The alarm goes off and the fight begins between your will power and that horrible sound that forces you to get out of bed. What ruins any attempt to get up early again…
For life, I have been part of those who beg for “5 more mints in the bed” and multiply them 20 times postponing the alarm again and again. Until finally, wake up and get out of bed as a zombie (with the feeling of not having rested enough).
In order to help all those rebellious sleepers, here is a summary (which by the way, I am writing at 5:11 am) with the best strategies to achieve early awakening.
“Sleeping early and getting up early makes a healthy, rich and wise man” -Benjamin Franklin
I have never considered myself an amateur person in the mornings. In fact, I feel that I am more efficient at night. This was the main argument/excuse (like that of many people) for not getting up earlier.
Normally, the alarm was calculated perfectly so that all my morning activities would fit like bathing, brushing my teeth, getting dressed, getting ready, having a quick breakfast and going to work.
According to my calculations, I woke up at 7:00 am, it was a decent enough time to get out of the house at 8:30 and be at the desk working at 9:00 am. A perfect plan.
The only detail is that, my willpower also sleeps and refuses to wake up.
So were my mornings: the same alarm of each day sounded the hour planned. As usual, I went through that alarm, and those 5 extra minutes became an hour … I had to run away from home, making my day a chaos from very early.
To change that habit I had to start at the root.
I realized that those nocturnal activities such as: working on the computer, reading late, or using my cell phone before going to sleep, was what affected my resistance in the morning.
The problem to get up early, is not in your mornings.
Why is it so hard to get up early? The answer is simple: because it is a habit.
The sleep pattern is part of your daily routine. That said, it is necessary to clarify that the solution to get up in the morning begins at night, before going to sleep.
Sufficient sleep means sleeping on average 7 to 8 hours a day.
Currently, it is known that this figure decreases as the age increases. This occurs due to changes in circadian cycles, better known as biological clocks.
If you are part of the group of average adults, it means that there is no reason to sleep less than 7 hours a day.
It is also very likely that this will also help you get up early without being sleepy (and even without an alarm clock).
Surely, you do these nocturnal activities, because you consider yourself “a person at night”, a time in which you feel that you perform better.
I have good news to give you, you are correct.
Did not you really expect it?
But it is true, there are people who perform better at night than in the morning.
These are the advantages of being a “morning person”
The research suggests that, if there are biological differences between “people of tomorrow”, who wake up at the same time every day and feel more active around 9 am, and “night people” who manage to do more things once that the sun is hidden
However, a point in favor of the “swallows of tomorrow” is that they can achieve better effectiveness and quality of work by waking up early, unlike the “nocturnal owls”.
According to self-reports of university students, those who wake up earlier feel more optimistic, proactive and have better grades.
Other studies have found that morning mornings tend to be more productive and focused than night owls.
The researchers also suggest that memory and concentration during the day improve when you sleep as necessary.
These are some benefits of getting up earlier:
Being a “morning person” can be really good for your health and even if you do not believe it to control your weight.
When British researchers questioned some adults about their sleep habits, they found that people who stay under the sheets longer, are more likely to live with stress, overweight and depression than those who get up at 7 am.
Another study found, that waking up late makes you more likely to be sedentary and therefore overweight, compared to those who wake up early.
Also, stop earlier, it is more advantageous for your schedules and your daily routine. Normally the workday, usually starts around 9 in the morning and the office (usually) will not open at midnight.
I understand that some people are nocturnal, not for pleasure but for lack of time. The night becomes your moment, and only in those hours can you do something that you like.
Maybe, the reason why you concentrate more at night, is because everything is quieter, there is less noise in the city and you breathe an atmosphere of silence.
Well, I want to tell you that early in the morning you can also experience the same effect, but with the great advantages that you have just read.
The good news is that regardless of your situation, it is possible to reset the body’s clock and get up earlier.
How can I get up earlier?
Remember that the most important thing is to incorporate new habits, and to achieve it you have to follow the steps. Once you have mastered the first, you can continue to the next one and so on.
Before starting these steps, you need to visualize your ideal tomorrow.
This is important so that you always keep in mind the real reason why you want to wake up early, what motivates you to be constant.
Maybe you want to get up earlier to have a nice tea or coffee, do some yoga, meditate, exercise, avoid the stress before going to work, plan the most important part of your day, read the newspaper, spend more time in the family breakfast, take out the dog, and so on.
Whatever your reason for getting up early, it is necessary that you have it very much in mind. And if possible, draw it or write it on a piece of paper to visualize it much more clearly.
