the period of light non-REM sleep.
Waking up early shouldn’t mean getting less sleep. It means getting the amount of sleep your body requires and still being able to wake up early in the day.
Use guided meditation to become an early riser.
There are numerous factors that lead to inadequate quality and quantity of sleep. Lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, smoking, inappropriate use of technology, and an unhealthy diet affect sleep quality negatively.
Disciplined and active bodies and minds are more likely to have a good night’s rest.
It takes effort to nail down your routine, but once you do, you’ll start to wake up fresh and rested, with plenty of time to accomplish your goals for the day.
Do you wake up early? How do you get yourself do so consistently? Share your tips or make comments on this article, we read and appreciate them all!
