That’s right, every day of the week, including the weekends. Until you’re completely reprogrammed, there won’t be any sleeping in whatsoever. But once you get it down, you won’t need to!
If mornings are a serious issue for you, stay at one level for two days. Monday and Tuesday can be spent at 8:00 and then on Wednesday bring it down to 7:45.
You can also try conditioning your body to need less sleep if passing on those night hours is like giving up your first born child. It’s the same idea, but with maintaining a set bedtime.
What do you have going on in the next day that you can’t wait to get up for? Its size does not indicate its efficacy – small things work just as well. Even getting excited for the morning’s cup of joe works! Yum. Can you almost taste it?
It’s sort of a chicken before the egg thing. Early risers have more time for exercise, family, and more quiet time at the office (and an easier commute). [2] X Research source Is sleep making their lives better or do they sleep better because they have good lives? Try it out for yourself!
If you need to be out the door and on your way at a certain time, think about how much time you’ll need for each step of your morning routine. Consider what, if anything, you can cut out of your routine to streamline the process: do you need that shower, or that cup of coffee? As you lay in bed, drifting off to sleep, tell yourself: “I need to wake up early tomorrow. I need to wake up at 5 a. m. , make a pot of coffee, shower, shave, and be out the door by 5:45. It’ll take me twenty minutes to drive to the airport, ten more minutes to get set up in the long-term parking lot, and another fifteen minutes to walk to the security check. I can grab a quick breakfast in the terminal before my flight leaves. "
The routine can consist of showering, drinking warm milk, listening to classical music, or doing relaxing exercises such as yoga or Pilates. If you read, make sure to read without any bright lights (more on that later). Designate your bedroom for sleeping only. Refrain from any strenuous activities right before, as this will inhibit comfortable sleep time.
The science behind it is that all these bright lights are messing with our body’s internal clocks. When you’re sitting in front of a computer, TV, and phone until 2 AM, your body has zero ideas as to what’s going on; it could be 2 AM or 2 PM for all it knows. Turning off the lights lets your body realize, “Ahh, it’s bedtime. Shutting down!”
It’s easier to wake up early if you’ve have the recommended amount of sleep during the night. Plan on getting: 7 to 9 hours of sleep for men. [5] X Research source 8 to 9 hours of sleep for women. [5] X Research source 9 to 10 hours of sleep for pregnant women. [5] X Research source 10 to 12 hours of sleep for children and the elderly. [5] X Research source
You know how we just said light keeps you awake? Well, if you’re asleep it awakens you. Crazy stuff, huh? The natural sunlight will be perceived by your body, even when you’re asleep. Sunlight can also warm your bed, letting the temperature tell you to get up, too. If that’s possible, consider placing your bed in the right position in your room to utilize this effect.
Getting up in the middle of the night could be the symptom of a larger problem. Evaluate your habits and your environment. If you’re doing everything right (you’ll know by the end of this page), consider seeing a doctor. You may have a sleep condition that he/she can help with.
If you’re not sleeping alone, utilize layers or the lack thereof. Try to find a common ground where you’re both negotiating. Worst comes to worst, there’s always heating blankets!
Consider getting a new one. There are tons of alarms with different tones. Maybe yours isn’t working for you, in which case, consider a new one. [8] X Research source Be considerate of roommates and housemates. If you’re sleeping in the same room as someone, tell them your plan to wake up early, and ask their permission to set an alarm. This way, they can prepare for the alarm–with earplugs, or opting to sleep somewhere else for the night–and they won’t be startled awake in the morning.
Snoozing won’t make you feel more rested. Scientists have found that you don’t get the more restful, REM sleep while snoozing, making this guilty pleasure especially wasteful for your wakefulness. In fact, you’ll just feel worse. [9] X Research source
Light and sound work, too, in addition to taste, smell, and touch. Throw open the curtains, turn on some music, and get your day off on the right foot. The better the morning, the better the afternoon and evening!
When you sleep, you cycle between REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep comprises three stages: N1 (Transition to sleep), N2 (Light sleep), and N3 (Deep sleep). You usually slip into REM sleep 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, and this is when most of your dreams occur. [10] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source Each sleep cycle lasts roughly 90 minutes, and repeats four to six times over the course of a night. If you are awoken in the midst of N3 deep sleep, you may feel groggy and disoriented. You want to wake during the lighter, more active stages of sleep, especially REM or N1. Try setting a wake-up time that’s a multiple of 90 minutes away from the current time. Consider using a sleep-cycle calculator like [1] to plan out the best time to wake.
Try not to exercise later on at night. Exercising late at night raises your body’s core temperature. Since sleep is thought to be brought on by a drop in the body’s temperature, late-night exercise may be detrimental to an early night’s sleep.
A grande brewed coffee from Starbucks has 330 mg of caffeine. [13] X Research source Red Bull clocks in at a decent 80. [14] X Research source Just for the record.
Don’t nap for long periods of time during the day to make up for it, however. The closer it gets to actual bedtime, the more devastating a nap can be. If you need to take a nap, try to make it before 3:00 PM, and limit it to under 45 minutes. [4] X Research source That’ll provide the most rest while still giving you a good chance of falling asleep quickly later at night.
Your digestion slows down when you sleep and eating a big meal beforehand makes you susceptible to heartburn (in addition to the trips to the bathroom). Going to bed in a near food coma makes it difficult to initially fall asleep, too. So it’s best to just avoid it.
