Not a Morning Person? 15 Simple Tips for Making Mornings the Best Part of Your Day
They say that the early bird catches the worm! But what about the night owl? There isn’t much benefit to being the one who always stays up late.
If you want to stop wasting away your mornings in bed and turn yourself into a morning person, we have a few tips to help you do just that. Take a look at these 15 tricks that will help you set your alarm clock nice and early and be totally happy about it. Get ready to be a whole new you! The morning version.
Pick a Wake-Up Time
The first thing you need to do in order to become a morning person is to choose a new wake-up time. Pick a time that feels feasible and makes logical sense. You shouldn’t try to instantly go from waking up at 10 am to setting your alarm for 4 am. Set a goal wake-up time then ease your way into this time, waking up 15-30 minutes earlier every day until you reach your goal.
Skip The Late Caffeine
Drinking coffee later in the day or having a huge chocolate dessert before bedtime can disrupt your sleep. Avoid eating and drinking caffeine at night to make it a little easier to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around. If you can fall asleep earlier, then you can wake up earlier!
Avoid Late Night Meals
Just like caffeine will keep you awake, a big meal right before bed will also keep you up later than planned. A big meal may cause indigestion or discomfort, preventing you from falling asleep. You can’t be a morning person if you are up late at night!
No Alcohol Before Bed
While many people think that alcohol makes you feel sleepy, it can actually prevent you from having a good night’s sleep. While you may feel tired initially after drinking alcohol, it can actually make you wake up multiple times a night and never reach a deep sleep. You will find it hard to wake up in the morning if you have a restless night.
Stop Hitting Snooze
If you want to be a morning person, you have to wake up when your alarm sounds. Do not hit the snooze button repeatedly. If you ignore your alarm clock on a regular basis, you will never wake up to be the ambitious morning person you desire to be!
Pick a Routine
Think about what you want to accomplish with your extra time in the morning. Make sure it includes activities that you enjoy. It is easier to get out of bed when you have a routine you look forward to. Every morning can be different or you can stick to a strict routine. As long as you have a morning plan, you are on the right track!
Open Your Curtains
Get rid of those black-out curtains! Letting natural sunlight slowly fill your bedroom in the morning will help you wake up. Exposure to sunlight early in the morning will help reset your body’s internal clock. You will naturally start to wake up earlier as you adjust to the bright morning light.
Start Moving
Don’t get out of bed in the morning and immediately sit back down on the couch. Start moving around! You woke up early in order to become a better, more productive morning person. Start your morning routine right away! You will feel good about jumping right into the day.
Exercise More
Exercising during the day has been linked to improved sleep. Even walking as little as 10 minutes every day will help you sleep better at night. When you sleep better, you are more likely to wake up nice and early!
Do Not Nap
A mid-day nap may ruin your entire routine. If you frequently nap during the day, you may have a harder time falling asleep at night and, therefore, more trouble waking up in the morning. Keep busy and active so you do not fall into a daily napping habit.
Plan With Your Partner
If your partner is a night owl, it can be much harder for you to shift to becoming a morning person. How can you go to bed early when your partner is up watching TV in the bedroom all night? Try to make the change together. Tell your partner all the benefits of waking up early. If you both start waking up early to seize the day, it is much easier to shift your schedule.
Mini Morning Goals
Try setting mini-morning goals for yourself. Whether it is to go for a morning walk, see a sunrise, or finish the crossword puzzle by 7 am, it is good to have little things to work towards. Make your goals achievable and enjoyable. Your extra morning hours are yours to enjoy!
Pull An All-Nighter
Pulling an all-nighter is rarely a good idea, considering how unhealthy it can be to skip a night of sleep. However, this may sometimes be a drastic solution to adopting a better sleeping schedule. If you are stuck in a bad loop of going to sleep at 4 am, staying awake for a night will help you feel extremely tired in the early evening the following day. This may help you sleep before midnight and start a new routine.
Be Accountable
Do you know why so many people fail to wake up early? Because they don’t have to. Just think about it. If you had to get a plane at 8 am, you would surely wake up, right? The solution? Schedule something in the early hours. For instance, you may start a new sport with classes in the morning or plan a café with a friend or colleague. You surely won’t miss the alarm!
No Weekends Off
While it can be tempting to sleep later on the weekend, you should keep your morning routine consistent no matter what day it is. When you have the same schedule every single day, it is much easier on your body to adjust to the morning schedule. You will start to naturally wake up early, whether it is Saturday morning or Wednesday. Having one set wake-up time is healthy and productive! Don’t let those weekends off pass you by!
