How to Wake Up More Easily in the Morning
Ever wondered why you keep hitting that snooze button? Don’t know why you just can’t seem to get yourself out of bed every morning? We all love sleep, but sometimes it can be a pain to wake up and get ready for the day, whether it is for work, school, or anything in-between. If you are worried about getting up on time, there are plenty of thinks you can do to help you jump out of bed. Here are a few reasons why you might be having a hard time waking up, along with tips to help you get up and face the day.
- Avoid spending too much time on the computer the night before.
Whether it’s for a school paper or just checking your Facebook, spending too much time in front of the computer at night disturbs your sleeping schedule. The artificial light from the screen disrupts melatonin production, a chemical that is in charge of regulating the sleep cycle.
Solution: Power down your electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Give yourself enough time to adjust your eyes and relax.
- Don’t rely too much on your “Snooze” button.
Hitting the “Snooze” button every 10 minutes in the morning will not get you ready any faster. Adding those extra 20 or 30 minutes to your waking schedule not only gives you less time to get ready in the morning, but it prevents your internal clock to wake up consistently in the morning.
Solution: Place your alarm clock further away from your bed, perhaps even moving it across the room, if need be. That way, you will force yourself to get up to turn off the alarm; by the time you shut it off, you’ll already be up.
- Try not to sleep in on the weekends.
It has been a long week, and you deserve to catch up on some zzz’s on the weekend. The problem is, sleeping until past noon disrupts your ability to wake up early again on Monday, when you have to return to work or school.
Solution: Keep your sleep schedule consistent throughout the week. Although it might be tough, making an effort to turn in at the same time every night will help you wake up routinely in good fashion.
- Avoid napping too much.
Some studies have shown that taking naps have restorative effects to the health. However, sleeping for too long (30 minutes or more) will disturb your REM (deep sleep) cycle, thereby making it hard for you to fall asleep at night and harder to wake up the next day.
Solution: If you are feeling really exhausted, a power nap (i.e. a short sleep of 30 minutes or less) will benefit you. Try finding time during the day, whether late morning or afternoon, to power nap; just make sure you aren’t napping too close to your bedtime!
- Make sure you have healthy eating habits.
Although it might not seem like it, the types of foods you eat affect your body’s sleeping schedule. Items such as alcohol, processed carbs, and fried foods (e.g. donuts, mozzarella sticks) disrupt sleep, making you less likely to feel refreshed the following morning.
Solution: Try cutting down on alcohol and processed foods. Plan to eat dinner at least three hours before your bedtime to give yourself enough time for your body to digest your food.
With these simple steps, you’ll be hopping out of bed with a spring in your step, ready to take on the day.
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I’m definitely going to try turning of my electronics 30 minutes before. I also need to stop hitting snooze. I am definitely guilty of hitting it a maximum of 4 x’s.