While we all know that the early bird gets the worm, it’s no secret that many people have trouble getting up and out of bed in the morning. You may try to fake enthusiasm by drinking coffee or starting an early workout routine, but more often than not the strain of pretending to be energized pushes people to eventually fall back on their rushed, late mornings.
Why do we try? Because we know that waking up earlier is better for us. When you get more sunlight early in the day (perhaps by waking up with the sunrise and getting outside early), you trigger hormonal responses of melatonin and cortisol that encourage healthy emotional and physical functions.“Morning people” also enjoy less stress. The more routine your mornings are, the more regular the rest of your day is going to be. And when you have control over the first few moments in your day (rather than waking up late, zipping into a shower and swallowing a quick breakfast on your way out the door), you have more control over the stress of the rest of your day.
Whether you want to become a morning person for the health benefits or simply because you’d like to get more done in the morning hours, you’ll be relieved to learn that a “morning person” is not a special, genetically-enhanced breed. With the right tweaks to your lifestyle and a willingness to try new things, even a lifelong night owl can learn to wake up early and enjoy it.Here’s how:
Tips for Your Bedtime Routine
Those who struggle the most with waking up and not feeling rested usually aren’t getting quality, consistent sleep. The first thing you’ll need to do is tweak your nighttime routine so that you can maximize your sleep quality and feel more rested when you wake up.
- Figure out your best bedtime. Reverse-engineer your wake up time to figure out when you need to wake up in order to shower, eat breakfast and get to work. Then count back 8-9 hours to identify your ideal bedtime.
- Zero in on bedtime habits. Replace or re-think anything that prevents you from having a good night’s sleep, including your mattress, pillow, bedtime ritual, the light that comes through the curtains and room temperature (it should be between 68 and 79 degrees).
- Limit stimulating lights at night. Stimulating blue light from computers, smartphones, televisions, and other electronic devices can signal your body to suppress melatonin levels (the hormone responsible for signaling most bodily functions to slow down) and elevate cortisol levels (the hormone responsible for stimulating your fight-or-flight response) and focus attention to the brain. Part of tweaking your bedtime habits includes limiting your exposure to the light in these devices so your brain can calm down for sleep.
- Don’t sleep in on the weekend. Going to bed and waking up at the same time of day every day is a powerful way to acclimate your body to waking up early. Don’t maintain separate schedules for your work week and your weekend -- find a bedtime and a wake-up time that works for you every day.
- Read More: The Importance of the Sleep Stages [Infographic]
- Read More: Choosing the Right Concierge Medicine Physician
Tips for Becoming a Morning Person
With a restful night’s sleep, you’ll wake up with enough energy to implement the following tips and become a true “morning person”:
- Stop hitting the snooze button. When your alarm goes off, get up right away and get out of bed. If you struggle with willpower, put your alarm far away from your bed so you have to stand up to turn it off.
- Don’t go straight for the coffee. Flooding your body with a stimulant when you wake up won’t help you feel awake naturally. Instead, keep a glass of water next to your bed to rehydrate yourself and kickstart your biological systems right when you wake up. Drinking water right away will also help clear metabolic waste and toxins out of your lymphatic systems from the hard work your body was doing while you slept. If plain water isn’t palatable, prepare it with cucumber, mint or lemon. Save coffee for a post-breakfast reward that you drink once you’ve gotten through your new morning routine.
- Get in front of the sun. Sunlight stimulates important hormone responses that regulate your body’s supply of Vitamin D, cortisol and melatonin, helping you feel alert more quickly. As early as possible, open your windows or head outside to get some sun.
- Eat protein. When you first wake up, you’re in a fasted state and your body is deprived of nutrients. Don’t skip breakfast. Fuel your body with protein in the form of eggs, meats, or beans to feel full and give your body the important nutrients it needs to function. Even better, eat a well-balanced meal with healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins that will keep you energized until lunch.
Your journey from night owl to morning person won’t happen overnight, but you can make small changes to your bedtime routine and wake-up routine that make it easier over time.
If you need more help, don’t hesitate to contact us. PartnerMD’s health coaches can help you become a morning person and help you make choices that lead you toward overall wellness.
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