Become a Morning Person Step-by-Step
Whether it’s for work or just a desire to get the day started earlier and on a more positive note, many people wish they were more of a morning person.
It’s not an easy process, but with some work and patience, you can reset your internal clock and align it more with the body’s natural circadian rhythm.
Centers Health Care has a step-by-step guide to help you become more of a morning person.
- Set Your Goal and Work Towards It
The first thing you should do is set a goal for the time you want to get up every day. Then, set your alarm to wake up 20 minutes earlier each day until you reach that desired wake-up time. Go to bed when you’re feeling sleepy, which—in theory—should be around 20 minutes earlier each night.
- How to Wake Up Easier
Sleep experts suggest that the first thing you should do is wake up as soon as the alarm clock goes off and get yourself into some light. Open up the shades if the sun is out or turn on a lamp by the bed. If you usually sleep through your alarm, get a louder one. And if you’re waking up right around the time the sun comes up, leave the blinds open so the sunlight helps naturally wake you up.
- Avoid Pitfalls
There are two things that people typically do to mess up their sleep schedule. The first is staying up too late while watching TV or using electronic devices. The blue light that these devices emit can trick your mind into thinking its daylight out and will cause your body to not produce the hormone melatonin that gets you ready for sleep.
The other common issue is falling away from the schedule on the weekend. Sleeping in on a Saturday or Sunday can make that Monday morning alarm seem even earlier than it is, sometimes prompting you to hit the snooze or fall back into the pattern that you were trying to avoid in the first place.