Have you ever met a morning person and thought, “how do they wake up feeling energized and ready to go?” You’re not the only one. Many people wake up with difficulty or have trouble feeling fully awake. Staying up too late streaming the newest series, endless scrolling on your phone, or hitting the snooze button too many times – there are plenty of reasons why we don’t wake up and raring to go. That being said, there are helpful tips you can keep in mind and bad habits you can break to help you feel more awake.
Change the type of alarm you use
According to sleep psychologist Shelby Harris, “The brain doesn’t just immediately jolt from a sleep state to an awake one. Instead, your brain and body need some time to awaken. Most of us use a phone to set an alarm, but it might be a good time to invest in a real alarm clock. Harris also recommends exposing yourself to bright light, such as a sunrise alarm, for 15-30 minutes to help wake up your body and mind.
Stop hitting snooze
Research shows that using the snooze function too often may lead to “fragmented sleep.” This affects your ability to function as your body is trying to re-enter a sleep cycle and wake up at the same time. Healthline.com recommends trying a 90-minute sleep cycle. Set one alarm for 90 minutes for when you want to wake up, and one for wake up time. This will help you feel more awake as you experience a full sleep cycle instead of a fragmented one.
Keep a bedtime routine
Each night, prep yourself for bed by sticking to a routine. This helps your zeitgebers, time cues, alert your body it is time to relax. Finding stress-free and ideally screen-free activities to do before bed, like reading or deep breathing exercises can help induce sleep.
Aim to wake up at the same time every day
“Regardless of how well you slept or when you went to sleep, always get up at a set wake-up time,” says Dr. W. Christopher Winter, the Medical Director at the Martha Jefferson Sleep Center. Your circadian rhythm, the internal process your body uses for sleep, benefits from consistency. Keeping the same bedtime and wake-up time helps tell your body when it is time to start winding down for bed.
Not everyone may be a morning person, but it is possible to start developing good habits that can help lead to a more productive day. We hope these tips inspire you to rethink your bedtime routine and lead to more energetic mornings!
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