A Fool-Proof Formula for Waking Up

Some people love getting out of bed early, but for others waking up in the morning is a struggle. Even if you are a night owl by nature, the working hours of society often do not let you escape the universal wake-up schedule.

So how can you successfully get yourself to wake up early?

Today we will give you a fool-proof formula that will help you be out of bed and on your feet in no time. If you are a struggling late riser, these tips are for you

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

A good wake-up strategy usually starts the night before. There may be different reasons why you sabotage your sleep, but if you do not get a good night's rest, it will be infinitely harder to wake up the next day feeling refreshed and energized.

A simple way to structure your day and prepare for a restful night is to follow the 10-3-2-1-0 formula. Here is how it works:

• 10 hours before sleeping: you stop ingesting caffeine in any shape, including tea, coffee, or chocolate
• 3 hours before sleeping: you stop consuming any food or alcoholic beverage
• 2 hours before sleeping: you stop working or thinking about work
• 1 hour before sleeping: you stop looking at screens and put your phone away to sleep
• 0: you turn off your alarm clock and hit the snooze button zero times!

This formula is a great way to prepare your body for the night. It can help you develop a healthy bedtime routine that you can keep for the rest of your life to get better rest every night.

Keep a Consistent Schedule

Try to sleep and wake up in the same 15-minute time frame every day. Some people celebrate their weekends by getting up later, but this can throw off their circadian rhythm and ruin their sleep in the coming week.

Keeping your wake-up time consistent throughout the week is a healthy practice that can help regulate your internal body clock and help you get the rest you need.

Make Your Clock Less Alarming

You might think that having a loud annoying alarm sound go off will be the answer to you getting out of bed on time, but it’s doing more harm than good! If you find yourself feeling continually groggy and still tired in the morning, consider switching your alarm tone to something softer. Some sleep studies have noted that aggressive sounding alarms can cause that groggy feeling, known as sleep inertia. This feeling sets your day off feeling tired and can affect your productivity for hours.

Instead of using an alarm that wakes you–and your housemates–up in a panic, try a melodic two-tone alarm that will wake you up with natural sounds. These types of alarms will gently pull you out of your sleep in a more natural way so you wake up feeling refreshed and not like you still didn’t rest.

Let in the Bright Morning Light

Exposing your body to the natural sunlight first thing in the morning will increase your core temperature and signal your body that it is time to wake up. Studies show that sunlight can stop melatonin production, which is the hormone that prepares your body for sleep. Increase your alertness by opening the curtains and enjoying the light. You can even leave the curtains open the night before to let the warm sunshine wake you up.

Time Your Coffee Strategically

We can blame an evening cup of coffee for the lost practice of resting. Although, if you time your coffee right, it can help jump-start your day. Studies show that caffeine can block adenosine receptors in your brain and keep you alert. So a hot cup of coffee in the morning or even one in the early afternoon can help keep you energized – as long as you remember to follow that 10-hour window we mentioned earlier!

Exercise and Meditate

Regular exercise has more benefits than only keeping you fit and healthy. Research shows it can also improve your sleep quality. There are different ways you can make exercise a habit. If you make it a morning habit, you can warm up your body and get rid of the last bit of sleepiness. Pair your morning exercise with the natural sunlight and a cold shower, and there is no way you would want to go back to bed afterward.

What exercise can do for your body, meditation can do for your mind. A quick guided wake-up meditation when you are in bed under your down comforter or enjoying a cup of coffee can make you excited for the day and give you a clear and alert mind.

Start Your Day Right From Today

These better sleep tips can be incorporated into anyone’s routine to help you wake up feeling refreshed and stay rested throughout the morning. So start using them today to get a good night's sleep and set yourself up for a successful, energized day.