It’s a familiar story: You’re 100% set on waking up early, since it seems like all successful people start their days before sunrise, but when the morning comes, all your good intentions could not get you out of bed. Going to sleep late could be one of the reasons you have a hard time waking up. Many sleep experts agree the best thing you can do to become a morning person is sticking to a similar sleep pattern every night (yes, that means weekends too). See below for more tested strategies to wake up bright and early.
HOW TO GET UP IN THE MORNING
1) Have A Set Sleep Schedule
Your sleep schedule should be as consistent as possible. Having one will help you develop a mental alarm clock, which will provide a natural way of falling asleep and waking up without a problem. Soon, going to bed at 10pm every night and waking up at 6am every morning will be a breeze.
2) Get Out of Bed Right Away
The challenge is always staying up after you wake up early. Lying in bed “for just a few minutes” is dangerous since you might nod off again. Try building a momentum that will keep you going as soon as you get up. The best way to do that is to leave your bed as soon as your alarm goes off.
3) Open Your Bedroom Blinds Immediately
If you have blinds, open them as soon as you get up after your alarm goes off. This way, you allow natural light from your windows to come into your room. Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and stay awake.
4) Make A Morning Happiness List
If you’re not sure how to get up in the morning, wake up with intention! Before you go to bed, write a list of everything you’re excited to accomplish in the morning to give yourself extra motivation. Always get excited about your day, and you’ll jump out of bed. Instead of feeling negative about having to wake up early, make waking up early something you look forward to. You can motivate yourself further by planning to do something fun in the morning.
HOW TO SET YOUR ALARM CLOCK FOR SUCCESS
5) Use A Fun Alarm Sound
Most times an annoying alarm clock will irritate you, which actually helps you to wake up in your rush to shut it off. Unfortunately, this also creates a negative feeling as you start your day. Instead, replace that annoying buzzer with your favorite song and, this way, you will wake up in a good mood, ready to go. You can listen to it in full, and by the time that 3 minutes is over, you’ll be ready to get out of bed in a positive mindset. Change up the song frequently so you don’t get sick of it!
6) Whatever You Do, Don’t Hit Snooze
Hitting snooze drags most people back to sleep. That extra 5-10 minutes could end up stretching into a whole hour. Instead, try to spend those snooze minutes out of bed. You could sit on the bed with your legs on the floor, or you could stand. This way, you are slowly waking your mind up by getting your body moving.
7) Move The Alarm Clock Out of Arm’s Reach
If snooze is just too tempting, make it physically impossible to sleep in. Put your alarm clock away from you, far enough for you to actually have to get out of bed to switch it off. This may prevent you from going back to bed because you will have disrupted your sleep.
8) Make Morning Plans With a Friend
Try scheduling a workout, study group, or breakfast date early in the morning. When you make plans with someone else, you will no doubt wake up and start your day because you have someone to hold you accountable. It’s easy to break your own plans for yourself, but not ones you have set with one or more other people.
HOW TO GET ENERGY IN THE MORNING
The hardest part of waking up may be staying up. It’s normal to have low levels of energy in the morning—the deficiency of certain vitamins necessary for making energy may lead to that sluggish feeling. Here’s what you can do:
9) Rehydrate!
Rehydration is key since our bodies tend to be dehydrated in the morning from the eight hours of sleep—water rejuvenates your organs in the morning and helps kickstart your body into waking up. So drink a full glass of water after you brush your teeth. If you don’t like plain water, you can add a slice of lemon to add some natural flavor.
10) Add These Foods And Vitamins To Your Diet
Rhodiola rosea is considered an adaptogen (natural, non-toxic compounds that may help mitigate the effects of stress). This particular adaptogen is believed to reduce fatigue while increasing focus, stamina, endurance, and attention. The best natural sources of vitamin B-12 include red meat, mussels, clams, and dairy products. This vitamin is required for energy metabolism and is essential for the production of cellular energy. Drinking goji berry juice for a period of two weeks may help you feel more energized and mentally focused. Goji berry juice is also believed to reduce fatigue and increase athletic performance. You can also get a mix of these natural energy-supporters in a single supplement, such as RECHARGE HEALTH™ centered energy, which is made from goji berries, rhodiola rosea, CoQ10 and vitamin B-12. This formulation is made from whole foods, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and is made in America from ingredients from around the world. Just a word of caution—be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before you start taking this or any supplement to be sure it’s safe for you.
11) Work Out As Soon As You Wake Up
Exercising in the morning is another way to help you wake up. You can go for a jog, hit the gym, or do some light exercises in the house such as sit-ups, mountain climbers, or crunches. These get your endorphins flowing and give you energy. Prepare your workout clothes the night before—or even sleep in them—so it’s easy to get active right away.
12) Eat A Big Breakfast
Most times we have that inactive, lazy feeling when we get out of bed. To give yourself an immediate boost, prepare a nutritious breakfast the night before to have something to look forward to. Overnight oats or chia seed pudding are great and easy options. Breakfast is an important meal to help make sure you have enough energy to stay on point all day. And remember, this is a key tip used by many successful people to get up in the morning, so why not try it yourself?
WHEN TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
There isn’t an ideal time to wake up in the morning. It depends on your day’s schedule. However, one of the most important things to do is to ensure you get between 7-9 hours of sleep.
Your body has two hormones that affect your sleeping patterns: melatonin and cortisol. When your body perceives darkness, the levels of melatonin rise and induce sleep. When your body is exposed to sun in the morning, the levels of melatonin decrease while those of cortisol rise. So spend as much time outside as you can to give your body the clues it needs to help regulate your sleep rhythm.
Remember to stick to a sleep schedule, ignore the snooze button, and occasionally consider energy supplements to rise and shine every morning. Waking up—and staying up—will be easier than you ever thought possible.