Waking up in the morning can be tough. Maybe you aren’t a morning person, or you regularly wake up during the night and can’t get enough sleep. Everyone loves to lie in and a lot of people hit that snooze button multiple times before they are functional enough to get out of bed.
Having a regular and consistent sleep schedule is vital for your health, but what if you just can’t seem to wake up properly? Here are 10 tips to help you force yourself out of bed every morning.
Move Your Alarm
The problem with a snooze button is that it’s normally placed right next to you while you sleep. This makes it easier to just hit it every few minutes. Move your alarm clock as far away as you can. It will force you to get up and walk to switch it off. Hopefully by the time you’ve done that you’re awake enough to start your day.
Avoid Screens Late at Night
The reason so many people battle to wake up is because they didn’t sleep very well. By improving your sleep, you can train yourself to get up at the right time every morning, and it won’t be a hassle. The light on a TV or cell phone is artificial lighting that fools your eyes into thinking it’s still daytime.
Try to aim to switch everything off at least one hour before you climb into bed. This should be enough time to give your body a rest and allow it to regulate the feeling of sleepiness. One good tip is to switch your cell phone screen’s blue light filter on. This filter can help your eyes rest because it has a much warmer tone than the standard brightness.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils and Adairs diffusers are not just good for certain ailments and to smell nice; they can be potent scents that get you rising in the morning. Purchase different flavors to see which works the best. Generally, peppermint, lemon, and patchouli-smelling essential oils work to stimulate your brain better.
Rub a bit of the essential oil just under your nose. If you can, get a diffuser that can be timed to spray a mist while you sleep. If you want to fall asleep faster, use relaxing smells like vanilla and lavender.
Calculate Your Ideal Waking Time
It can be hard to go to bed at the same time every night. No two days are the same, and sometimes you will get distracted or have extra chores to complete. Some people sleep too much or too little and don’t realize it. You might even be one of those rare people that are more awake and active at night. Try to understand your ideal waking time. This is the time when you are most refreshed after sleeping. Do you need eight hours to function, or is six enough for you?
Answering the question of, ‘when should I wake up’ can be done through Rise Science’s article on the topic. This will help you to understand your quality of sleep better and assess how you can get the most out of your day.
Use Cold Water
Drink cold water and splash it on your face. The cold temperature will instantly wake you up and jolt your senses. Anything that gets your body pumping in the morning is a good stimulant. Water also wakes your body up much better than caffeine does. Did you know that an apple has a stronger effect on keeping you awake than coffee? Combine these two things when you open your eyes to signal to your body that it’s time to get moving.
Eat Breakfast
You also want to eat breakfast, but not just any breakfast though; concentrate on meals that are high in protein and quick and easy to make. Eggs make a great starter meal for the day and it has enough protein and fat to keep you going. If you are in a rush, boil eggs the night before so you can eat them on your way to work.
Yogurt is another great breakfast filled with healthy bacteria, and it’s quite filling. Mix it in a smoothie with some high protein fruits like different berries and you have everything you need until snack time. By feeding your body, you are forcing it to wake up and start digesting food, which can get your other bodily functions going.
Go Out into the Sun
The sun is not only good for depression and improving your mood; it’s also a great way to help your body wake up in the morning. By standing in the bright light, your body is regulated with your circadian rhythm because biology is telling you that the time for sleep is over.
Just opening your windows wide as soon as you get up can provide enough sunlight to get you moving. If you have artificial lighting, consider installing a timed motion to switch on at a certain time. As soon as your alarm goes off you will be welcomed with a sunny wake-up call.
Plan Activities Accordingly
If you are well-known for sleeping in or not being able to get out of bed in the morning, try to rearrange your day. Set yourself a task the night before that you have to get up early for. If you normally go to the gym in the afternoon, change it to the morning. If you enjoy a certain activity like taking a stroll each day or doing the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper, plan for it in the morning. Your brain will want to enjoy the coming pleasure it will receive from the activity and make you less sleepy.
Read a Book
If you have a book that is particularly boring, even better, since your eyes will become tired the longer you read. Reading for about a half-hour before bed can make you just sleepy enough to pass out. Your muscles will eventually start to tire out and your brain will signal that it needs rest by making you fall asleep. Just don’t read anything too exciting or graphic because those images can go into your subconscious and may give you unpleasant dreams. Also, find something you won’t mind reading all over again each night because you couldn’t get past the third paragraph.
Increase Your Melatonin
Melatonin is a natural hormone your body produces to help you get ready for sleep. Sometimes a person doesn’t produce enough melatonin or something is causing the melatonin to not work as effectively. You can get a supplement over the counter to combat this problem, but check with your doctor to test your levels first because there could be something else at play. The better you sleep, the easier it will be to get up in the morning.
If dragging your feet out of bed is a struggle every morning, then these 10 tips should help you find some peace. There are many ways that you can try to wake up, but the best way is to make sure you are getting enough quality sleep each night.
